Bacterial or fungal infections like a yeast infection can cause a dog to scratch at her own ears. Ear mites and ear infections can lead to wax buildup as well.
Dogs lick ears for a variety of reasons.
Why does my dog lick my ear wax. The worst reason why dogs lick ears is that they like the taste. They are attracted to interesting smells and ear wax produces such. There is absolutely no harm at all both for yourself and the dog if he occasionally licks your ears.
Your Dog is Licking Ears Because Dogs Can Be Gross Sometimes however ear licking goes back to another innate dog behavior. Being a little bit disgusting sometimes. Some dogs develop a penchant for the taste of ear wax.
Who needs a peanut butter filled Kong when your kitty friend has an ear canal full of wax. Regardless of how clean you think your ears are they have several unique smells along with a bitter taste that appeal to dogs according to Sally Groth a dog training consultant. A love for the taste of ear wax.
Cerumen what we call earwax is a normal natural component of all dog ears. Earwax is secreted by special glands in the ear and functions to collect dirt debris dead cells microbes pollen etc. Earwax then slides and glides its way slowly out of the ear canal carrying all the unwanted items with it and cleaning the ear naturally.
When it comes to licking your ears specifically though it could also mean that your ears smell and taste good. And while it may be a gross thought to consider some dogs might like the taste of human ear wax. 2 Your Dogs Behavior And Instincts.
Affection The most common reason a dog may lick their humans ears is as a sign of affection. Back when dogs lived in packs in the wild they would lick the ears of their packmates to show that they accepted the other as a part of their pack. Symptoms of Dog Ear Infections.
Some dogs show no symptoms of ear infection aside from a buildup of wax and discharge in the ear canal. There are a number of causes of ear wax accumulation in dogs but by far the most common cause is allergies. Ear mites and ear infections can lead to wax buildup as well.
Dogs lick ears for a variety of reasons. Whether it is due to social structure grooming behavior boredom an ear infection or a taste for the exotic this bizarre dog behavior is just one more way our pets keep us on our toes. In general if a dog licks you they are showing affection.
Bacterial or fungal infections like a yeast infection can cause a dog to scratch at her own ears. If another dog detects the infection she may offer a much-needed cleaning inside a place that no dog would be able to reach on her own. Dogs also have a nose for infection so if your dog suddenly becomes keen to relentlessly lick another dogs ear it could mean that pup is suffering from an ear infection.
Therefore it may be beneficial to take both dogs to see a veterinary professional as soon as you can to get them checked out. Other Solutions and Considerations. Truthfully some dogs lick ears because of their social instincts but there are other reasons why your pet may be obsessed with this habit.
Perhaps the most common reason and true to canine form the grossest is that some dogs may develop a penchant for ear wax. GroomingWhen a dog licks another dogs ears it may be simply an act of grooming. Your pooch may also end up with an ear infection so check and clean your dogs ears often.
As gross as it may sound its possible that your dog is licking another dogs ears because he likes the taste of. My research shows that there are a few reasons that a dog would lick the babys face and ears. Being the loveable doofuses they are dogs lick ears to show their affection and acceptance.
Its as adorable as it is disturbing. But what does that exactly mean. Why Its an Unhealthy Habit.
Amy Pike DVM of Veterinary Behavior Consultations in St. Louis Mo both dogs could potentially be at risk. If the dog being licked has an ear infection and is being treated with topical medication it could cause the dog doing the licking to get an upset stomach due to ingestion of the medication says Dr.
Pike although she adds that. Excessive Dog Scratching Ears from Ear Mites Ear mites are known to thrive in dog ears because they feed off on the wax. They infest both the horizontal and vertical canals and are known to cause great irritation which makes the ears of the host pet very itchy.
These highly contagious organisms are known to cause inflammation in the ears of pets.