Why Is My Dog Shaking His Head So Much?

 
If you notice your dog vigorously shaking his head, or rubbing his ears into the floor and furniture, he may very well have an ear infection. Dogs get ear infections just like humans, with floppy-eared dogs being most prone to them.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dog Ear Infection Symptoms

*Shaking head back and forth, or tilting head to side
*Rubbing ears along the floor or into the sides of furniture
*Pawing at the ears
*Discharge emitting from the ear
*Redness, swelling or crust in and around the ear
*Odor emitting from inside the ear
*Hearing loss
*Loss of balance

When Should I Bring My Dog to the Vet?

If your dog is displaying signs of an ear infection you should bring him to the vet as soon as possible. Ear infections can not only be irritating and painful for your dog, but may also lead to permanent damage to the ear.

Dog Ear Infection Treatment

Your veterinarian will clean your dogs ears and may also provide you with medication (drops for the ears and sometimes oral medication) that you can bring home to give your dog until the infection clears up.
 
For dogs with chronic ear infection it may be necessary to clean the ears on a regular basis to prevent recurring infection. In addition, it would be wise to clean your dogs ears after swimming, or getting groomed, as water can get trapped in the ear canal, fostering the growth of microorganisms, and leading to infection.