Does your dog suffer from itchy, painful ear infections that keep coming back?
Around 20% of dogs develop ear issues at some point in their life, and many experience chronic infections requiring treatment at least 4 times a year. Learn about the common causes of recurring ear infections in dogs and what you can do to help your dog’s ears stay healthy.

Quick Tips To Control Recurring Ear Infections in Dogs

• Check ears daily for foreign material like dirt, grass seeds, and hair
• Keep ears clean and dry, especially after baths, swimming, and rainy day walks
• Manage food sensitivities with a limited ingredient diet
• Always use prescribed medications as directed by your veterinarian for as long as prescribed
• Follow-up with your after treatments to ensure infection has been eliminated
• Rule out ear mites, chronic inflammation, and tumors
• Supplement with probiotic chews for dogs to support your a healthy immune system
• Use a recovery cone during flare-ups to prevent trauma to delicate ear tissue from scratching

What Causes Recurring Ear Infections in Dogs?

The bacteria and fungi that cause ear infections are normally found in and around the ear in small, controlled numbers. Changes in the structure, environment, or conditions of the ear canal can allow bacteria or fungi to overgrow, leading to an infection.
Bacteria and fungi thrive in warm, moist places, like the L-shaped ear canal in dogs, especially those with long, floppy ears like Retrievers and Hounds.
Vets see more ear infections in dogs during summer months, likely due to hot, humid weather, and dogs that live in tropical climates are at higher risk year-round. Swimming, bathing, or walking in the rain can also leave the ears moist and prone to infection.
Surprisingly, though, over 40% of ear infections in dogs are linked to food sensitivities and environmental allergies. In dogs with allergies or sensitivities, the immune system overreacts to a food ingredient or substance like pollen, causing symptoms that affect their whole body. The ears become inflamed and itchy, and there may be increased wax production, which allows bacteria and fungus to flourish.
Recurring ear infections can have other causes, too, and can be attributed to multiple factors. Repeated bouts of infection can cause chronic inflammation, thickening the tissue lining the ear canal, which can close up, trapping moisture and bacteria or fungus inside the ear.
Let your veterinarian know if your dog experiences a sudden, unexplained increase in ear infections. Foreign material like grass seeds, pollen, dirt, or even long fur can cause infections, as can, tumors, polyps, and masses. Chronic, undiagnosed conditions that affect the immune system, like Cushing’s disease and hypothyroidism should also be ruled out.

Dietary Changes To Control Recurring Ear Infections

In dogs with food sensitivities, dietary changes can sometimes stop ear infections from recurring. Protein sources like chicken, beef, and eggs are among the most common ingredients that cause sensitivities in dogs, but it’s also possible for your dog to be sensitive to starches, preservatives, and synthetic vitamins in their food.
A change in diet will not offer immediate relief, but can help narrow down potential allergens while your dog is treated by your veterinarian. If your dog’s ear infections are caused by allergies, you might notice an improvement after switching to a limited ingredient diet. It may be helpful to use an at-home 5Strands Pet Food Intolerance Test or an elimination diet to determine which ingredients may be causing your dog’s flare-ups.
Your dog’s diet should be optimized to support their gut health, which houses the majority of their immune system. Probiotics, which can be supplemented with probiotic chews for dogs, can restore beneficial bacteria to your dog’s gut microbiome and help keep infection-causing yeast and bacteria in check.

Treatment for Recurring Ear Infections in Dogs

Any time your dog has signs of an ear infection, they will need to be treated by your veterinarian. Attempting to treat your dog at home without a vet visit may fail to treat the type of bacteria or viruses that your dog may have, and may spread infection or irritate the inflamed, delicate tissue.
Ear medication from your veterinarian should always be used exactly as directed to ensure that the infection is completely eliminated. See your vet for a follow-up appointment around 1 to 2 weeks after completion of home treatment. Incomplete treatment can lead to a relapse of the same infection.
Healthy ears are essentially self-cleaning. Your dog’s ear-wax serves the purpose of keeping the ear canal from drying out and cracking, and protects the ear from fungus and bacteria. Dogs that do not have a history of ear infections usually do not need to have their ears cleaned.
For dogs that get frequent ear infections, gently cleaning no more than twice weekly can help keep bacteria and fungus under control without breaking down the ear’s natural, protective barrier. You can use ear wipes or dog ear rinse to gently cleanse the outer ear and medicated antifungal shampoo during baths to control bacteria and yeast on the skin and coat.
If dietary changes and regular cleaning do not seem to help, or your dog’s symptoms get worse, make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Ear infections are frustrating and painful for dogs, but once you determine and treat the underlying cause, itchy ears can finally become a thing of the past.

VISION

Every pet deserves to live a long, happy, healthy life.