Dogs are the closest pets to humans and are often treated equally as family members. It is natural that when your dog is ill, you get worried and look for ways out for the dog to be healthy. Sometimes, your dog makes funny sounds, and you are attempting to ask, “why does my dog’s ear make a crackling noise.” It may sound severe, but it is nothing to get scared of.
Here I will be showing you why your dog’s ear makes a crackling noise, the causes, and how to go about it when it happens.
Why Does My Dog’s Ear Make A Crackling Noise?
Issues like injury, infection or a ruptured eardrum can cause cracking noises in your dog’s ear. And when this happens, you need to immediately consult a vet doctor or try out home remedies to give your dog some relief.
Most times, you can’t differentiate whether it is an injury, infection, or a ruptured eardrum, for their symptoms are the same. So this is why calling a vet to diagnose your pet and identify the underlying issue is essential.
Beyond the cracking noises, you could notice other symptoms such as red, swollen ears that are painful to touch. Sometimes the ear discharges fluids that smell awful. In most serious cases, you can notice the dog shaking and painfully scratching its head.
When you notice your dog has all the above symptoms, you should know that the case is now severe. You must consult a vet immediately or take it to a vet’s emergency ward. You wouldn’t want your dog to suffer in pain. Let’s look at what causes the major three causes of cracking ears in a dog.
What Causes the Injury
A dog can get injured when you use harmful objects to play around its ear. I had an experience with my dog where some of my neighbor’s kids played with it, and one mistakenly bought a knife. Amid the play, he mistakenly cut out a piece of the dog’s ear. It is also necessary not to put harmful objects in the dog’s cage so it won’t hurt itself.
What Causes the Infections?
Several factors cause ear infections in dogs. They include:
- Allergies,
- Autoimmune diseases,
- Floppy ears, abuse,
- Skin problems.
Also, dirt or water entrapped in the eye drum can cause infection. As such, you should apply caution while bathing your dog so that water or soap won’t get into their ears.
What Causes the Raptured Eardrums?
A ruptured eardrum can be caused by infections, entry of foreign objections, and changes in atmospheric pressure. These cause bacteria and fungi to enter the ear, and when they get to the middle ear, they cause a rapture.
What to Do When Your Dog’s Ear Is Making a Crackling Noise
Below is the step-by-step procedure on what to do when you notice that your dog’s ear is making a crackling noise.
- Regularly Check your Dog’s Ears
There is a saying that says prevention is better than cure. In this light, I recommend that you regularly check your dog’s ears for possible signs of any form of abnormalities. When an issue is detected early, it is easier and cheaper to treat. A healthy dog’s ear should smell inflammation or dirt.
- Clean your Dog’s Ears Regularly
One of the most crucial preventive measures is regularly cleaning your dog’s ears. This doesn’t imply that you tend their ears every day. You must consult the Vet doctor for guidelines on cleaning your dog’s ear and the frequency. Each species of dog is different and demand different forms of care.
- Trim Your Dog Properly
Some dogs’ skins are fully covered with fur. For such dogs, if the fur isn’t trimmed properly and regularly, it may get into the dog’s ear, leading to infections. Also, pets like ticks can hide in them and get into the dog’s ears to cause more significant damage.
- Consult the Vet Doctor
The above three points are all preventive measures. You should immediately consult the vet doctor if the dog eventually gets down with this issue. Let him diagnose the dog and identify the underlying problem so that the dog will receive the appropriate treatment.
However, if the vet doctor isn’t around, you can try a home remedy to relieve the doctor. Home remedies shouldn’t substitute you going to see the vet doctor. It only serves as first aid treatment when the vet can’t be reached on time.
Green tea and Apple cider vinegar has been proved to be effective in causing some form of relief to a dog with a crackling ear. If you are using green tea, all you have to do is dip a cotton ball into it and wipe the ear of the dog with it. While for apple cider vinegar, ensure you carefully mix it with enough water. The water shouldn’t be too much or too small. Drip a cotton ball into it and wipe the ear with it. Never use alcohol to clean your dog’s ear. Alcohol may be medicinal, but not in the ears of your dog.
Conclusion
Why does my dog’s ear make crackling noise? You can see that there are three reasons why your dog’s ear makes the sound and they are; infection, injury, or ruptured ear. Please avoid treating your dog at home when this issue occurs. Even If you try a home remedy and the dog gets relief, still take it to a vet. Only a vet doctor can diagnose the dog getting the root problem of the dog so that the proper treatment will be given. What home remedies do is cure the symptoms, not the main issue.