Puppy ears are one of their most distinguishable features since there are different shapes and sizes, from tiny and pointed to longer and hairier, but in some cases, it is possible to notice that a dog has a droopy ear, what exactly does that mean, is my dog just lazy and doesn’t want to raise it or is there something else?
You are not the only one wondering why your dog has a droopy ear since it is a very common thing that arises from several causes, some very simple and others a bit more complicated, which might even require medical assistance. If your dog has pointed ears but usually keeps only one of them erect, this post may be of interest to you, read on to learn all the reasons behind this gesture of your pet.
Why Does My Puppy Have a Droopy Ear?
Noticing that a dog has a droopy ear is something that many owners detect but usually do not know how to interpret. If it happens to you too, don’t worry, here we list the five most common reasons why your pal prefers not to raise one of his little ears:
Age
Puppies of dog breeds with raised ears do not show this characteristic from birth, on the contrary, they keep their ears hanging until approximately five to eight months of age, although there are no fixed dates, each dog develops at its own pace. They may raise one ear first and eventually the other, which is completely normal and should not be a cause for concern.
We should also make sure that our dog race raises its ears since many do not have this characteristic naturally or even those breeds that do, simply do not raise them.
Genetics
When a dog has a droopy ear and is no longer a puppy, it could be due to genetic issues, which would indicate that one of its parents did not have fully erect ears and, therefore, our pet will not be able to raise them completely. There’s nothing wrong with this, it’s a normal part of its development, so your dog is not in any danger.
Wounds
If our dog had both ears raised and suddenly, one of them started to lower, it is probably due to a bite wound that occurred during a fight with another dog, since puppy ears are very sensitive and vulnerable because they are easily accessible in an attack. These injuries usually get complicated by infections, so it will be essential to take your puppy to receive veterinary attention as soon as we detect it.
Otitis
Another reason why a dog has a droopy ear is otitis, which is an infection caused mainly by poor hygiene. It evolves from the external ear and then goes deeper, causing a lot of itching, pain, and a foul-smelling discharge. In some cases, otitis damages a branch of the facial nerve that crosses the eardrum, so hearing may be damaged.
If we notice the aforementioned symptoms in the ear that the puppy is no longer lifting, then it will be important to take him to an expert to start treatment as soon as possible.
Abscesses with pus
In some cases, it is possible to notice the dog has a droopy and swollen ear, which could be caused by an abscess with pus accumulation or could also be a hematoma, which is an accumulation of blood under the skin caused by blows or trauma. Fighting with other dogs can cause wounds that become infected, fill with pus, and cause abscesses.
When the dog scratches his ear too much or too hard, it can also cause lesions that in a few days become infected and cause problems, so we must look for the cause of these discomforts and go to the veterinarian soon. In both cases surgical intervention may be necessary, otherwise, deformities remain, causing a droopy ear.
Whatever the reason why a puppy has a droopy ear, procedures or remedies should never be done to artificially raise both ears, as we could cause irreversible damage. If you are worried about this characteristic of your dog, it is better to go to the expert and ask for advice. Remember that the most important thing is his health and well-being, forget about aesthetic standards and make sure you give him all the love he deserves.
Most of the time there is nothing we can do to help our dog raise their ears. However, we can certainly prevent issues regarding bad hygiene by following some easy steps. The health of your dog is related to its hygiene, so we should clean not only its ears but its full body regularly.
The fact is that cleaning your dog’s ears is very important. To do it correctly you have to know that the dog’s ear has an L-shape, so it is normal for the wax residue to remain at the beginning of the ear canal. Thus, for proper hygiene, there should not be earwax secretion excess at the bottom of the ear canal.
If your dog has a lot of fur, the hair may invade part of the inside of the ear, leading to some condition, such as otitis, due to the following causes:
- Excessive moisture due to narrowing of the ear canal.
- Bacterial growth or infections due to hair excess.
How to Clean My Puppy Ears?
Cleaning a dog’s ears is not difficult at all, but you have to take into account that it is a delicate area, which is also an essential organ for your dog and its hearing. Therefore, operating with delicate and gentle movements.
- Clean the outside of the ear with a damp towel using gentle movements.
- With a sterilized gauze and a specific cleaning product for dog ears, proceed to clean the inside of the ear.
- Massage gently with that gauze with a special liquid to apply the product.
- To clean the ear canal, pour the liquid according to the instructions of the product and massage the base of the ear from the outside to remove the excess secretions easily.
- Remove the remains with the sterilized gauze.
If the dog has a lot of hair that getting inside the ears, remove those hairs before proceeding to clean the ears. You have to know that you will not do any harm to your dog because these hairs have no nerve endings or roots.
To ensure perfect hygiene and avoid problems resulting from earwax excess and bacterial growth, perform routine ear cleaning every week. Remember, besides infections caused due to bad hygiene, most of the reasons why your puppy may have a droopy ear are due to a natural cause, so mostly you should have to worry about complications.
