What is an allergic reaction? Many people mean by this concept a slight redness, rash, or sneezing. In fact, this is a complex disease that can completely disable the body. For example, allergic otitis in a dog. At first glance, this ailment may seem safe. But if you do not eliminate it in time, then the consequences can be the most unpleasant.
What is known about the disease?
From a medical point of view, otitis media is a complex inflammatory process in the auricle. In most cases, it is caused by an allergy. Such a manifestation can be represented as a single or concomitant symptom.
- A single symptom is a local lesion. Only the ear area is affected.
- A concomitant symptom is the spread simultaneously to several parts of the body. For example, a dog suffered from a viral disease for a long time. Against it, an allergy formed. The most obvious reason is low immunity.
Do not be loyal to the manifestations of an allergic reaction. If it is not cured in a timely manner, then it can cause significant harm to the health of the pet.
How to recognize him?
There are obvious symptoms of allergic otitis in a dog that can help identify a disease at an early stage of its development. These are:
- Visual change in the appearance of the ear. It increases in size, turns red, wool partially disappears from it.
- You can try to touch it. A loving host will immediately determine if his animal is in pain.
- Normally, with otitis media, yellow, gray, or transparent liquid may leak from the ear. It should be wary if spotting has been detected.
- The behavior of the dog will noticeably change. He will sleep restlessly, constantly scratching his ear and will often shake his head. All these signs will show his characteristic malaise.
- Often with such allergy symptoms, body temperature rises.
If the disease is not eliminated in time, then the most dangerous symptoms of allergic otitis in the dog will begin to appear. For example, such is an increase in lymph nodes.
The most likely causes of the disease
An allergy is a disease that can occur in every living organism. It does not develop independently. Must be present "catalyst", which will give impetus to the development of the reaction. The experts identified the five most likely causes of allergic otitis in dogs:
- Genetic factor. If a pet in the family had females or males suffering from this disease, then the risk of acquiring it is quite high.
- Improper nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle lead to a decrease in immunity. The dog’s body relaxes and becomes susceptible to external factors.
- If the animal is under stress for a long time, then all sores are attached to it as if with a magnet.
- The “push” may be caused by viral or infectious diseases.
- Perhaps a new product was added to the dog’s diet not so long ago, or a medication was used that caused such a reaction.
Otitis allergies in dogs can develop on their own. Veterinarians call this ability an individual feature of the body.
Associated symptoms
Many breeders know firsthand how allergic otitis media manifests in a dog. They are sure that in the first place the shape of the ear should change. It is worth noting that there are several more concomitant symptoms that will allow you to identify the disease at the very early stages of its development.
With the development of any inflammatory process, the dog has problems with stool. Prolonged constipation or frequent diarrhea is observed. Vomiting and nausea may occur along with them.
An allergen can actively affect the mucous membranes. The owner will definitely notice that his beloved animal suffers from profuse runny nose and tear. A characteristic symptom is also continuous sneezing.
The behavior of an individual will change dramatically. She will become very irritable and aggressive.
First aid to the animal
Unfortunately, not all people have the opportunity to immediately bring an animal to a veterinary clinic. This is due to the lack of free time, an appropriate vehicle and a low financial level. Several steps should be taken to alleviate the condition of the dog.
- You should carefully think about pastime dogs for the last day. You need to try to identify the cause of the allergy and eliminate it.
- She needs to be given any antihistamine that blocks the manifestation of an irritating factor.
- It is necessary to transfer the pet to a sparing diet.
It is recommended to inspect your animal every hour. If his condition continues to deteriorate, then a trip to an experienced specialist will not be enough.
Medical treatment
Treatment of the animal is carried out strictly by those medicines that were prescribed by a specialist. Self-medication is not worth it, since there is a high probability of causing serious harm to your animal. After diagnosis and laboratory testing, the following drugs may be prescribed:
- “Bars” and “Dewdrop” are two universal remedies that will allow you to relieve an attack of an allergy in the very early stages of its development. They should always be present in the medicine cabinet at the owners of susceptible animals.
- If severe edema appears, then only a drug with an anti-inflammatory property can remove it. Ideal for this case are drops from allergic otitis media in dogs "Dekt".
- During an allergic reaction, dogs experience severe, almost unbearable itching. Only antihistamines will help to remove it. The Otodepin is excellently proven. It guarantees an excellent result, while it has a minimum of side effects and contraindications.
The treatment course of allergic otitis media in dogs must include drops of Surolan. They will remove not only an allergic reaction, but also pronounced edema.
How to use ear drops?
Treatment of allergic otitis media in dogs is a very responsible process. A positive effect will be achieved only if the procedure was carried out correctly. Before her, you need to thoroughly wash your hands with soap. It is recommended to additionally treat your hands with a disinfectant or put on sterile gloves.
It is required to remove sulfur and crusts with a cotton swab from the surface of the animal’s ear. This must be done very carefully so as not to inflict injury to the dog. It is not necessary to enter it deeply, so as not to damage the eardrum.
The container in which the drops are stored must be held in a closed palm for several minutes so that the liquid warms up to room temperature.
A drop of medicine should exactly fall into the auricle. For this, the pet’s ear should be pulled back a little. After completion of the procedure, massage the upper part of the skin until the drops are completely absorbed.
What absolutely can not be done?
An animal is a weak creature that is easy enough to harm. There are a huge number of mistakes made by the owners. Of these, there are five of the most popular:
- Veterinarians categorically prohibit self-medication, even if it seems to the caring owner that he has already encountered such a disease. It is impossible to diagnose an animal independently without an examination by a specialist. Arbitrary treatment measures can only aggravate the situation.
- Do not handle the ears with any sharp instruments; this may cause injury to the pet.
- Before you take ear drops for dogs, you must wash your hands. Otherwise, the risk of infection and bacteria will increase.
- Do not carry out the procedure with low quality ear sticks. The remnants of cotton wool can penetrate the auricle and begin to decompose in it.
- Many owners admit a serious violation - they begin to try to treat the ear with hydrogen peroxide. Dogs are very negative about this procedure. If there was pus in this area, then it will begin to actively foam, which makes a sonorous sound. The behavior of the animal will become extremely aggressive.
- If a person does not have a special education, then he categorically should not treat the dog on his own in order to save financial resources on going to a qualified clinic. Drops for allergic otitis in dogs and other medicines should be prescribed by a veterinarian after examining the animal and, if necessary, passing tests. You should not skimp on the health of your beloved pet.
How to distinguish allergic otitis media from its other manifestations?
The appearance of any kind of inflammation does not always indicate the presence of allergic otitis in dogs. There are several more options for the manifestations of this disease:
- Purulent otitis media appears against the background of the penetration of a foreign body into the ear or infection. A characteristic symptom is an unpleasant sour smell from this zone. First, a small seal forms, which is easy to visually identify. After a few days, pus will actively flow out of it. Ear drops for dogs here will not be enough. Additional antibiotics will be required. If a foreign body has got into the area of the auricle, you will have to resort to surgery.
- The appearance of fungal otitis media provokes various fungi. This is one of the most common diseases among animals. They only treat it with rubbing with a solution of phosphoric acid.
- Seasonal otitis media appears at certain periods due to the high production of sulfur. After which the surface of the auricle is covered with crusts, plugs appear that cause malaise in the dog. Only a course of antibiotics can help such a patient.
Each person who decides to have such a pet should know how to distinguish allergies from other possible diseases. When the reaction is actively developing, the most gentle diet and rest regimen, proper hygiene and hair care should be selected for the animal.
In addition, it is worth noting that allergic otitis in dogs is the most dangerous manifestation of such a disease. The body can behave completely unpredictably in such a reaction. There are several signs characteristic of this particular type of disease: severe itching, irritation and redness.
Preventative measures
How to treat allergic otitis in a dog? Almost every caring breeder had to ask a similar question. Basically, such a disease progressed if the owner did not follow the preventive measures on time. There are several ways to reduce the risk of its development:
- It is recommended to periodically do a haircut to the pet, affecting the area around the ears. In medicine, this process has acquired a term such as ventilation of the auditory canal. Doing this yourself is not worth it; it is better to contact an experienced specialist.
- Many breeders wash their ears after each walk . It is absolutely impossible to do this. With regular such procedures, a healthy microflora is disrupted, which leads to a risk of disease.
- No water should enter the auricle. If penetration still occurs, then the liquid must be carefully removed from the cavity with a cotton swab.
- Avoid walking in high winds.
- Avoid injury to animals.
Once every six months, it is worth taking the pet to the veterinarian to examine the ears. This will identify the disease at an early stage of its development. If necessary, the doctor will advise how to treat allergic otitis media in a dog.
Good advice
An ill pet needs to create favorable conditions for a speedy full recovery. Do not once again make him play or walk. He needs a full sleep. If the dog has allergic otitis media, he needs a diet. It is worth filling his diet with natural foods high in protein. It is imperative that you give the dog a sufficient amount of fluid per day. If you wish, you can ask the veterinarian to prescribe a course of vitamins that strengthen the immune system. If the animal suffers from allergies often (more than five times a year), then he is prescribed prophylactic treatment to block the allergic reaction. Typically, such events are divided into several courses, each of which lasts from 7 to 15 days.
Does your dog have allergic otitis media? What to do in such a situation? First of all, do not panic! This disease can be easily cured if you turn to an experienced specialist in a timely manner and start the right treatment!