Grooming Series - Ears
I always get questions from new owners about grooming their Shih Tzus. This is a major part of owning a Shih Tzu more than other breeds. For the next few blogs I will be doing a Grooming Series. There is, of course more to the grooming process than just brushing and bathing.
A major point I will stress is that this has to be started as young puppies. Touching, rubbing and imitating the actions before they are needed will help your new puppy get use to what is to come. It will prevent injuries. A nervous and scared dog on the grooming table is a accident ready to happen. When they have scissors near them and they pull, jerk and shake it is more likely an injury can happen.
I always suggest to get children scissors and make the sound around they head and ears, as a game. Treat them when they stay still. Also get a hand held vibrating massager and massage their body to imitate the sound and feeling of clippers.
Doing these small things will make getting groomed a joy not something to fear. My girls fall asleep on the grooming table.
All About Dog Ears
Dog ears have the same basic structures that human ears do, but in different proportions. Those different proportions mean that dogs have slightly different ear health needs than humans. In order to understand what kind of ear care products dogs need, it is necessary to know a little bit about how a dog's ears work.
Ear Anatomy
Dog ears, like human ears, have three main zones: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The outer ear includes the external flap or pinna (this is the part a kid can grab; the plural is pinnae), but it also includes the ear canal down to the ear drum. Basically, anything that comes in contact with the dog's physical ear is part of the outer ear. One of the key differences between dog and human ears is that dogs' ear canals are much longer and have a sharp turn inside, like a bent drinking straw. This means that their eardrums are harder to see and also that their outer ears are more vulnerable to infection than human ears. Beyond the eardrum is the middle ear, a closed space involved in the dog's sense of balance. The middle ear is drained by a tube that leads to the throat. Middle ear infections are the kind common in human children. Beyond the middle ear is the inner ear, which contains the nerves important to hearing.
Check his ears for excess discharge and have a sniff of them. Bad smelling ears can indicate infection, yeast or ear mites which need to be treated by the vet.
Many owners do not realize that dogs can grow hair in the ear canal, even large amounts. For this reason, many owners never check their dog ears unless the dog is shaking or scratching its ear(s). By that time there is usually an ear health problem requiring veterinary medical inspection.