Healthy dogs’ ears are clean and odor-free. If you notice a strange smell emanating from your pet’s ears, don’t be shy about taking a closer sniff or a closer look. Chances are, your dog is harboring a stinky surprise: thick brown or yellowish green discharge in the outer ear canal.
Either of these signs means something’s awry—especially if your dog has been shaking her head or pawing at her ears.
Causes
The three primary causes of ear odor and discharge are bacteria, yeast, and mites. These mischief-makers work alone or as a team, and they can wreak havoc in the warm, dark recesses of your furry friend’s ear canals.
Long, floppy ears like a cocker spaniel’s retain moisture and predispose such breeds to ear inflammation and infection. Breeds that enjoy paddling around lakes and bounding through streams, such as Labrador Retrievers, also are prone to this problem.
Sometimes other conditions, such as food or inhalant allergies (atopy), make your pet’s ears more susceptible to bacterial and yeast infections. These annoying allergies spark ideal conditions (inflammation and moist, oily skin) for microorganisms to multiply.
What you can do at home
Remember: A dry ear is a happy ear. Although it may take two of you to wrangle your wriggling pet, always thoroughly dry her ears after a good swim. You can then apply an ear cleaning and drying product that will dry in the ear canals. Another tip: Before your pet indulges in a soapy bath, put cotton balls in her ear openings to keep them dry.
Many well-intentioned pet owners make the mistake of using hydrogen peroxide to clean their pets’ ears. Here’s a brief chemistry lesson to explain why this old standard doesn’t work: Hydrogen peroxide’s chemical formula is H2O2. After the product releases its oxygen—that’s the bubbling you see—you’re left with H2O, or water in the ear, and you’ve just compounded your poor pet’s problem.
Instead, use an astringent product designed for ear cleaning. Some of these may contain hydrogen peroxide to foam out icky wax, so many products recommend follow-up with a drying agent.
Unless you have a DVM behind your name, never try to diagnose your dog’s ear problems. Some pet owners assume their furry friend has mites and apply ear mite medication. This insecticide typically will cause more harm than good if your pet is suffering from a bacteria or yeast infection. If you find yourself hunched over your dog night after night cleaning out debris, or if the ear becomes red or swollen, call your veterinarian. Ear infections rarely improve without veterinary care.
What the veterinarian will do
Your veterinarian will use an otoscope to look for abnormalities in your pet’s ears and make sure the eardrum is intact. He or she also may examine a small amount of gooey discharge under the microscope to help determine the cause of your pet’s misery.
If the ear is tender, your veterinarian may administer a sedative and an analgesic before cleaning out the canals. You’ll need to leave your pet at the hospital for a few hours until she is alert and back on her feet. If your veterinarian detects inflammation, he or she might give a steroid injection to ease the pain and swelling.
With ear mites, you and your veterinarian can choose from several treatments. If your dog’s ears are infected, you’ll need to administer prescription ear medication for 10 to 14 days, but your pet’s ears will look and smell better after just one or two applications.
Ear problems in pets tend to recur, just as they do in children. In such cases, your veterinarian may investigate allergies as the underlying cause. But no matter what the cause, your dog will appreciate a fast response to her itchy, painful problem.
