Golden Retriever ear infection. Beagle mix ear infection. Labrador Retriever ear infection. Whatever type of dog you have, if his ears are infected or inflamed the medical term for this condition is otitis. The word otitis comes from the latin for ear inflammation.

Otitis is categorized by the location of the infection or inflammation in your dog’s ear: external (the ear canal), media (the middle ear) or internal (the innermost portion of your dog’s ear).

Otitis media and internal otitis can cause permanent deafness, and internal otitis is a medical emergency as your dog’s balance may be severely impacted. However, as most cases of otitis media and internal otitis begin as external otitis, you need to get all ear infections looked at promptly.

External Otitis
External otitis is an infection or inflammation of your dog’s ear canal. The ear canal is L-shaped, beginning as the vertical chute you see looking into your dog’s ear and then turning into a horizontal pathway that leads to your dog’s eardrum.

External otitis is the most common type of ear infection in dogs, and the vast majority of dogs who get external otitis are those dogs with long, droopy ears such as Basset Hounds and Beagles. Certain breeds who are prone to having narrow ear canals such as Chinese Shar-Peis and dogs who have a lot of hair and fur around their ears impeding air flow to the ear also have an increased tendency to get external otitis.  

Aside from your dog’s physical characteristics which may make him more prone to external otitis, there are several other triggers that can cause ear canal infection or inflammation: parasites such as ear mites; a build-up of debris such as ear wax; a foreign object such as a grass seed lodged in the ear canal; water trapped in the ear after swimming; bacterial or fungal agents; and tumors of the ear canal.  Allergies also appear to be a primary cause for a good portion of external otitis cases. Finally, certain hormonal conditions – a low thyroid level for example – are thought to play a role in the development of external otitis.

Symptoms of external otitis include pain when the ear is touched, scratching at the ear, shaking the head, swelling or redness of the ear flap or ear canal, and odor or discharge from the ear. If your dog is licking and scratching his ear excessively this can also lead to other conditions such as hair loss, skin irritations and hematomas.

Otitis Media
Otitis media is an infection or inflammation of the middle portion of your dog’s ear. The middle portion of your dog’s ear contains the eardrum, the structure that helps to transmit sound. In severe cases of otitis media, your dog’s eardrum may rupture.

Most middle ear infections or inflammations are caused by cases of external otitis spreading further into the ear. Other, much less frequent causes of middle ear infections include tumor blockages, bacteria entering the middle ear through the bloodstream, or bacteria entering through the Eustachian tube (a small tube that connects the ear with the nasal passageway).

The symptoms of otitis media are similar to those for external otitis. However, with otitis media your dog’s pain will likely be more pronounced and your dog may tilt his head to one side.

Internal Otitis
Internal otitis is an infection or inflammation of the inner ear. The inner ear includes mechanisms for both hearing and balance.  

Many cases of internal otitis begin as ear canal or middle ear infections or inflammations that travel to the inner ear. Other causes of internal otitis include tumors or infections that spread through the bloodstream.

If your dog is suffering from internal otitis he will be dizzy — his inner ear is not functioning properly to be able to transmit balance information to the brain information.  As such, in addition to the pain associated with all types of otitis, a dog with internal otitis will likely have a head tilt or tilt his whole body, be unsteady on his feet, bump into things, circle or pace, and move his eyes strangely. Because your dog will be feeling dizzy and thus nauseated, your dog may also vomit. If your dog’s balance function is not working properly, this is a medical emergency and he needs to be taken to the vet immediately.  

Diagnosis & Treatment
If you bring your dog to the vet for a suspected ear infection or inflammation, your vet will likely begin by conducting a physical examination of your dog’s impacted ear and by taking samples of any ear discharge for culturing and evaluation under a microscope. Other diagnostic steps your vet may take include x-rays to get a clearer picture of the extent and potential causes of the infection, allergy testing if allergies are suspected, skin scraping to look for parasites, and blood tests to look for potential underlying conditions which may have triggered the ear problem.

Treatment for external otitis usually involves having your dog’s ear cleaned by the vet and putting your dog on a course of medication such as an anti-fungal medication or an antibiotic depending on the cause. Your dog may also be given an anti-inflammatory. The medication may have to be administered to your dog in pill form via his mouth or placed directly in his ear such as in the case with Baytril Otic, a commonly prescribed ear medication. In cases where the external otitis has been caused by a blockage to the ear such as a tumor or even a sizable foreign object, surgery may be required. If allergies are causing the external otitis, your vet will have to determine the cause of the allergies and treat the allergies as well as the ear infection.

Treatment of otitis media and internal otitis is somewhat more invasive as these conditions involve deeper parts of your dog’s ear. Treatment techniques, which often require your dog be sedated, include having your vet flush out the ear and also creating a small puncture in the eardrum to decrease ear pressure and drain the middle and interior areas of the ear. Your vet will also likely put your vet on a course of oral antibiotics and perhaps pain-alleviating medication.

Prevention
You can help safeguard your dog from ear infections by keeping his ears clean and dry. While you should never attempt to stick your finger or any cleaning tool into your dog’s ear canal, you can use a cotton ball to keep the ear flap clean and dry which will prevent the dirt and moisture from traveling into your dog’s ears. Addressing any potential underlying triggers of ear infections — allergies, for example — can help prevent ear infections from developing.