How to Prevent Ear Infections in Your Chow Chow

An extremely frustrating, stinky and messy ailment that dogs suffer from is ear infection. This is an uncomfortable problem for any dog. Ear infections can be caused by a lot of factors starting from allergies, presence of excess hair or extra moisture in the ears. But no matter what has caused an infection in your dog’s ears, it needs immediate medical attention. If, however, you do not want this itchy and painful problem for your dog in the first place, try to do everything in your stride to prevent it. Here is how to prevent this problem from surfacing. Have a look-

• Although all dogs can suffer from this problem, some breeds can be extremely prone to it. Dogs like Chow Chow have thick hair, which makes them more susceptible to such an issue. Also, those dogs that have heavy drooping ears can get ear infections easily. If your dog loves its bath and loves to swim, then it is at a higher risk of developing this problem. After all, the ears of dogs are mostly hairy because of which water that gets inside them cannot come out fully and easily. This trapped water, even when gets evaporated, creates dampness inside the ears, which acts as a breeding ground for yeast and bacteria. Even dogs having allergies can be prone to this problem. Dogs that have thick and folded skin could get this infection because of their narrow ear canals which trap moisture and debris. Since different dogs develop this infection due to different reasons, you should know what characteristic of your dog could make it prone to an ear infection, so that you can help your pup stay protected from this disease forever.
• If you do not want your dog to develop an infection, it is important for you to feed it a healthy diet, not consisting of potential allergens. Food can cause a lot of allergies that directly affect the skin and ears. Allergy induced ear infections can cause the ear canals to become inflamed, itchy and red, because of which your dog will keep scratching its ears at all times in addition to shaking its head every now and then. When such a problem surfaces, the first thing that you should do is take your dog to the vet, who will run an allergy test on your dog, which will enable them to pinpoint the food items that your dog is allergic to. All you have to do is avoid giving these foods to your pet no matter how much they enjoy eating them.
• Don’t worry about your dog’s diet; there are hundreds of alternatives you can give it, which will keep it healthy and fit. But before you make any modification in your dog’s diet, it is advisable that you talk to the vet. They will be able to tell you what kind of dietary changes your dog needs. Whether it needs to eat raw food, home cooked food, grain free or limited ingredient food. You will need expert guidance in being decisive on this matter.
• A lot of ear infections are caused by ear mites. But ear infections caused by ear mites are generally rare in healthy pups, especially when they live inside their owners’ house. If you want to keep your dog away from this parasite, then you can use the same medicines that you use to keep it protected from ticks and fleas. If, however, you don’t think giving any medicine to your dog without a vet’s prescription is a wise idea, then have a consultation before doing so.
• Although you might not like to do it, it is important to check your dog’s ears on a regular basis, to make sure there is no odour, discharge or inflammation in it. If your dog is healthy and there is no ear infection it is suffering from, then the ears should look extremely smooth and pink. You will also not find any kind of swelling or irritation inside. If you see debris inside your dog’s ears, it would be wise of you to arrange for its cleaning. You dog’s ears can smell a little yeasty, and that’s absolutely ok, but if the smell is extremely intense or overpowering, then the reason could be an infection.

It’s easier to remove debris from healthy ears. All you need is a product especially designed to clean debris from dog’s ears. And no, you won’t have to do any deep cleaning; you can use such a product to clean the ears’ outer folds. But make sure the product that you are using is free of alcohol or heavy fragrances.

• When your dog takes a swim or bathes, its ears get wet and the dampness in the ears can be a major cause of ear infection. That is why it is extremely important for you to make sure the ears of your pup are completely dry after it has spent some time in the water.
• Adult Chow Chow or baby Chow Chow puppies can have hairy internal ears. Sadly, the hair strands present in a dog’s ears can act as a net that traps debris as well as moisture. This trapped moisture can cause ear infection or aggravate it if your dog is already suffering from this problem. If you want the hair in your dog’s ears removed, then take it to a groomer who will pluck this hair carefully. Although a lot of people say, it’s not a good practice to pluck hair from a dog’s ears, yet it doesn’t really cause any serious health issue to the dog.
• Another amazing way to keep your dog protected from ear infections is to supplement its diet with essential fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids not just improve the skin of your dog but also reduce chances of inflammation. As a result, your dog stays protected from all sorts of ear infections. Go for the best dog food for Chow Chow breed and make sure it has got essential fatty acids in it.

By following the tips above, you will definitely be able to keep your dog at an arm’s length from nasty skin infections.