Ear Care For The Bichon Breeds - Pt. 1

Some breeds of dogs are more susceptible than others to ear disease.  Unfortunately our Bichon breeds are among those breeds with a tendency toward ear issues.  The reason for this is that the Bichons have ears that "drop" or fall over the opening of the ear canals. Ears that drop allow moisture and debris to build up in the ear canal.  Making the situation even worse is the fact that hair grows in the ear canals of our Bichon breeds.

Bacteria, ear-mites, and yeast grow especially well in areas that are moist, alkaline, and dirty, making ear canals prime targets for these disease causing elements.  Add hair to such an environment, and you have the ideal breeding ground for these bacteria, ear-mites, and yeast to grow with wild abandon.

The goal of ear care, then, is to keep the ear canals of our little buddies clean and dry.  Doing so will greatly reduce the opportunity for ear infections to occur.

Good ear care begins with frequent inspection of the ear canals for any signs of irritation.  An excellent time to do this is during your grooming sessions, several times each week.  Ideally, our little Bichons should learn to happily accept us peaking into and handling their ears as pups, but it is never to late to gently and gradually train this vital health behavior.

When inspecting our Bichon buddies' ears, it is important to know how they should look.  A healthy ear will be light pink in color.  It will appear clean, with minor appearance of wax. It will also be odor-free.  Any variations from light pink, clean, and non-smelling, are "red flags" that call for attention and action.

Similarly, there are a number of easily identifiable signs that indicate  irritation or infection in the ear canal.  The presence of any one of these signal a need for further investigation. These signs may include  behaviors such as frequent scratching or pawing the ears, shaking the head, or tilting the head to one side. Other behaviors may be observed as problems with balance, hearing, or  disorientation.  We may be alerted that there is sensitivity to having an ear touched. Visual signs may also include  redness or swelling of the ear canal, and discharges that may be yellowish, blackish, bloody, or the consistency of coffee grounds. There can be an accumulation of dark brown wax.  An unpleasant odor is often detectable.  Finally, there may be behavioral changes including listlessness, or irritability when ear canal irritation or infection is present.

Whatever the signs, when irritation or infection of the ear canal is suspected, seek veterinary care quickly!  Ear problems cause considerable discomfort.

So far, we've learned why our bichon breeds are so susceptible to ear canal irritations and infections and the general kinds of ear canal issues they tend to get. We understand the importance of examining our little buddies' ears regularly. Finally, we know how to recognize healthy ears, and the signs and symptoms of infected or irritated ear canals.

The second article on Ear Health and Care for the Bichon Breeds will cover more specifics about ear canal irritations and infections, as well as what actions we can take to help prevent these disease states from ever developing.