5 Dog Water Safety Tips

Posted by Clare Bristow

dog-swimming Going to the beach, river, lake or just staying at home by the pool is a great way to spend time in the summer, but fun can quickly turn to disaster when you mix dogs with water.

Most dogs love retrieving balls from the water, swimming and running in and out of the waves - Zoe and Fritz think that all their Christmases have come at once when we go to the beach, but you do need to be vigilant to keep your dogs safe around water.

Here are my top 5 dog water safety tips:

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Filed Under Dog Safety, Blog

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Is Your Dog Predisposed to Ear Problems?

Posted by Clare Bristow

setter-coming-out-of-water Some dogs are more inclined to suffer from ear problems than others - their lifestyle and/or breed can be contributory factors to the development and persistence of otitis (inflammation of the ear canal).

These factors aren't always the main cause of otitis, but they contribute to its development because they encourage the retention of moisture in your dog's ear and/or prevent the ear being ventilated. Warm, moist ears are a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast infections.

In an earlier post I identified the primary causes of otitis to be - allergies, ear mites, foreign bodies, tumors and skin disorders. These causes all change the environment in your dog's ear, and if the ear is not kept clean and dry, will usually lead to bacterial and dog ear yeast infections developing.

Which dog's are prone to ear problems?

Dog with long ears, Basset Hounds are a prime example. Floppy ear flaps block the flow of air into your dog's ear, which makes it more difficult for the ear canal to remain dry;
Dogs that do a lot of swimming or spend time in the water (working, gun dogs and dogs that are bathed a lot) - their ears will be more moist than those dogs that spend little time in the water;
Dogs that have hairy ears such as Poodles, Schnauzers and many dogs in the Terrier group. Not only do hairy ears prevent ears drying properly, they tend to trap ear wax, discharge and debris thereby increasing the likelihood of an ear infection; and
Some breeds have particularly narrow ear canals, Chinese Shar Peis are an example, which are difficult to keep clean and dry.

If you have a dog that is predisposed to ear problems, keeping their ears clean and dry is important in order to prevent bacteria and yeast infections from developing.

Keywords: dog ear infection, Dog ear problems, dog ear yeast infection, otitis externa

Filed Under Eyes, Ears, Paws and Teeth, Blog

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Dog Ear Problems Part 3 - Treatment and Prevention

Posted by Clare Bristow

dog-ear-examination Once your vet has diagnosed the reason for your dog's ear problem, he will prescribe a treatment.

All treatment's will start with a thorough cleaning of the ear canal. This is important for a number of reasons:

applying medication to the skin of a clean ear increases its effectiveness;
it removes any remaining discharge in your dog's ear, which he would otherwise find irritating and encourage further scratching;
if left would encourage further bacteria and yeast infections; and
the ear discharge may react with an antibiotic that is prescribed thereby making the treatment ineffective.

Once the ear is clean, further treatment will depend on the cause of the ear problem:

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Keywords: dog ear infection, dog ear infection treatment, dog ear mites, Dog ear problems, dog ear yeast infection

Filed Under Eyes, Ears, Paws and Teeth, Blog