My Dog's Ears Are Drooping

Although there are breeds with floppy ears, if our dog used to carry them upright and suddenly one or even both appear droopy, we need to find out what's happened to it. To do this, we need to see the vet.

A different case is that of puppies who, although they'll have upright ears in adulthood, still carry them droopy. This normally resolves just by letting time pass, and there's no need to turn to supposed home remedies.

How Long Does It Take for a Dog's Ears to Stand Up?

The ear flap is made up of a sheet of cartilage covered on both sides by a layer of skin and fur. Depending on the breed, dogs can carry it upright, folded, or drooping.

But dogs with upright ears don't usually get born that way — instead, their ear flap gradually rises over time. This process can be worrying for some owners, who get impatient waiting to see the puppy's ears standing up.

But it's important to know it's completely normal for them to stay down until 5-8 months of age. In addition, they won't stand up all at once. It's typical for one to start rising and, some time later, the other. In other words, it won't happen overnight.

My Puppy's Ears Won't Stand Up

If, after eight months, the puppy's ears are still droopy, it may just be its genetics. In these cases, if one of its parents doesn't carry its ears upright either, it's possible the puppy won't manage it either, no matter how much it's a characteristic of its breed.

In addition, in a small percentage of dogs, the process of standing up doesn't occur because they suffer from a severe malnutrition problem. Luckily, this is uncommon nowadays.

And If I Want My Dog's Ears to Stand Up?

In reality, ear position is nothing more than a cosmetic aspect. It has no relevance to the dog's life and won't cause it any problems. That's why turning to home remedies to make the ears stand up is strongly discouraged. Under no circumstances should you give the dog dietary supplements.

A quality diet will perfectly cover its nutritional needs. Supplements not prescribed by the vet could even backfire. Nor should you tape the puppy's ears. Besides being uncomfortable for it, we may end up achieving exactly the opposite of what we're going for.

It's true there are surgical procedures that could make the ears stand up in some cases. But it's also true there's debate about the ethics of operating on an animal, causing it harm, to change a purely cosmetic feature. Not to mention that, due to genetics, the dog may not end up with upright ears regardless.

Diseases That Can Affect Your Dog's Ears

A different situation occurs in dogs that do have upright ears and, suddenly, one or both appear droopy. In reality, this process doesn't usually happen overnight — it's common for certain symptoms to appear that make us suspect a problem is present. So, we need to see the vet.

It's possible to fix a droopy ear, but this requires early attention. Otherwise, the droop could become permanent. You've surely seen a dog at some point with a deformed, droopy ear because it didn't get attention in time. The most common causes are wounds, otitis, and what's known as aural hematomas.

Wounds on a Dog's Ears

Ears are a very vulnerable part of the body whenever there's a fight between dogs. That's why it's not unusual for them to get bitten. These bites easily become infected and can form an abscess, a buildup of pus under the skin that appears as swelling.

To prevent complications, unless the wounds are very superficial, the vet should examine them to prescribe the necessary care. This prevents permanent damage to the ear flap.

Middle Ear Infection in Dogs

By middle ear infection, we mean infection in the middle part of the ear. It normally arises as a worsening of an outer ear infection and produces easily identifiable symptoms. These are head shaking, tilting toward the affected ear, scratching, pain, or foul-smelling discharge.

This type of infection can become complicated by damage to the facial nerve as it passes near the eardrum. This causes the ear and lip on the same side to droop. Of course, veterinary attention is needed.

Swollen Ears and Aural Hematomas in Dogs

A hematoma is a buildup of blood under the skin. When it happens in the ear, it's called an aural hematoma. It normally forms because the dog repeatedly and violently shakes its ears or scratches them intensely. These actions are usually due to some condition causing discomfort it's trying to relieve this way.

It's essential to see the vet and treat the initial cause. In addition, an aural hematoma usually requires surgery to resolve it and prevent permanent damage to the ear's appearance.

Bibliography Carlson and Giffin. 2002. Manual práctico de veterinaria canina. Madrid. Editorial el Drac.