Basic knowledge of pet ears

If there is something that matches one of the points below, it may be a sign of illness. Always keep an eye on the owner and find out early.

If you have black ear wax, it may be parasitic on ear mites that parasitize the ears of dogs and cats, or Malassezia, a type of fungus. If you are infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, otitis externa is often very difficult to heal, so you need to be careful not to get infected.

There is a case that bacteria etc. breeds in the ear when the odor comes from the ear.Caution is necessary when it is different from the smell of the health condition.

There is a possibility that abnormality is occurring in the ear There are some parts of the ear canal of dogs and cats that can not be seen from the outside, there may be some abnormality there.

Itchy ears can be caused by otitis externa, dog scabies, an itchy skin disease that infects the skin of dogs, and cat scabies, an itchy skin disease that infects the skin of cats. There is a possibility of a disease. Scabies spreads to other places, so early treatment is important.

There is also the possibility of allergy or atopy, and it is thought that hair has come out as a result of scratching due to itching caused by bacteria and other causes.

There is a possibility that my ear may hurt due to some sickness, but be careful as it can not be judged unless you are accustomed to touching your ears when in a healthy condition.

How exactly do dog and cat ears work? Here, we will explain the names and roles of two parts that have particularly important functions in the ears of dogs and cats.

The visible part outside the head which is commonly called "ear" or "earlobe" is ear pinna. It is made up of cartilage and skin and has a role as a sound collector. It is characterized by being able to move to the direction of sound.

A part called an ear hole. The way from the entrance of the hole to the eardrum is the ear canal. In the case of a human being, the entrance to the tympanic membrane is almost horizontal and the external acoustic meatus is also short and straight, but the dogs and cats have a vertical ear channel that extends downward first, then bent and connect to the horizontal ear canal.

"Otitis externa", which is thought to be caused by bacteria and allergy, is particularly common in dog diseases. To suppress bacterial growth, it is recommended to wash the ears about once a week.

※ The cleaning solution can be purchased at an animal hospital. ※ Because cats are few examples of otitis externa caused by bacteria, regular cleaning is not necessary. If you feel abnormal, let's see a doctor at the animal hospital immediately.

The teacher who taught me how to wash my ears: Ms. Naoko Kinoshita, a veterinary nurse

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about pet ears. If you don't have much knowledge about pet ears, such as owners who have just started keeping pets, be sure to check.

For low sounds, people, dogs and cats are about the same, but the hearing of high sounds is quite different.
People can catch only about 20,000 hertz, while dogs are about 40,000 hertz.
How cats hear up to about 100,000 Hertz.
Furthermore, the cat seems to have the ability to instantly grasp the position of the sound source.

It is highly likely that you have become ill like inflammation.
Look carefully not only in the smell but in the ears, and check whether there is any abnormality.
However, Qsai is subjective.
Let's preliminarily confirm the smell of the pet's ear in a healthy state, and judge it compared with it.

Dogs are superior in "hearing" and "olfaction", making it a source of information to know the surrounding information.
The sound of the siren is like the howling of a friend, and it is thought that it is replying in response to that sound.
Some dog think that sound is a message to myself, others have unexpected dogs.

It's true. Dogs and cats may move their ears to hear sounds that bother them, or they may change the position of their ears based on their own emotions.
For example, when we are happy, our ears point forward, but when we are scared, we fold our ears back. However, let's judge emotions by looking at other parts.

Although the basic ear function is unchanged, humidity in the ear tends to be high as it is in a state like a lid (lid) is applied to the ears in the case of drooping ears.
Higher humidity makes it easier for bacteria to breed.
Always be careful and care to keep you clean.

Generally speaking of otitis externa, there are various causes such as "infection of bacteria and fungi to the external auditory canal" and "parasite of the ear mite" etc. Among them, the most commonly seen episodes are "dietary allergy" and "atopy caused by ticks in your dust", which have basic disorders. If these are caused by caution, care should be taken because there is a possibility that the recurrence will be repeated unless treatments for eating normally, eating snacks, snacks or allergy are not performed. Also, dog scabies, cat scabies, ear hypodermies are accompanied by intense itching. In any case, if a dog or a cat scratches his ears and hurts, there is a danger of getting worse further, so let's treat it early.