My dog scratches his ears

Many dogs suffer from frequent ear infections. Otitis is a miserable disease that causes severe discomfort in one or both ears. This discomfort and pain makes them with bowed head, which hurt scratching and in regions close to the ear, that when we touch cry, cry or even want to bite us. Also often leaves plenty of ear wax or pus or an intense smell of stale (like salami). Sometimes this is confused with the smell of body odor, and it is actually from the ear.
If you have a dog that bounces a lot, "dog smell", do the following exercise: Take a small cotton swab, gently introdúzcaselo your dog in one ear and then remove it and pull over to her nose. It is quite possible to feel the same "dog smell", and if it is likely your dog is suffering from otitis seem to do so smelly.

Ear infections in dogs are very complex disease to treat. In its production not only involves several germs, but also systemic diseases (allergies, parasites, endocrine diseases) and characteristics of the formation of habits or our dog's ears. That is, otitis is caused by germs (to which we must identify and then to kill) and other diseases or conditions 'initiators' of the table (to be discovered for the otitis does not appear again). All this is complicated by the fact that often the ear infections in dogs become more profound, reaching the middle ear (called otitis media), then the therapy becoming more difficult.

Within the germs that can live and develop within an infected ear are yeasts (Malassezia pachydermatis) and bacteria (Staphylococcus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Proteus sp and Escherichia coli) as most important, although there may be others.
Each of these germs is treated with different medications, therefore, identify which or which are present in the ears of a dog with otitis is an essential step for successful treatment.
The swabs for cytology (which provide an important diagnostic approach and sometimes the information obtained is sufficient to start a therapy) and the bacterial cultures (which give us information about bacteria and their sensitivity to certain drugs) are the weapons that initial count for identification.
Also otoscopy (which shows the internal state of the ear and sometimes the eardrum) and rx of mind (which provide information regarding the possibility of otitis media) are the basic studies for a rational otic therapy.

If you see your dog's discomfort in the ears, do not let time pass, because the more chronic otitis becomes, the less likely is successfully treated. Quickly turn to your veterinarian, indicate that he will know what are the steps to treat it.