Symptoms of Ear Infection

Cheerful1 · 01-10-2012, 02:12 PM

Lately when Joey gets up in the morning, I can hear him shake his head and body as if he was wet and shaking himself off. He's not whimpering in pain or anything like that. There's no smell either.

He'll shake once in a while during the day.

Don't know if he's having a problem with his ears.

How do I check his ears to see if he has any problems?

qbchottu · 01-10-2012, 02:15 PM

Here's a really good article on checking ears and what the signs of infection are Examining and Medicating the Ears of a Dog

N Smith · 01-10-2012, 02:17 PM

Get a flashlight and get as good a look as you can inside his ears.

If there is an issue, you will see redness, discharge, sometimes swelling, they can start to walk with their head tilted to the side, and can scratch their ear alot.

If its ear mites, you will see black "coffee grind", type caking in your dogs ears. You can pick up a mite oil at your vets office or at a local feed store. Just make sure you follow the instructions and repeat the process 14 days later to kill the hatched eggs.

But if he is just shaking randomly, then that is more of a normal dog thing.

If you are unsure, you can have a vet check his ears for you. As a word of caution though, if the ears are healthy, pink and fine, LEAVE THEM ALONE - do not be tempted to let the vet or yourself clean them.

Cheerful1 · 01-10-2012, 02:20 PM

Thanks; I'll check it out.

He has a checkup scheduled for February, so hopefully I can wait until then.

Ears are something I don't want to mess around with.

Freestep · 01-10-2012, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheerful1

How do I check his ears to see if he has any problems?

Get a small flashlight and look as far down into the ear as you can. Do you see any dirt or gunk? The ear canal should be pink and reasonably free of dirt and wax. If you can't see or smell anything, try swiping a cotton ball as far down into his ear that you can see. The cotton ball should come out pretty clean. if you see anything brown, black, or red, or if you smell something, go to the vet and have them check it out.

msvette2u · 01-10-2012, 03:47 PM

BTW, not to say he does or doesn't have ear issues, but dogs shake themselves 2-3 x a day normally.
Especially upon waking. Often they stretch then shake off.

01-10-2012, 02:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
Cheerful1 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Long Island/Pennsylvania Posts: 353	Symptoms of Ear Infection Lately when Joey gets up in the morning, I can hear him shake his head and body as if he was wet and shaking himself off. He's not whimpering in pain or anything like that. There's no smell either. He'll shake once in a while during the day. Don't know if he's having a problem with his ears. How do I check his ears to see if he has any problems?

01-10-2012, 02:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
qbchottu Master Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 908	Here's a really good article on checking ears and what the signs of infection are Examining and Medicating the Ears of a Dog __________________ Puddi 11/15/10 Rescue GSD/Golden Whiskey von Huerta Hof 12/20/10 WGSL GSD Wiva vom Drache Feld 2/3/11 WGSL GSD

01-10-2012, 03:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
msvette2u Crowned Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Beautiful Pacific NW Posts: 5,533	BTW, not to say he does or doesn't have ear issues, but dogs shake themselves 2-3 x a day normally. Especially upon waking. Often they stretch then shake off. __________________ Ruger v. Sunnyside Stray 4-11-11

01-10-2012, 02:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
N Smith Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Whitehorse, Yukon Posts: 310	Get a flashlight and get as good a look as you can inside his ears. If there is an issue, you will see redness, discharge, sometimes swelling, they can start to walk with their head tilted to the side, and can scratch their ear alot. If its ear mites, you will see black "coffee grind", type caking in your dogs ears. You can pick up a mite oil at your vets office or at a local feed store. Just make sure you follow the instructions and repeat the process 14 days later to kill the hatched eggs. But if he is just shaking randomly, then that is more of a normal dog thing. If you are unsure, you can have a vet check his ears for you. As a word of caution though, if the ears are healthy, pink and fine, LEAVE THEM ALONE - do not be tempted to let the vet or yourself clean them.

01-10-2012, 02:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
Cheerful1 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Long Island/Pennsylvania Posts: 353	Thanks; I'll check it out. He has a checkup scheduled for February, so hopefully I can wait until then. Ears are something I don't want to mess around with.

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