Dog’s Ear Make Squishy Sound? 3 Possible Causes & Remedies

Ear infections are always annoying, be it in humans or dogs. When it comes to your pup, cleaning its ears is a mandate. In this way, you could lessen the chances of any severe infections. Suppose you have a Basset Hound, Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, or any other breed with floppy ears.

In that case, they are more susceptible to an ear infection than those with erect or upright ears. Irrespective of the ear type, all dogs need a proper check of their ears.

Now, of late, do you hear a squishing or a soft gurgling sound coming from your dog’s ears? Is that the only problem your dog faces? Or does he show other signs of discomfort, like shaking his head, scratching his ears frequently, and so on?

That might be a cause to worry for you then. So, let’s check out why your dog’s ear might make a squishing sound.

The Normal Ear Condition in Dogs: A Detailed Discussion

Before understanding the causes behind squishy ears in dogs, it’s essential to analyze the different ear conditions dogs may face. Let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Allergies

If your dog has underlying allergies because of a particular food, mites, or due to the growth of bacteria, fungi, or yeast inside his ears, he may also have ear infections. The infections that happen because of allergies may manifest in the form of the following symptoms:

• Scratching his ears or the area surrounding the ears
• A foul odor
• Shaking or tilting his head quite often
• Rubbing his ears on the furniture or floor
• Redness in the ear
• Yellowish or brownish discharge

2. Mites

When your dog’s ears are infested with mites (contagious parasites), it could result in an ear infection. Your dog will scratch his ears and shake his head. You could spot dark discharge from your dog’s ears. There could even be skin lesions and hair loss surrounding his ears. The reasons for the same are the constant itching and scratching of these areas.

3. Injuries

Ear injuries in dogs may occur because of a whole lot of reasons. He could be bitten by another canine during a walk or playtime. If you have multiple dogs, they could end up fighting with each other. The outcome would be an ear injury.

Your dog could even have shaken his head or scratched his ear a lot and went on to injure his ears. The reasons may be umpteen. If your dog’s ear is bleeding or he is in pain, you must contact the vet immediately.

4. Aural Hematoma

When dogs suffer from aural hematoma, clotted or fresh blood accumulates inside the ear flap (pinna). The pinna could be spongy and thick if your dog has aural hematoma. Moreover, there will even be swelling throughout the pinna or in a specific area. When treatment doesn’t start at the earliest, the hematoma could get reabsorbed with time.

5. Polyps and Tumors (In the ears)

Dogs could have ear polyps in their external or internal ear. If your dog suffers from a chronic allergy or has a lot of wax in his ears, he can have polyps. The probable symptoms of polyp include:

• Pus or bloody discharge from his ears
• Head shaking
• Excessive itching of the ears
• Tilting of the head
• Hearing problem (your dog might not respond well to loud noises or his name as well)
• Facial drooping and increased salivation

What Does a Squishy Sound in a Dog’s Ear Indicate?

A squishy or gurgling sound in your dog’s ear indicates some infection. There could be fluid accumulation in his ears. Another possibility is that a foreign object, like twigs, grass, mud, bugs, etc., could have gone inside his ears while walking or playing in the yard. It could be due to ear mites, which your dog can develop outdoors. Now, let us look at the common reasons for squishy sounds in dogs.

3 Common Causes of a Squishy Sound in a Dog’s Ear

Do you find your dog shaking or moving his head too often and making clicking sounds? Well, as a pet parent, that could make you anxious. So, let us check out why that squishy or clicking sound comes from your dog’s ears.

1. Fluid Accumulation in Your Dog’s Ear Canal

One of the main reasons dogs have noisy ears is when fluid accumulates inside. There may be several reasons behind the same, like a bacterial or fungal infection or inflammation. Your dog could have even injured his ears when any foreign body got inside or for other reasons.

So, when there is fluid in the ears, it could lead to trapping of the air bubbles. The sound might seem like water is squishing or sloshing inside, especially when your dog begins moving his head.

2. Ear Mites

If your dog is outdoors, mostly playing amidst trees and grasses, he could be affected by ear mites. The mites are parasites that may cling to your dog’s body and enter into his ears. It may trigger intense scratching and itching. Mites may even result in a squishing sound in the dog’s ears.

The reason is that the mites eat the debris and wax inside the ear. In doing so, a sticky substance is formed inside the ear, trapping the air bubbles. When your pup begins shaking his head or scratching his ears because of the irritation, the bubbles start popping. The outcome is the squishing sound.

3. Allergies and Infections

Your dog could be allergic to some ingredients in his food, or the allergens may also be in his environment. The infection and inflammation caused by the allergic reactions could make your dog’s ear noisy, resulting in a squishing sound.

Recognizing Other Symptoms of Ear Problems in Dogs

When your dog has ear problems because of an injury, infection, inflammation, or any other reason, he will make his discomfort prominent through several symptoms. The earliest you recognize and identify the symptoms, the soonest you will be able to help your dog. Check out for the following signs in your dog to identify ear problems:

• Itchiness and swelling in the ears
• A foul or fishy smell coming from the ears
• Swollen ear flap
• Pus-filled or bloody discharge
• Shaking and tilting head too often
• Uncoordinated movement and loss of balance (indicates infection of the middle or inner)
• The ear could appear hot and painful when touched

Steps to Take If Your Dog’s Ear Makes a Squishy Sound

When you identify that your dog’s ears make a squishy sound, there are things that you must do from your end. The sooner you act, the quicker you can resolve your dog’s problem.

Step 1 –  Identify the Problem

You need to check out the frequency when you hear that squishy sound from your dog’s ears. Does it happen often? If that is the case, you must intervene and may even have to contact a vet. However, if it happened just once or twice, and there isn‘t any problem with your dog’s ears, you needn’t worry.

Step 2 – Check Your Dog’s Ears

Whether it happened just once or occurs frequently, in both cases, you can check your dog’s ears to ensure that there is nothing serious. First, gently feel the pinna using your finger. If there isn’t any bump or lump, then that’s fine.

Also, check your dog’s behavior when you touch the pinna. Does he stay normal or jump in pain? Check the ear canal for any redness or smelly discharge. Once you check the ear, you’ll understand if there’s anything serious or not,

Step 3 – Keep a Watch On Your Dog’s Symptoms

After you’ve checked the ear, you also have to see if your dog is behaving normally. Does your dog shake his head a lot? Does he tilt his head or itch his ears too often? If that’s the case, it could indicate an underlying ear infection.

Step 4 –  Talk to the Vet

If you have identified that there’s a problem with your dog’s ears, then do not delay in contacting the vet. Early intervention will save your dog from any serious problem.

Care and Prevention Tips

If the squishy sound in your dog’s ears is because of an ear infection, then you must follow the vet’s advice and take good care of your dog. Moreover, you would have to take initiatives from your end to prevent or minimize the occurrence of ear infections in the future. Let us take a look at the caring tips and preventive measures.

• It would help if you made it a point to clean your dog’s ears at least once in two weeks. Cleaning should be done weekly for dogs with floppy or long ears. Use a vet-approved ear-cleaning solution for this purpose. Squeeze some amount of the liquid into your canine’s ear canal. Then, gently massage your dog’s ears using the same for approximately 30 seconds.
  When the ear-cleaning solution dissolves the debris or wax buildup, you’ll hear a squishy sound. Allow your dog to shake his head. Once that is done, clean his ear canal using a gauze or pet-safe wipe. If the ear cleaning procedure seems painful to your canine, contact the vet immediately.
• If your dog often picks up a fight with other canines, then ensure that you supervise his moves. In this way, you could also prevent him from injuring his ears and other body parts.
• If it has been identified that your dog’s ear infection is because of food allergies, you will have to find the trigger. Have a word with your vet. You could put your dog on an elimination diet or feeding trial if he advises. This may help identify the particular ingredient your dog is allergic to.

When to Consult Vet?

You should contact the vet immediately whenever you have identified something wrong with your dog’s ears. Besides the squishing sound, your dog will also show other signs of discomfort when his ear is infected. Delaying treatment for ear infections could aggravate your dog’s condition and worsen things for him.

FAQ’s

Conclusion

When you have a dog at home, the onus is on you to take utmost care of him. Be vigilant, and do not delay contacting the vet whenever you see any changes in his health. The ears are an extremely sensitive and vital part of your dog’s body. So, if you continuously hear the squishy sound, do not neglect the same. Seek medical help at once.