Preventing Yeast Infections in Dogs Ears

Yeast infections in dog's ears usually show as scales on the skin around the infected area that give off a nasty odour. The medical name of this condition is Malassezia pachydermatis.

Yeast infections can develop in various places on the dog. It can appear in the anal sacs, vagina and rectum as well as the dog's ears.

The suface of the skin becomes very tough and scaly and can resemble the skin of a reptile.

The presence of yeast is not normally the problem for the dog, but in most cases it indicates that there are other infections present. These other infections and allergies can cause persistant itching in a dog. This makes the dog's skin more vulnerable to yeast attacks.

To be able to confirm the existance of yeast infections in your dog's ears, your vet will take a scraping of skin from the infected area and examine it under a microscope.

To get to the root of the problem it is essential to treat the main infection that is causing the yeast build up in the first place. This could be ear mites.

Oral drugs and dermatological creams used to treat infections can be expensive. Natural remedies for dog ear mites are less expensive but equally effective in eradicating the real cause of the problem.

Some ear infections can develop into complications like hematomas so it is important to prevent dog ear mites from occurring in the first place. A proper and complete hygiene routine that includes ear cleaning can help in avoiding this problem.

Here are some of the various factors that create a favorable environment for ear mites to exist and breed:

Excessive production of wax
High levels of humidity in the atmosphere
Long floppy ears that increase the probability of a warm humid environment in the external ear and prevent fresh air from entering

Yeast infections in dogs ears can also be prevented by ensuring that your dog has a healthy skin. Use degreasing shampoos to remove excessive oil from overactive sebaceous glands. Yeast infected parts should be washed with acetic acid wipes and Petalive skin and coat tonic is one suggestion for keeping the skin and coat in top condition.