Dog Constantly Scratches Ears, Brown Liquid Inside: Wha
Due to the "L" shaped structure of a dog's ear canal, their ears are more sensitive and fragile than human ears, making them prone to ear mites, otitis, and other ear canal diseases. If you notice your dog frequently scratching its ears and there's a brownish discharge, it's a sign that there might be an issue with its ear health. It's essential to address this promptly and correctly.
Understanding the Causes
1. Water Infiltration
Dogs naturally produce earwax, which, when mixed with dust and other particles, turns brown. When your dog gets its ears wet during a bath or a rainstorm, the moisture can mix with the earwax, causing it to ooze out as a brown liquid. This is usually not a cause for concern and can be easily resolved by gently drying the ears with a tissue. However, if left untreated, it may lead to otitis.
2. Inflammation
Inflammation in a dog's ears can also result in a brown discharge. This could be due to ear mites, bacterial and fungal infections, allergies, or foreign objects. Inflamed ears often present with redness, pain, itching, and an increase in secretions, which may be brown, watery, or even yellow puslike fluid.
Proper Treatment Methods
1. Cleaning the Ears
Wipe away the brown discharge from your dog's ears with a clean tissue or medical cotton ball to prevent bacteria from thriving in a moist environment and causing infection. Be cautious not to use cotton swabs, as they can injure the ear canal.
After drying, use tweezers with a medical cotton ball to gently apply a small amount of ErFeiBan (Pet Ear Care Solution) to clean your dog's outer ear canal. This can help with cleaning, care, and antibacterial effects.
2. Monitoring
While cleaning, keep an eye on your dog's ear canal. If there's redness, pain (your dog resists being touched), or an unpleasant odor, it may indicate inflammation and requires immediate medical attention.
If there are no apparent abnormalities, monitor your dog for 12 days to ensure no more brown discharge appears. If there's a recurrence of discharge within a short period, it could be a sign of otitis media or otitis interna.
3. Prompt Medication
For symptoms like redness, itching, and an unpleasant odor, consider using antibacterial and antifungal medications. For instance, clean the ear canal with an ear wash daily, then apply a small amount of ErDiKe (Fluoroquinolone Metronidazole Ear Drop) to the outer ear canal for antibacterial and antifungal effects. Additionally, give your dog KeNuoJia (Amoxicillin Clavulanate Potassium) or ErSuDa (Cefadroxil Tablets) daily to further control the infection.
4. Precautions
● During medication, it's advisable to put a Elizabethan collar on your dog to prevent it from scratching its ears;
● Avoid getting water in your dog's ears during baths to keep the ear canal dry and clean;
● Regularly deworm your dog to prevent ear mites from causing secondary bacterial infections that lead to otitis;
● Keep a close watch, and if the brown discharge in your dog's ears does not decrease, seek medical attention promptly.
In summary, when your dog exhibits frequent ear scratching and brown discharge in the ear canal, it's crucial to clean the ears immediately. If symptoms persist and home remedies are ineffective, seek veterinary care without delay to prevent the situation from worsening.
