Does your dog have itchy ears?

itchy ears

Does your dog shake their head frequently, scratch incessantly at their ears or have smelly, dirty or itchy ears? In dogs, allergies can appear as ear infections and can be recurrent and hard to get rid of. Dogs with allergies may also have itchy paws and red skin in their armpits or bellies. Dogs can be allergic to anything people can be allergic to including dust, pollens in the environment and foods. Environmental allergies like grasses and trees can show up as seasonal events. Affected dogs might get itchy for a few weeks every spring or maybe just in the fall. Allergies to food or indoor allergens such as dust tend to bother dogs more consistently and may seem present all year.

Itchy ears

Treating your dogs itchy ears

If your dog’s ears need attention, see your veterinarian or Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist.  They can help determine if allergies might be the reason for your dog’s discomfort and can offer options to help alleviate the symptoms. Some solutions are short term to bring relief and resolve the smelly, dirty, itchy ears. This usually includes traditional daily at-home ear cleaning or medication for 1-2 weeks.  There are also treatments your veterinarian can administer to your dog in the clinic; these single or double dose options provide the same type of results as traditional ear medications, saving pet owners the struggle of treating their dog’s ears at home.  

Part of managing allergies involves determining what the pet is allergic to. This can be frustrating for pet owners but is essential for providing pets with relief. Options like intradermal and serologic allergy testing and/or diet trials may help in this process. Once the cause of the allergy is better understood, control may involve additional options like shampoo therapy, topical, oral or injectable medications or immunotherapy. For food allergic dogs, only feed them dog food contains limited ingredients. Try diet trials where food intake is limited to a specific diet can help determine which foods are an issue for pets and your veterinary team can provide hypoallergenic, hydrolyzed, novel ingredient or limited antigen options that eliminate these allergens from your pet’s diet.  Food can also be used to support skin health and alleviate symptoms for dogs with environmental allergies.  The best solution can be different for each pet; pet owners must work with their veterinary team to find the right option for their pet.

Other articles from mtltimes.catotimes.caotttimes.ca

raw food

Is raw food good for my pet?

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email


Canada High-speed train in the works

Canada, one of the greatest countries in the world has no high-speed train. With all our land and resources we unfortunately still have a train system from the 1970’s. A high speed rail system has been talked about for decades to link Montreal and Toronto. Governments have promised from time to time in campaigns but

Montreal

What’s Behind the Growing Number of Online Casinos in Montreal?

Montreal, a hub for technological and entertainment innovation, is experiencing an increase in online gambling activity. The online gambling market in Canada, particularly Quebec, is projected to see significant growth. Recent statistics reveal Canada’s online gambling market is expected to reach $362.89 million in 2024, with the online gambling sector reaching $4.19 billion, an annual

How Pay-by-Phone Casinos Support Privacy-Conscious Players

The matter of your privacy is the most important thing nowadays when we’re talking about today’s digital age, and it is especially true for online casino players who wish to keep their financial and personal information out of the reach of fraudsters. Pay-by-phone casinos are some of the most convenient ways to deposit money at

life-saving drugs

Making medicine faster: How experts help create and test life-saving drugs

Developing new medicines is a long and challenging process, often taking several years from the discovery phase to approval. However, scientific advancements, innovative research strategies, and collaborations between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare experts are accelerating this process. Thanks to these efforts, life-saving drugs can reach patients faster, helping to combat diseases more effectively and improve

Mtltimes Subscription

The latest on what’s moving Montreal and the world – delivered straight to your inbox