How Ear Infections Can Cause Deafness in Dogs

Did you know that ear infections can cause deafness in dogs? The good news is that prevention is incredibly easy. With proper ear care, you can prevent your dog from losing his hearing . Here’s what you need to know about how ear infections can cause deafness in dogs.
Deaf dogs are amazing creatures and I am a better person because my life has been graced with two deaf dogs. I know from personal experience that deaf dogs can accomplish anything a hearing dog can. Deaf dogs can learn dozens of hand signs, become Canine Good Citizens, compete in agility, perform healing and supportive work as therapy and emotional support dogs and so much more.
As much as I adore deaf dogs, I want to prevent deafness whenever possible. I believe it’s important for pet parents to understand the reasons a dog may be deaf, so that preventable cases can be reduced if not eliminated. For me, that is an important part of being a deaf dog advocate.
One of the most common causes of deafness in dogs are ear infections. When it comes to being a good pet parent generally, and preventing deafness specifically is proper ear care is critical. The good news is that prevention is incredibly easy!
How do Ear Infections Cause Deafness?
How Ear Infections Can Cause Deafness in Dogs? One of the primary causes of deafness in dogs is chronic or untreated ear infections are- and these cases are almost always preventable! One way to prevent deafness is to regularly check your dog’s ears and clean them properly. In order to do this, however, pet parents need to know what to look for so they can identify a potential problem early.
Left untreated, ear infections rarely get better on their own. Rather, an untreated infection rages on, painfully causing potentially serious and irreversible damage to your dog’s ears, including full or partial deafness. Extreme cases may require complicated surgical procedures, such as a total ear canal ablation, which also causes deafness.
The sooner you can identify a potential problem, the sooner your dog can seen by a veterinarian and treatment can begin. Checking your dog’s ears for signs of an infection isn’t hard and costs only a few minutes of your time. Your dog depends on you for proper care- and this includes keeping his ears as healthy as possible!
If you notice any of the following clinical signs, please take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible:
- Scratching of the ear or area around the ear
- Brown, yellow, or bloody discharge
- Odor in the ear
- Redness
- Swelling
- Crusts or scabs on inside of the outer ear
- Hair loss around the ear
- Rubbing of the ear and surrounding area on the floor or furniture
- Head shaking or head tilt
- Loss of balance
Can Any Dog Get An Ear Infection?
Yes, any dog can experience ear infections though some dogs are definitely at a higher risk. A dog’s breed, his specific ear characteristics, individual behavior and immune system are all factors that make some dogs more likely to have ear infections. So which dogs ar most at risk?
- Certain Breeds: Basset Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers and Springer Spaniels are notorious for ear infections. If your dog is one of these breeds, it’s important to pay extra attention to the health of his or her ears.
- Dogs with Long, Floppy Ears: Any dog with long floppy ears, such as Bloodhounds, Beagles or even mixed breed dogs that have adorable droopy ears are at a higher risk of getting ear infections. These long ears get wet and stay moist very easily, creating an ideal environment for yeast and fungal infections to develop and rapidly proliferate.
- Dogs with Hairy Ears: Ears that have a lot of hair inside easily trap moisture, dirt, foreign objects and debris, all of which increase the chances that an injury or infection can occur. If your dog has a lot of hair inside his ears, he may be more prone to ear infections.
What Causes Ear Infections?
There are many causes of ear infections, some of which are commonly known while others may be surprising to learn. It’s important to remember that ear infections, like deafness, can be limited to one ear (unilateral) or may affect both ears (bilateral). Some of the most frequent causes of ear infections include:
- Bacterial infections
- Yeast infections, such as Malassezia
- Fungal infections, such as Aspergillis
- Ear mites
- Cuts and scratches
- Traumatic injuries
- Polyps or tumors
- Foreign objects in the ear
What Are the Warning Signs of an Ear Infection?
There are many clinical signs that may indicate that your dog has an ear infection. Below is a list of some of the things you should be looking for when examining your dog’s ears. You may notice some of these signs from watching his behavior or looking at his ears from a short distance, while others will require a closer look inside his ear. When examining your dog’s ears, never stick anything inside the ear, such as a Q-tip. Doing so may cause additional damage or pain.
It is a good practice to examine your dogs ears regularly. If you begin this habit when your dog is young, you will quickly desensitize him to the process and he will come to accept it when you look in his ears. In fact, if you begin each examination by first gently rubbing and scratching around his ears and then slowly begin massaging the pinna (the part of the ear that flops down or stands up), your dog will soon begin to enjoy it when you examine his ears. While massaging the pinna, you can gently turn back the ear and look inside!
The specific symptoms that your dog may experience will depend on both the cause of the ear infection as well as the severity of the infection. Even if your dog has just one of the following symptoms, it is a good idea to take your dog to the veterinarian!
- Scratching at his ear(s)
- Redness
- Foul smelling ear(s)
- Dark waxy build up
- Visible parasites
- Cuts and scratches
- Discharge
- Bleeding
- Head tilting
- Frequent shaking of his head
- Unbalanced or uncoordinated movement
What Should I Do If I Suspect My Dog Has an Ear Infection?
If you suspect your dog has an ear infection, the first thing you should do is take your dog to a veterinarian. At your appointment, the veterinarian will examine your dog and look inside his ears, with or without an otoscope.
The veterinarian may clean out the ears and examine the contents under a microscope. He or she may also collect a culture to send out to a laboratory for culture and sensitivity testing. Since any debris and waxy build up found in your dog’s ears may be examined under a microscope or sent out to a laboratory, please do not clean your dog’s ears before the appointment!
All of these diagnostic tests help your veterinary arrive at a diagnosis so she or he can begin the most appropriate treatment. If your veterinarian prescribes medication or frequent cleaning, it is important to follow his or her instructions carefully. Improper treatment can actually cause more damage than good!
Administering medication exactly as your veterinarian instructed is critically important! Just because your dog’s ears “look” better after a few days, you should administer the medication exactly as prescribed, whether that is 10 days or 3 weeks! Please also keep any follow up appointments so your veterinarian can assess your dog’s progress and make any treatment adjustments if needed.
How to Keep Healthy Ears Healthy
Once your dog’s ears are clean and have a clean bill of health from your veterinarian, it is important to keep checking your dogs ears on a regular basis. Your veterinarian can recommend a cleaning schedule along with safe cleaning products. Since improper cleaning techniques can cause serious damage, please ask your veterinarian to show you how to safely clean your dog’s ears!
For routine, daily care, we use Dr. Harvey’s Herbal Ear Wash. We choose this holistic blend of soothing and healing herbal extracts over all other options because it is anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiviral- with zero chemicals! Every holistic ingredient is all natural and, yes, you can pronounce everyone of them! Go ahead- try reading the list!
- Witch Hazel
- Organic Aloe Vera Gel
- Organic Golden Seal Extract
- Organic Calendula Extract
- Organic Comfrey Extract
- Organic Mullein Extract
- St. John’s Wort Extract
- Organic Chamomile Extract
- Geranium Extract
- Polysorbate 20 (Vegetable Source)
- Catnip Oil
- Erigeron Oil
- Neem Oil
- Citronella Oil
- Cedarwood Oil
- Geranium Oil
- Eucalyptus Oil
- Organic Rosemary Extract
YOUR TURN! How do you care for your dog’s ears?
Thanks for sharing some really important information! Sophie has always been prone to ear infections, so we have to keep a close watch on her.
As a professional Groomer, I have seen so many ear infections that my ears begin to hurt! Great article explaining what can happen if left unattended. Standard Poodles seem to have the most raging infections in my spa. Poor babies. Thanks again for spreading the word!
Great info here, thank you! We had a Basset Hound growing up and we had to give her ear drops all the time.
Such things should never go unchecked. Even if it didn’t get as far as deafness, it hurts to have an ear infection.
Great post! I groom my dogs often and always make checking/cleaning their ears a part of that. One of my dogs got an ear infection once, but luckily we caught it very early and it cleared up quickly with meds from the vet.
awesome info! thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Chloe! I’m thrilled to hear the information was helpful!
great info
Great post! These are awesome tips! I think it’s really important that owners check their dogs over.
I check mr. N’s ears regularly when I brush him. He has long floppy ears but no infections yet. *knocks on Wood
I always learn such interesting things on your blog – thank you. My previous cat angel Rose had a severe ear infection which made her very wobby, she was on needle injection anti-biotics for about 3 months afterwards. the whole episode was debilitating, it affected her ability to jump, balance etc – all normal things for a cat.
I can understand how infections can lead to deafness. I have dealt with so many ear infections having Bentley the Basset. Thankfully, I found the PUrple Stuff and he has been infection free all 2016. Woo Hoo!
What’s the Purple Stuff?
We’ve also seen a lot of ear infections that are caused by food allergies, so that’s another thing to think about if your dog has continuous ear infections!
Thanks for the very informative post! We have had our share of ear troubles here with Ozzy. thankfully, they clear up quickly with medication and so far so good – he can still hear a crinkling food bag in the next room LOL
Great post and tips! One of our goldens tends to get ear infections during the warmer weather. As soon as I see her shaking her head I know one is right around the corner! Thankfully, they clear up pretty quickly if caught early.
As the owner of a pup who has chronic ear infections, this post is incredibly important to serve as a reminder for why it’s necessary to seek care quickly. It’s not “just an ear infection,” it’s an an ailment that needs to be addressed. I’ve heard folks be dismissive of ear infections in their dogs, and it’s incredibly DISCONCERTING.
Oh! Shermie has terrible ear infections and we manage it but i didn’t know ear infections were a leading cause of deafness. So glad that you wrote about this and are creating awareness.
My two labs have both had somewhat chronic ear infections. I would say that at least onc per year, especially during allergy season, they each have at least one pretty bad ear infection despite efforts to keep their ears clean. In all the years of treatment, no one ever told me that their infections could cause deafness! Thank you so much for sharing this information
definitely SHARING. when WE RESCUED HENRY AS A PUPPY WE WERE ADVISED WE WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH EYE AND EAR INFECTIONS. hE IS A ‘FLUFFY’ DOG MIX AND REQUIRES REGULAR GROOMING WHICH ALSO INCLUDES PLUCKING OF EAR HAIR. tHIS IS A FABULOUS POST – THANK YOU!
Great post. I’d never thought about ear infections causing deafness.
I never considered that an ear infection could lead to anything besides pain until I read a previous post on your blog. I am being much more careful with Sophie as she is the one who tends to get ear infections.
This is an awesome post with great info that every dog owner should know. Thanks for sharing! ear infections suck…I’ve had one before.
This was so informative, thank you!!
A good reminder ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A PROACTIVE PET PARENT.
THANKS FOR THE TIPS!
Sorry for the caps!
i HADN’T REALISED HOW TROUBLESOME AN EAR INFECTION COULD BE. tHANKS FOR THE DETAILS HERE.
Annette @PetsAreFound
Excellent post! Sharing this with our FiveSibes Facebook followers & Pinning. Such important tips.
My partner’s dog Rocky has terrible ear infections lately so I’ll make sure to share with her. So far so good with KPUG but I do check.
You hit the nail on the head here, bernard. As a cocker mom, I see so many cockers in rescue with ear issues. Very severe ones because infections were not treated. Amazingly valuable tips!
Whenever my dog Cow is suspiciously itchy, I give her ears a good look and sniff. My last dog had lots of ear infections, and it’s no fun cleaning them out once it gets bad!
Ears are so important – even if your dog is deaf. Those ear infections can be painful. Those are great tips. I especially love that you point out that you need to talk to a veterinarian. So often we misdiagnose our pets (and ourselves) and thus treat the wrong problem. bad products exist too. I have seen some crazy stuff sold over the counter!
Hi there, You’ve done a fantastic job. I have a same problem and don’t know how to fix it. Thanks to your post that I can solve it easily now. These day, My dog has exactly sign that you post. i’m so worry about him,