Holistic medicine strives to heal the whole being, mind, body, and spirit, and is based on the belief that disease stems from physical, spiritual, social, emotional and environmental imbalances. Lori Aratani writes in "Going Beyond The Usual Rx For Rover" in the Washington Post, "Americans' growing fascination with alternative medicine is influencing the kind of care their pets get." A holistic approach is helpful in treating infections and maintaining ear health to prevent future illness.
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Signs and Symptoms
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Symptoms of ear infections in your dog include odor, rubbing and scratching ears and head, swelling and redness of canal or ear flap, ear discharge, tilting the head to one side, depression, irritability, mood changes, pain around the ears and shaking the head. Take your dog to a holistic veterinarian if you notice these symptoms.
Find the Cause
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Animal doctors see ear disease frequently in canines. Veterinarians Race Foster and Marty Smith write on their site, www.peteducation, "It is estimated that up to 20 percent of the dog population are affected by this disease." Your veterinarian will look at your dog's ears with an otoscope, take ear swabs and examine them, perform a general health exam and possibly take blood tests. Some common causes of canine ear infections are: allergies, parasites, bacterial or yeast infections, foreign bodies, trauma and hormonal abnormalities. The ear canal is the perfect place for an infection to grow because it is long, narrow, warm, dark and moist.
Treatment
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Treatments vary depending on the type of infection and the cause. Once the cause is clear, your veterinarian will prescribe a natural antibiotic, anti-fungal or anti-inflammatory. Bacterial infections are treated with an antibiotic. Yeast infections are treated with an anti-fungal. Your veterinarian may prescribe an anti-inflammatory as well to aid in healing. Allergies may be treated with ear cleaning, fatty acid supplements and antihistamines. Your veterinarian may suggest allergy testing. If your dog has ear mites, ear cleaning coupled with an ear wash will kill the mites and clear your dog's ear canal. In "Ear Dog Mites," pethealth.petwellbeing recommends using ear cleaners with tea tree oil and marigold, which have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. They emphasize the importance of having a veterinarian examine the dog first and approving the ear drops so you do not further damage your dog's ears.
Prevention/Solution
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Veterinarians find that weekly ear cleaning is helpful to prevent ear infections in dogs. Look for an alcoholic free, non-toxic ear cleaner without fragrance and dyes to prevent irritating your dog's ears. Ask your veterinarian what she recommends. For dogs who get frequent ear infections the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) suggests an ear wash containing witch hazel to help trapped water to evaporate. Do not use a cotton swab inside the ear canal. You will push debris farther down into the canal and cause trauma to the inner ear. Regular ear massages help with circulation and soothe your dog. With its ear flap covering its ear gently rub its ears.
Get to Know Your Dog
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Spend Time with Your Dog Holistic medicine looks at symptoms and the causes of an ailment. It calls on pet owners to observe signs of imbalance early on and act to treat and prevent underlying issues to minimize suffering. Get to know your dog so you understand when it is trying to tell you it is in pain or not feeling well. Always seek professional guidance in choosing treatments for your dog.
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