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Types
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Inner ear infections in dogs usually begin in the outer or middle ear and travel inward, but they are not common. Vestibular syndrome is a disease in which the nerve cells connecting the inner ear to the cerebellum in dogs become inflamed. The disease can run anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks.
Symptoms
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Inner ear infections manifest with the dog pawing at his ear, shaking its head, refusing to let its ear be touched and rubbing its ear on the floor. Often there is a discharge of pus or blood, and the dog's ear is likely to smell foul. Vestibular syndrome shows many of the same symptoms, though it has no discharge, and dogs often because nauseous because of loss of balance.
Warnings
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A vet should see dogs with inner ear infections or vestibular syndrome immediately. Untreated inner ear infections can cause loss of balance and deafness. Most dogs recover from vestibular syndrome if they are carefully nursed through it, but there is no known treatment for the syndrome.
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Inner Ear Problems of Dogs
Dogs' ears are very sensitive, allowing them to hear sounds a human being could never hear. Because the dog's ear canal is very long, it's fairly easy for a dog to pick up infections or diseases. This is especially true for dogs with floppy ears, which prevent air from reaching the ear canal, allowing bacteria to grow.