# Suddenly shaking head and scratching ears



## Jen2010 (Feb 12, 2013)

Pepper was fine but then suddenly started running around shaking her head and trying to scratch at her ears. After about 10 minutes she calmed down and started acting normal again.

I looked in both ears and they appear clean and aren't red at all. She was standing close while I was brushing the cat - could it be fleas?

We recently switched her over to raw food, but she's been on it for about a week with no problems.

Any ideas?


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## Chichan (Apr 1, 2014)

"Causes

What's behind that annoying tickle in your pet's ear? Some common causes could include bacterial or yeast infections, ear mites, food or inhalant allergies, other skin diseases, and foreign objects (such as polyps, tumors, hair, or plant material) in your pet's ear canal.

What You Can Do at Home

You can't diagnose the problem, but you can make your pet more comfortable. Start with a gentle ear cleaning, using a cotton ball and an ear cleanser formulated for pets. Do not use hydrogen peroxide to clean your pet's ears.
Remember to dry your pet's ears if they get wet, and put cotton in his ears before baths. Why? Moisture in the ears can lead to ear inflammation and infection.

When to Call the Veterinarian

Some causes of ear shaking respond to regular ear cleaning. However, some cases may require professional diagnosis and treatment. If the scratching and shaking persist for more than a few days or seem to worsen after an ear cleaning, seek veterinary help. You should also call the doctor if you notice discharge in the ears, if they're red and swollen, if they smell or if they feel warm to the touch."

- Source


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Mites? That was my first thought.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Sometimes things just itch? Maybe she got something in her ear or maybe it was a random bug. Most "ear things" like infections, allergies, or mites, wouldn't be limited to 10 minutes of itching.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

You can't always see ear infections. Smell is a better measure, but at the early stages of an infection, there is no smell, either. If the dog shook his head and scratched his ears once, I'd say it's just a random itch. If it happens repeatedly, take him to the vet even if there is no smell.


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## Jen2010 (Feb 12, 2013)

Yeah I'm going to watch what happens after she eats tonight to see if it's food related. I also considered that maybe she just got a fluffy cat hair tickling her somewhere?

Will definitely keep an eye on her.


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## [email protected] (Nov 18, 2013)

A few thoughts:
1) To me, sudden onset aural irritation with no odor or discharge is a foreign object until proven otherwise. Have your dog checked by a vet.
2) Despite all the rumors to the contrary, ear mites are really, really, really rare in dogs. (Rare as in, I've gotten to see three cases after nearly 20 years in practice.). On the other hand I see about 10 clients per week who believe that their dog has ear mites. Don't treat a dog for ear mites unless you have a confirmed diagnosis.
3) As mentioned previously, it is certainly possible to have an ear infection that is predominantly in the ear canal, but isn't apparent externally...so have her checked.
4) I see a subset of dogs with inflammatory otitis (no infection, no foreign object, short-term inflammation). These dogs mimic foreign object cases, in that they are sudden in onset and sometimes severe in their degree of agitation. They respond to benign neglect or to a good anti-inflammatory. But..you won't know if this is what you have unless you have her checked.
5) Statistically only 15% of allergy cases are caused by food. Since you didn't mention that your dog has a history of previous allergies (skin/ear problems), the chances of this being caused by a sudden food allergy are about the same as the Democrats developing a health care system that doesn't suck!


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## Jen2010 (Feb 12, 2013)

I'm thinking that she must have gotten some cat fuzz in her ear. She hasn't done it since yesterday morning and it was only that one time. I will keep an eye on her ears though.


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