Question: ” My dog Baxter keeps scratching at his ears and they have a funny smell. I get him groomed regularly but they still seem to bother him. What can I do?” – Maria T.

Answer: “Hi Maria, I’m sorry Baxter’s ears are bothering him. Ear infections can occur randomly and be one-time problems, however often times there is an underlying cause such as food allergies, seasonal allergies, or even something in the ear canal such as a foreign object or growth. A dog’s ear canal is much longer than that of a human, so without an otoscope (a device to look deep into the ear canal), a groomer or owner can only see a limited distance into it. If Baxter’s ears continue to bother him even after an ear cleaning, he should be seen by one of our veterinarians. We will conduct a thorough ear examination to determine what the underlying cause is and how to treat it. I hope this helps!”