Canine Care Guides
Ear Cleaning
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Ear cleaning can help treat or prevent ear problems. Some pets are prone to ear problems and may need regular ear cleanings between veterinary visits. Ear cleaning can help remove dirt and wax that can prevent medications from reaching inflamed areas. It can also get rid of allergens and microbes that may contribute to inflammation or infection.
Read More Ear Hematoma
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An ear hematoma is a pocket of blood that forms within the exterior portion of a pet’s ear. Although both dogs and cats can have ear hematomas, the condition is more common in dogs.
Read More Ear Infections and Your Pet
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Ear infections generally begin as inflammation of the skin inside the outer ear canal. Once the inflammation is present, discharge, redness, and other characteristics of an ear infection become established.
Read More Ear Mites in Dogs and Cats
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Ear mites are small parasites that live on an animal’s body, particularly in the ears of dogs and cats. Ear mites sustain themselves by eating skin cells, blood, and earwax. They deposit their waste (a dark, crusty debris) in the ear of the host animal. They also mate and produce eggs in the ear of the host. The mite’s entire life cycle is only about 3 weeks, and the mite spends its whole life on the animal. Ear mites are contagious to some other animals (for example, cats, dogs, and ferrets), but they are not contagious to humans.
Read More Electrocardiography
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The body sends electrical impulses through the heart that stimulate heartbeats to occur at a consistent rhythm and rate. An electrocardiograph machine can detect and record electrical changes associated with the beating of the heart. Your veterinarian can interpret this information to determine your pet’s heart rhythm and rate. The process of using the electrocardiograph machine to assess heart rate and rhythm is called electrocardiography, and the result is an electrocardiogram (ECG).
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