16
Apr
Why Do My Dogs Keep Licking Each Others Ears. The constant licking keeps the ear canal moist which makes it an easy breeding ground for bacteria. Sometimes however licking can indicate an underlying medical issue be it with the dog being licked or the one doing the licking. If another pet in your home gets an ear infection the smell of their ears can change. Usually the problem is some type of infection as opposed to ear mites.
One of the most common reasons that dogs lick each others ears is because they are grooming each other. Your dog can pick up on this change in smell which can lead to them investigating the offending odor. It can result in soreness on the lobe or worse an infection in the dogs ear canal. Which is why we will be listing possible reasons as to why dogs lick each others ears. While ear-licking might stave off ear mites getting licked too much by an over enthusiastic grooming partner might cause irritation. A sudden interest in another pets ears may indicate there is a problem in the ear canal.
Some dogs have a sophisticated palate and might like the slightly bitter or salty taste of earwax.
When a dog licks another dogs ears it may be simply an act of grooming. As they reached over a year old both of the twins seem to have outgrown the habit already. Bacterial or fungal infections like a yeast infection can cause a dog to scratch at her own ears. It can also stimulate them to lick the ears of the other animal in. In this scenario the dogs social hierarchy is not an issue. I had a little help from my vet who helped me understand my dogs licking behavior and what I can do to manage my dogs licking behavior.