Why does the dog shake its head and scratch its ears?

Many animal lovers cannot imagine their life without a pet. Someone loves parrots, someone loves cats, some even love spiders and snakes. However, dogs are most often bred. This is due to the fact that these animals are considered human friends, have a good character, protect their owners and bring a lot of joy to adults and children. However, in addition to positive emotions, dog owners often encounter various kinds of diseases of their pet. Many of the owners of these animals do not understand why the dog shakes its head and scratches its ears. You need to figure out whether the owners should worry about this.

Why does the dog shake its head and ears?

What to do when a pet gets sick? Many pet owners are confronted with their dog shaking its head and scratching its ears. Of course, every owner is worried about this, so it’s worthwhile to figure out what caused this phenomenon and whether it is possible to cure your dog somehow.

It must be said that almost all dogs shake their heads and ears after sleep, however, each owner should know when this phenomenon can become a reason for going to the veterinarian. So, each dog has a small amount of sulfur in the ears, but the appearance of an unpleasant odor is a deviation from the normal state of health of the pet.

If you notice that your pet is very strong and often shakes his head, as well as his ears, you must check for signs of illness in the ears of the dog.

Signs of illness that indicate a disease in your dog’s ears

If your dog shakes its head and scratches its ears, check for the following signs of illness:

1. If a dog very often scratches its ears and also shakes its head severely, this is the very first and most common sign of your pet’s ear disease.
2. If you notice that your pet lowers down the side of the head with which it constantly scratches its ears, this is also an occasion for going to the veterinarian.
3. Take a good look at your pet’s ear. If your dog's ear can see dark red-brown sulfur deposits, then most likely your pet is suffering from an ear disease.
4. One of the signs of ear disease is an unpleasant odor from this organ.
5. The presence of swelling and fever in the ear canal and drooping part of the ear is also cause for concern.

If your dog often shakes his head and scratches his ears, and having checked it, you have found one of the signs of an ear disease, then contact your veterinarian as soon as possible!

Causes of Your Dog's Ear Disease

Each owner needs to know what causes his dog’s illness. It is necessary to consider all the possible reasons why the dog shakes its head and scratches its ears.

1. Ear mites. It is these parasites that live inside the ear of a pet, can cause severe irritation, which entails unpleasant sensations. For these reasons, a pet always wants to scratch his ear, damaging his tissue. It is important that very often other domestic animals - cats - become the source of this infection. Therefore, the veterinarian should examine not only your dog, but also the cat.
2. Fungal or yeast infection. It leads to the fact that in the ear of the dog red-brown discharge appears, as well as an unpleasant odor. In this condition, the dog’s ear should immediately contact a veterinarian.
3. Contact with foreign objects. It often happens that after a walk the dog shakes its head and scratches its ears. This is due to the fact that a seed, a stem of grass, etc. can get into them. In this case, you should not try to remove a foreign object from the dog’s ear yourself. It is best to seek help from a veterinarian.
4. Various allergies, as well as skin diseases, can cause the dog to shake its head and ears. The owner of a sick animal should contact a veterinarian who will determine the diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
5. Bacterial infections can also cause your pet’s ear disease.
6. There is another reason why the dog scratches his ear, and shakes his head, and whines. This may be due to the peculiarities of the breed: long and drooping ears of the pet have insufficient ventilation. Also another feature of the breeds is an excessive amount of wool in the ear canals. This can lead to a delay in the animal’s ears of sulfuric secretions, which leads to inflammation of the dog’s ear.

Should I contact a veterinarian?

So now you know why your dog constantly scratches his ears and shakes his head. Now you need to figure out how you can cure your pet of the disease. However, do not forget that any ailment of your pet requires an accurate diagnosis. Only a veterinarian can do this, so it’s best not to be guided by your intuition, but simply turn to professionals who will help return your dog to a healthy life.

What can an untimely appeal to a veterinarian lead to?

If you suspect that your pet is sick, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible, as the condition of the dog with ear disease can quickly worsen. Because of this, your pet will experience severe pain and discomfort, and its treatment will be many times more expensive.

Due to constant and severe pain in the ears, your dog may become too aggressive, which can lead to disastrous consequences.

The dog scratches his ear and shakes his head. How to treat and whether to do it yourself?

Ear disease in pets is quite common. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your dog scratches his ears and shakes his head. The doctor will prescribe treatment, depending on what caused the discomfort, pain and inflammation of the pet's ear. It is best not to take any measures to treat the dog on your own, because it can aggravate the already painful condition.

Each owner should know what to do when his dog shakes his head and scratches his ears. How to treat a pet disease?

1. The first thing to know - do not treat the dog yourself!
2. If, after going to the veterinarian, you find out that an ear tick has been found in your pet, you should not panic, because now you know why the dog scratches its ears and shakes its head. Treating your pet's ear disease may require medications that kill these parasites.
3. If bacteria cause the itching and discomfort in your dog’s ear, your veterinarian should prescribe antibiotics.
4. If after examining your pet it became known that a foreign object has got into his ear, sedative medicines or local anesthesia may be needed to extract it.

Now you know how to treat your dog’s ear disease. This is necessary so that an inexperienced veterinarian does not harm your pet.

What to do if the disease of the ears of the dog is associated with their shape?

But it is worth remembering that there is another reason explaining why the dog shakes its head and scratches its ears. How to treat bacterial, yeast infections, etc., you already know. But what if the discomfort and pain is caused by the shape of your dog’s ears?

In this case, you must properly and regularly care for your pet. To do this, you will need to regularly cut the hair in the ear canal. Also, do not forget to clean the auricle at least 1 time per week with a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide. Always comb the hair on your dog’s ears well in order to prevent the appearance of tangles.

How to behave with a dog that suffers from an ear disease?

It is worth remembering that a dog that is experiencing pain and constant discomfort can be irritated and aggressive. In this regard, you must try not to hurt the dog when examining its ears. However, if you notice that your pet has already become too aggressive, do not touch his ear at all. It is best to consult a veterinarian who will examine your pet yourself, diagnose and prescribe the necessary medications necessary for your pet to recover.

If your dog shakes its head and ears, you should immediately contact your veterinarian and not self-medicate. Then your pet will again become healthy, cheerful and will again bring you positive emotions!