One important way that you can help in these cases, is to pay attention to any excess hair
growth around the ear canal, and to trim it regularly.
A puppy's ears and the
fur around the ear canal can easily collect seeds, dirt, fungi, and other foreign objects, resulting in an infection.
To avoid ear mites, the dog's ears should be clean on a weekly basis and any hair growth restricting air
flow around the ear canals should be trimmed.
The
skin around the ear canal and flap is thickened, slightly greasy, and discoloured (If in doubt, compare one ear with the other.)
The first sign of an ear mite infection is that your dog or cat will be scratching their ears far more than usual as ear mites cause severe
itchiness around the ear canal.
The ear tips provided with these earphones didn't provide the most suitable
seal around my ear canal though, and this is probably why I didn't find them as great as I probably could have.
Finally, companion dogs with long, floppy ears like Basset Hounds, Dachshunds or Beagles are prone to ear mites since the shape of their ears can restrict
flow around the ear canals, causing the ears to become damp and allowing the area to be a breeding ground for mites.
Redness or discharge in and
around the ear canal or a foul odor can be signs of an infection.