Dogs with environmental allergies are often very uncomfortable because their skin is always itchy and red. And if that wasn’t enough, they are also more likely to get fleas, staph or yeast infection, and food allergies, which can make the itching worse. Did you know that allergic dogs are also more likely to get ear infections? A dog ear infection is often a secondary sign of allergies, especially allergies to dust mites, molds, pollens, and animal proteins in dog food.
What is the underlying cause of dog ear infections?
The dogs ear canal is far more vertical than that of the human ear canal, resulting in an L-shape that is more adept at holding fluid than its human counterpart. Dogs are more likely to acquire ear infections as a result of this characteristic. Ear infections are most commonly caused by bacteria, yeast, or a combination of the two. Ear mites in pups have the potential to be a source of infection for them.
Moist conditions are favorable for the growth of bacteria and yeast. It is estimated that around half of dogs with allergic skin illnesses and eighty percent of dogs with food sensitivities suffer from allergies.
Disruption of the endocrine system and autoimmune disorders may increase your dog’s risk of developing ear infections. Excessive accumulation of wax, foreign objects, injury to the ear canal, or Cleaning to an excessive degree can also lead to ear infections in dogs.
What are some symptoms of ear infections?
Except for a buildup of wax and discharge in the ear canal, some dogs exhibit no symptoms of ear infection. However, ear infections can cause severe discomfort, and infected dogs may exhibit the following symptoms: Head shaking; scratching the ear that is infected; dark-colored discharges; bad odor; redness or swelling; pain; itching, and crusted skin on ears.
How to tell if your dog’s ears are infected
Your vet is the best person to help you figure out if it’s an ear infection or if there’s something painful stuck in the ear canal, like a foxtail or something else. Then, if it is an infection, they can figure out what caused it and tell you how to treat it best. Chronic or recurring ear infections that don’t happen at the same time every year may be caused by a food allergy. Seasonal ear infections, on the other hand, are often caused by an allergy to the environment (atopic dermatitis).
With proper cleaning, you can keep your dog’s ears from getting infected.
To keep your dog from getting ear infections, you should clean his or her ears every week. A good time to do this is right after you give your dog a bath.
Your veterinarian or a veterinary technician can show you how to clean your dog’s ears properly so that you feel more confident doing it yourself. As a general rule, you shouldn’t use Q-tips on your dog’s ears because they can easily damage their ears, puncture their eardrums, and push debris deeper into their ear canals.
You should clean your dog’s ears once a week for maintenance, but if your dog has an ear infection, you’ll need to clean them more often during treatment. During treatment, you shouldn’t clean your dog’s ears more than once every other day. If you clean them more often, you risk irritating their ears, breaking down their thin skin, and getting too much water in the ear canal. If your dog’s ear infections keep coming back, talk to your vet about sending your dog to a veterinary dermatologist. This will help your dog get the best results possible and get ahead of the problem before the ear canal gets so thick and scarred that surgery is needed.
Can dog food cause an ear infection?
Not necessarily. However, dogs that have food allergies may develop chronic or recurrent non-seasonal ear infections. It is common for ear infections to be a secondary symptom of underlying allergies, notably to dust mites, mold, and pollen, as well as to animal proteins contained in dog food.
Allergic reactions to food are a major cause of ear infections in dogs, particularly those with food sensitivity. According to some estimates, up to 80% of dogs with food sensitivities will have an ear infection at some point in their lives. One of the most effective means of preventing and possibly curing these infections is through your dog’s nutrition.
If your favorite puppy suffers from recurrent ear infections, the primary cause could be its diet. Now that we know dogs can develop ear infections as a result of food allergies, it’s critical to provide them with the highest quality food available.
Which dog food contributes to the development of ear infections?
Ear infections in dogs are frequently caused by an overabundance of grain and/or sugar in the diet. Sugar feeds the yeast already present in the body, resulting in overgrowth and hence the black, yeasty-smelling deposit inside the ears.
Proteins, particularly those derived from dairy products, beef, lamb, chicken, chicken eggs, soy, or gluten, are the most often allergenic foods in dogs (from wheat). When a pet consumes food that contains these compounds, the antibodies react with the antigens, resulting in symptoms. Fish and rabbits are the least common food allergies.
In the case of specific dogs that consume foods such as chicken or grains such as wheat or corn (among other specific ingredients), an allergic reaction occurs, affecting the natural flora and allowing yeast to thrive in an unnatural manner. Avoiding common irritants from your pet’s diet may help them to get rid of their yeasty ears.
Related Questions:
How do you know whether your dog is allergic to the food you’re feeding him?
When it comes to dogs, food sensitivities present themselves in a variety of ways, including gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as dermatologic signs such as itching, dry skin or a flaky coat, or recurring ear or foot infections.
You may also know what your dog is allergic to by the RAST test. A RAST test, also known as a radioallergosorbent test, is a sort of blood test that is used to determine whether or not a dog is allergic to specific antigens. This test is routinely done in dogs to rule out the possibility of atopy (a cutaneous manifestation of inhalant allergies).
Can a dog eventually develop an allergy to its diet?
True food allergies are more likely to cause itching or chronic ear or skin infections in dogs. Additionally, a real food allergy frequently manifests abruptly after a dog has been consuming the same food without issue for months or years.
