How is the cause of itchy ears in dogs diagnosed?

There’s a well-known saying in veterinary and human medicine: ‘Common things are common’. It may sound obvious, but your vet will start by ruling out the most common and obvious things first.

• General physical exam. Before even looking at your dog’s ears, your vet may want to do a full physical exam. They will be looking for signs of parasites like fleas and other generalised signs of skin problems such as bald patches and scabs. These can all be pointers to the cause of the itchy ears.

• Otoscope exam. An otoscope is an instrument for looking into your dog’s ear canal with a light and a magnifying glass. Your vet will use this to check for obvious things like grass seeds, but also for ear mites, inflammation and infection. Sometimes, dogs are so frantic and uncomfortable that your vet may need to sedate them in order to safely carry out this exam.

   

• Swab and culture. These will be used to identify bacteria or yeast infections.

• Skin scrapes. These are performed to look for microscopic parasites like sarcoptic mange.

• Allergy investigation. This may involve food trials or blood and skin tests for environmental allergies.

• MRI. This will be far down the list of tests and will be reserved for breeds prone to CM/SM after other causes of itchy ears have been ruled out.

How will my dog’s itchy ears be treated?

As you can imagine, the treatment for your dog’s itchy ears will depend entirely on the cause. Often, once a whopping grass seed has been plucked deftly from your dog’s ear canal, the relief is instant and everyone is happy!

However, other treatments may be needed and can be lengthy. These may include:

• Cleaning. Often, dogs with itchy ears get a build up of wax and may have pus in their ears. If your vet gives your dog medicated ear drops, you may need to clean their ears first so that the drops can get to the skin and be effective. Your vet will demonstrate what you need to do and explain how often.

• Medications. Anti-inflammatory, antibiotic or antifungal ear drops may be given, or even all three! Your vet may also prescribe oral antibiotics if drops are not going to be enough. Your dog may have an injection of an anti-inflammatory to give relief from the itching and break the scratch cycle.

• Diet change. For dogs with food allergies and atopy, diet change can make a huge difference. Therapeutic diets for food allergy sufferers are curative for the vast majority of dogs. There are also diets available that have anti-inflammatory properties and even help restore the skin barrier function in atopic dogs. Your vet will be able to guide you to which diet is best for your individual dog.

• Allergy relief. Dietary change, antihistamines or environmental management may be needed depending on what your dog is allergic to.

• Parasite treatment. Depending on what parasites your dog has, your vet may prescribe drops, a spot-on treatment or medicated shampoos.

Never poke around in your dog’s ears or put anything in them without the say-so of your vet. You may damage their ears or hearing or exacerbate inflammation and cause more pain.

Can I prevent itchy ears in my dog?

There are some things you can do to try to help prevent ear problems in the first place:

• If your dog has very furry ears, you can keep the hair clipped short, especially in the summer months when grass seeds are an issue. Try to get into the habit of checking your dog’s ears and paws after each walk to make sure seeds haven’t hitched a ride in the fur. If you see a seed heading into the ear canal, see your vet to have it removed with the right tools.

• If your dog is an avid swimmer, they may have more ear problems because of the moisture. If you can gently dry their ears with some cotton wool after each swim, it may help.

• Keep your preventative parasite control up to date.

Summary

If your dog starts showing signs of ear irritation, the best thing to do is see your vet as soon as possible. As we said, the treatment will vary depending on the underlying cause, but it’s best to seek prompt attention, as foreign objects and infections can quickly become quite serious and threaten your dog’s hearing. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and with any of these problems, the sooner you get treatment started, the better.

FAQs

• Why is my dog scratching their ears all the time?
  There are lots of things that can cause itchy ears in dogs. The most common are parasites, foreign objects like grass seeds, infections and allergies.

• How can I tell if my dog has an ear infection?
  Infected ears are often dirty, inflamed and smelly. If ever you are worried about your dog’s ears, see a vet as soon as you can.

• Can food allergies cause itchy ears in dogs?
  Yes, both food allergies and environmental allergies (atopy) can cause itchy ears in dogs.

• What’s the best treatment for itchy ears in dogs?
  This will depend on the cause. Never try to treat your dog’s itchy ears without seeing your vet. You can easily cause pain and may make things worse.

• How can I prevent ear problems in my dog?
  Keep your dog’s ear fur trimmed short, especially in summer. Dry inside your dog’s ears gently with cotton wool if they go swimming. Keep parasite treatment up to date.

Reviewed by Dr. Hein Meyer, DVM, PhD, Dipl-ECVIM-CA and Dr. Emma Milne BVSc FRCVS.