Dog Ears And Cat Ears

Ear disease is quite common in dogs and can result from a range of factors, including bacterial infections, fungal infections, ear mites, allergies, foreign bodies such as grass seed or sand, tumors, over-active glands or skin cell replacement.

Dogs have ears which are designed to be self-cleaning. The skin grows outwards and carries debris out towards the ear opening like a conveyor belt.

Unfortunately, the shape of the ear means that sometimes the self cleaning mechanism is not as effective as it should be, and dirt and ear wax can build up. Ear disease can also upset this mechanism.

Many normal dog ears will have some bacteria present, but a change in the underlying health of the ear can make this normal flora proliferate.

Ear mites, which can affect both cats and dogs, usually live in the ears, but can venture out from time to time to the head and body, including the tail, or drop off the animal altogether and transfer from one pet to another.

While the common yeast or fungal growth on the skin of a dog is quite normal and causes no problems, it can proliferate and cause a problem when there is a change is the dog's underlying health.