Dog ear examination:

1. External ear examination

Visual inspection and palpation are usually used to examine the external ear. During inspection, attention should be paid to the size and position of the animal's auricles, whether they are symmetrical, and whether there are any deformities. Healthy large animals, except cattle and sheep, which have semi-lop ears, mostly have erect ears; dogs can be divided into erect ears, semi-erect ears, lop ears, and semi-lop ears depending on the breed. Animal auricles often suffer from hematoma, ulceration or even partial mutilation due to trauma. Dogs with lop-eared and semi-lop-eared ears often suffer from ear hematoma, otitis media and otitis interna. In addition, in addition to local changes, it can be seen that the animals frequently shake their heads, rub and scratch the diseased ears. Severe otitis externa may also cause purulent discharge from the ear canal. Palpation should note the hardness, moisture, and tenderness of the auricle. Inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue of the auricle is swelling, hyperplasia, tenderness and pigmented skin redness of the affected part of the animal. Cellulitis occurs when the skin in the affected area becomes thickened, hard, or swollen. Skin edema is obvious during photosensitivity reactions, and hematoma is often seen as fluctuating swelling.

2. Otoscope examination

Hold the animal fully, use the reflective focus point of the forehead mirror to aim at the opening of the external auditory canal, and observe. Check the external auditory canal for swelling, thick juice, secretions, parasites, foreign bodies, etc. Observe the color and swelling of the eardrum. In otitis media, the tympanic membrane appears light yellow or light red. Dogs and cats often develop black discharge due to mite infection.

3. Hearing test

The hearing test is to check the reaction of sick animals to sound. Generally, in a quiet environment, use sounds of different volumes or at different distances to observe whether the animals react. Obvious changes in an animal's hearing (such as deafness) are easy to detect, but minor impairments (such as deafness) and some impairments that are lateral or bilateral are more difficult to determine.

How to clean dog ears:
1. Prepare related tools for cleaning ears, including ear hair scissors, mineral oil, and cotton swabs.

2. Place the dog on the table or between your legs. Be careful not to injure the dog, but also make sure it doesn't move around.

3. First remove the dead hair in the dog’s ears and ears, and pluck out the excess hair.

4. Drop a little mineral oil into the dog's ear canal, and then gently massage the ear. After 1-2 minutes, use a cotton swab to help clean out the earwax in the ear canal.