Huh? Dogs and Ears

New owners ask a lot of great questions about their dogs when they first get them: contagious diseases, weight and dog food, and behavior and training.  In Colorado, I've had the distinct impression that more owners than not also take their dogs to the groomers.  There, someone else can address their coat, and the dreaded "nail trims".

I beg dog owners to not ignore the health of their dog's ears.  Nails and coat health may seem obvious, but as a Great Pyrenees owner, a dog prone to dirty ears, I beg new owners to take a hard look at ear health.

Some dogs have ears that are pink and pristine without any effort.  Other dogs, like our Pyrs, have floppy, hairy ears that trap a ton of moisture and dirt. Some other breeds, such as Poodles, can even have additional hair throughout their ear cavity which traps all kinds of cooties.  It's important to understand what kind of ears your dog has.

Dogs' ears are not like ours.  In humans, the eardrum, or "tympanic membrane", isn't as deep.  In our dogs, their ear canal is kind of like an "L" shape.  It goes deep and far, and what we see on the outside is far away from what is deeper into their anatomy.

In the rescue days, more often that not rescued Great Pyrenees had horrible ear infections.  We had several dogs come through that were diagnosed by the veterinarian with deafness, most likely caused by owners who ignored ear health.  Great Pyrenees ears, while not as floppy and fuzzy as some dog breeds, are still floppy and hairy.  All Pyr dog owners need to be educated about how to properly clean their dogs ears, how often, and with what.

Avoid over-the-counter ear cleaners.  While the temptation is great to purchase that cheap ear cleaner from the local pet store, many of those cleaners contain fragrance and ingredients not conducive to great ear health.  Purchase your ear cleaner from your vet clinic; it's only a few bucks and it's guaranteed to be gentle and effective, assuming your dog does not have a current infection.

If your dog is shaking their head or tilting it, do not assume that cleaning them is the solution.  By this point, the chances of yeast, bacteria, and/or infection being present is very likely.  I know they seem like "just ears", but before you try to clean and treat at home, it's important a vet looks at them.  They aren't just looking for dirt and infection, but rather to ensure that the eardrum is in tact.  Certain treatments and ear cleaners can be very detrimental to the ear drum if the condition of the ear drum isn't established first.  Damage to the ear drum doesn't need to happen through trauma, it can be the result of a number of things and it's important your vet does an assessment.

Not only our our dogs ears deep, they have many crevices in the external portion, the floppy part or "pinna" for dirt to become trapped and cause inflammation and irritation.  Owners should never use Q-tips to clean these portions, as your dog could move or jerk and you could cause trauma.  It's key to take your cleaner and a cotton ball and thoroughly clean those outer portions with care.

Every doctor will have a different recommendation, based specifically on your dog and their health, regarding frequency of ear cleanings.  The important thing to take away from this article, is that we must be proactive.  We do not clean our dogs ears after dirt has accumulated; we clean them proactively to prevent infection.  I have personally found that my Pyrs need their ears cleaned once a week to prevent nasty accumulation of dirt and debris.

They aren't going to like getting their ears cleaned, but we cannot rely on vet visits to address the ongoing health of our dogs ears.  Hearing is important, and it's key to not dismiss ear health the way owners are quick to dismiss a tangle or dread in their hair. 

Ask your veterinarian or their technicians to show you proper cleaning techniques.  Do not be shy; even if your dog isn't there for an ear problem, show the staff how much you love your animal by addressing any and all causes for health concerns.  Ask your vet about diet and allergies, as some of these things can contribute to persistent ear problems.

What Are The Health Concerns with Great Pyrenees?

There are always a few main questions people ask when considering a new dog.  How much do they shed?  How much do they eat?  Are they good with other dogs/kids/people? Lastly..  What are the health concerns specific to the breed?  I combined research with my personal experience working with dozens and dozens of Pyrs over the past 2 years, and complied this list as a helpful guide to those conditions a Pyr owner should be aware of.  This isn't meant to include contagious disease conditions, as those awful things have no breed preference!  While I have encountered Pyrs suffering from other conditions such as cancer, I have not ever found any material which suggested a breed disposition to anything other than listed below.  If you have questions, feedback, or have experienced a disease you feel Pyrs are predisposed to, please comment or email us!

• Hip Dysplasia: Generally speaking, most people think of this when they think of large breed dogs in general.  You may be surprised to learn the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals) actually sites Pugs way, way higher than our precious Pyrs with regards to instances of documented Hip Dysplasia.

 More On Hip Dysplasia in Pyrs

• Luxated Patellas: This is often a consideration for large breed dogs, especially very active ones.  The term itself describes a condition where the knee cap (patella) pops out of joint.  It is most often corrected by surgery.  Your vet can easily diagnose this; the owner will see occasional limping and favoring of other limbs.  The knee can pop in and out, so the limp isn't always consistent.  
More On Patellar Luxation

• Gastric Dilative Volvulus (Bloat) : GDV is considered a disease condition where all deep chested dogs are prone.  While there are mostly only theories about GDV, the theory is that their deep chests can allow for more room for the stomach to twist.

More on GDV/Bloat 

• Ear infections: All dogs with longer, floppier ears are prone to ear infections, as those kinds of ears are better at trapping bacteria, yeast, mold, etc.  If you own a Pyr, you need to be proactive and clean their ears no less than once a week to avoid infections.  Ear infections won't go away on their own, and prolonged infections without treatment can lead to deafness and other conditions.

More on Ear Cleaning 

• Entropion: Your first clue is usually teary eyes.  Pyrs can get a condition where their upper lids fold under, causing their lashes to scrape their eye surface.  Correctable with surgery, this condition can lead to blindness if left untreated.

 More on Entropion

• Obesity: I find obesity to be frequent in long haired dogs.  Let's face it.. it can be hard to see those guts under all that fur!  Your dog should be eating 1 cup of dry food for every 20 pounds of ideal weight.  Also, you should easily be able to feel their ribs with only a little bit of pressure when you rub their chests. 

 More On Understanding Weight

• Heartworm: This one is a biggie for Pyrs.  We have met far too many positive Great Pyrenees.  I feel confident concluding that it is likely due to their use as livestock guardians.  Pyrs used in this capacity spend a lot of time outside, exposed to mosquitoes.  Sometimes those who use them as working dogs expect the dogs to be very independent, and they may have limited contact with their humans.  Regardless of if you think there are a lot of mosquitoes where you live, remember it only takes 1.

More on Heartworm 

Some Tricks For Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

We have found that Pyrs can be prone to ear infections.  In general, dogs with floppy ears are; their little, cute flops make for a great breeding ground for bacteria in their ears.  Most owners are apprehensive to clean their dog's ears, fearful they will clean too deep and injure them.  A dog's ears are much deeper than ours, and if you avoid Q-tips and use cotton squares you will not do harm.

If you suspect your dog has an ear infection, always see a veterinarian before cleaning and attempting to treat their ears.  If their eardrum is damaged, some cleaning solutions may not be advisable.  Ultimately, they will need anti-biotics also.

Cleaning their ears can be a pain.  I know one of my dogs, Ana, is a living nightmare when it comes to her nails or ears.  I swear she can read my mind.  I try to "pretend" I have other intentions, but she always knows.  If you live alone, it becomes extra challenging, as you have no friends to help you corral your pup.

Never let these daunting aspects keep you from routine cleaning.  If you have a floppy, furry-eared dog, you should be cleaning their ears proactively.  Do not wait for an infection.

So...my tips.  If you have a nutty 'squirmier', find a corner in your house.  Have them sit into the corner, so they cannot back up and escape you.  This is the biggest helpful point.  If you have other dogs, ask them to go out back while you do this.  Dogs all stick together, and my other dogs make it a hugely entertaining game to thwart my attempts at treating my dog.

For me, I try to associate ear cleaning with a positive experience.  I offer treats before I do it, and offer treats right after.  If she freaks and makes it impossible, then no treats.  Never offer "good girl" merely because you were able to catch the rabid beast.  Praise needs to be awarded only when they are acting completely ideal.

Once I have my girl in a corner where she can go nowhere, I pause.  I wait for her to calm down.  When she has, I offer affection.  She almost thinks it's all over, but then the ears must be cleaned.  I clutch her collar with one hand, and use the same hand to pull her ear back.  That allows me to hold her and use my other hand to squirt the fluid in.  A tip, is to warm the fluid in your hands before administering it.  Often the coldness of it can be shocking.  Have your cotton ready!  Once you squirt into their ear, massage the base of their ear deeply, ensuring you hear a 'swishing' sound.  That ensures the fluid is moving around deeply enough.  Sometimes it's the 'squirting' into their ears that your dog doesn't like.  If they don't tolerate their ears being cleaned well, lay your cotton square down and saturate it with your solution.  Then, you can squeeze the cotton and drip the cleaning solution into their ears.  I find this actually works the best.

Avoid using Q-tips.  You may see your vet do it, but you also see your dentist poke your teeth with sharp objects!  While a dog's ear is deeper than ours, it's advisable to avoid using Q-tips in case your dog squirms.  It's safer to use cotton balls/squares so we don't risk injuring their ears if they jerk.

Get your ear cleaning solution from your vet.  Our dogs don't need fragrance and fancy ingredients, which make it pleasurable for the owner but have no benefit to the dog. 

If this process is still too challenging, make the effort to take them to your vet and have the techs do it.  Ear health is important, and can lead to disease conditions if infections are left untreated.

Click Here for a good picture tutorial--as well as some additional information!