Help Your Dog Jump into Summer with Healthy Ears

Summer can mean more walks with your dog in the park and swimming in the ponds, lakes, ocean, or pools.  It is an incredible feeling to watch our pet experiencing so much joy diving into the water to fetch an item or simply jumping in to cool off. Some pets just seem made to swim, while others never take to it.  For those eager pets who crave the excitement and feeling of water around them, there is some information to consider to keep your pet’s ears healthy.

Moisture accumulation is a contributing factor for many pets who suffer from ear disease. Living in humid environments, swimming and even frequent bathing can cause moisture to become trapped and create an environment for bacteria and fungi to grow and for the ears to become painful and infected.  This is very common in dogs with heavy, floppy ears like the Cocker Spaniel or in dogs with excess hair in the canal such as Poodles. 

In addition to moisture accumulation, for those pets who like to swim this can also introduce infectious microorganisms to the ear such as a very common bacteria found in pools, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.  This bacterium causes a smelly, oozy, pus-like exudate and a substantial amount of painful swelling; so you want to keep this from festering in your pet’s ears.

Preventing Pet Ear Infections

As with any disease, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In other words, its better to prevent the ear infection than having a pet suffer with the pain and stress of an infected ear.  Here are some quick tips for maintaining ear health:

• After bathing it is generally a good idea to wipe the ears dry with clean gauze or cotton balls. It is not recommended to apply any drying agents such as alcohol as these can irritation. It is not necessary to deeply clean out the ear. Allow your pet to shake their head and gently wipe around the base of the ear.
• For those dogs who swim, use a veterinarian-approved ear cleanser, such as ZYMOX® Ear Cleanser, to gently cleanse and keep ears healthy. When applying the cleanser, it is best not to let the tip of the bottle touch the ear.  This will prevent any cross contamination. 
• Familiarize yourself with your dog’s ears. This will allow you to be familiar with how your dog’s ears look when they are healthy and be able to spot when something is off. 
• Keep the hair in your dog’s ears maintained by a professional groomer. A well-groomed ear will be less likely to trap moisture and will promote better air circulation.

ZYMOX Ear Cleanser – Your Partner in Your Pet’s Ear Health

ZYMOX Ear Cleanser features a patented combination of protein, enzymes and cleaning surfactants to gently cleanse your pet’s ears.  This veterinarian-recommended formulation is non-toxic, refreshing and will not irritate even the most sensitive of ears. 

Help your pet jump into summer and enjoy all the adventures of being outside and swimming, with healthy ears. Creating a consistent regime of ear cleaning with ZYMOX Ear Cleanser will help keep your dog happy and active.  Healthy Animals Lead Happy Lives™.

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