(Otitis Externa)
Arthritis
Atopy (Inhalant Allergy)
Bufo Toad Poisoning
Cat Home Safety Tips
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Common Things to Watch for
Dental Disease in Pets
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Dog Safety Tips
Feline Heartworm Disease
Mallassezia (yeast) Dermatitis
Reasons to Neuter
Noise Phobia in Dogs
Weight Problems in Pets
Otitis (Ear Infections)
Parvo Virus
Pruritis (Itchiness)
Rabies
Seizures and Epilepsy
Senior Pets
Reasons to Spay
Toxoplasmosis, Cats and Women
ear. I was around 12 or 13 years old and "lived in" the swimming pool that my
parents put up in the backyard for us kids. My ears were wet constantly which set
up the conditions for a nasty ear infection.
It was the most excruciating earache that I ever experienced and the pain pretty
much incapacitated me for several days. And to make matters worse, I wasn’t
allowed in the swimming pool for a while either, a tragedy to a kid on summer
vacation.
I can only imagine what it is like for dogs and cats that suffer with chronically
swollen and painful ears.
Otitis externa (O.E.), or inflammation of the outer ear, is a very common problem
that I deal with almost on a daily basis. The condition may be acute and develop
seemingly overnight, or it may be a chronic or frequently recurring problem. This
article is geared more towards the latter form of the condition.
Although it can develop in any animal, certain breeds of dogs such as spaniels,
retrievers, small terriers and miniature poodles are more prone to it. Himalayan
and Persian cats also have a breed predisposition.
Signs of otitis externa are easy to recognize and include head shaking, scratching at
the ears, red and swollen ear canals and pinnae (ear flaps), pussy or waxy
discharge, and pain. Many animals will cry out when touched around the ears or
head and some may become aggressive and try to bite. Of course, punishment is
uncalled for when an animal bites out of pain, rather, the compassionate response it
to seek treatment for the animal.
Why does an animal develop otitis externa? Otitis externa is not a disease in itself,
rather, the inflammation and pain is a response to some other underlying problem
that must be identified.
For instance, an animal may have "predisposing factors" that contribute to the
development of the condition. These are usually breed related and include small
or narrow ear canals (such as in Shar-Peis), excessive hair in ear canals (poodles,
Lhasas), and long, pendulous earflaps.
Primary causes of otitis externa include parasites such as ear mites (very common
in cats) or foreign bodies. Probably the most common primary cause of otitis
externa is allergies, which can be either to inhaled substances (atopy) or food.
Perpetuating factors increase the severity of the condition and play a major role in
chronic or recurrent otitis externa. Perpetuating factors include bacterial and fungal
infections of the outer ear. And "otitis media", which is inflammation/infection of
the middle ear, is often a source of constant reinfection of the outer ear. One of the
most significant perpetuating factors is ear canal hypertrophy (thickening), which
may become so severe as to completely close off the outer ear canal and make
medical treatment of the ear near impossible.
The worst way to treat an animal with chronic or recurrent otitis externa is to just
keep applying eardrops on an ongoing basis and ignore the underlying and
perpetuating factors that are involved. Ear medications do play an important role
in treating otitis externa but overuse will lead to the development of resistant
organisms and a worsening of the otitis.
Bacterial and fungal infections and allergic conditions are the most common
underlying problems that I see and these must be treated appropriately in order for
the otitis externa to resolve.
Treatment of O.E. must be individualized for each patient and must address the
underlying, predisposing and perpetuating factor that are present.
Treatment options include ear cleaning or flushing, ear medications for infections
and steroids to reduce inflammation.
If a primary cause such as food allergy is diagnosed, then an appropriate
hypoallergenic food such as Hill’s Z/D [R] or IVD Rabbit and Potato [R] must be
fed to the animal.
Animals with atopy (inhalant allergy) and food allergies can never be cured and
may require continual ear care to minimize a flare up of O.E.
There are many different brands of ear cleaners on the market. One that I found to
be very effective yet gentle is Epi-Otic [R] by Virbac. It contains ingredients that are
mildly antiseptic, dissolve earwax and coat the ear canal to provide long lasting
action.
Proper ear cleaning is important regardless of the brand of ear cleaner used, as ear
medication applied on top of earwax or pus is ineffective and may actually be
inactivated. Unfortunately, not too many pet owners were ever shown how to
correctly clean their pet’s ears.
+++++ How I Clean Ears +++++
When cleaning ears you have to use an adequate amount of solution. A few drops
isn’t going to do much. Fill up the canal until it almost overflows, then place your
thumb at the base of the ear and first and second fingers on the opposite side of the
ear flap and gently squeeze together. If you are doing it right the ear cleaner makes
a "slurpy" sound in the ear canal. Gently massage the canal for 10-15 seconds and
then wipe out with a paper towel. I usually place a paper towel between my
thumb and the animal’s head to catch the overflow while I am massaging the ear
canal.
Now for the most important part of ear cleaning….repeat the above steps 2 or 3 or 4
times in a row in each ear! You want to remove as much wax and debris as
possible and only doing one rinse is not very effective. Also, avoid using cotton
swabs in the ear canal as they can cause injury or pack wax further down into the
ear canal.
+++++
If the animal’s ears are very inflamed or painful then ear cleaning/flushing must be
delayed until after the inflammation is brought under control with systemic or
topical steroids. In severe cases I like to use a medicine called Synotic [R] which
contains the most potent anti-inflammatory available along with DMSO, an agent
that improves tissue penetration of topical medicines.
Also, if the ears have a lot of wax or debris in them the animal may need to be
anesthetized to do a proper ear cleaning. It is cruel to force an animal to undergo a
painful ear flushing while awake, and once the animal is asleep, it is very easy to
pick the wax out of the canal with an ear loop.
Dogs with ear infections that have lasted longer than a few months or recur soon
after stopping treatment may have an infection with a bacteria called
Pseudomonas. This bacteria is very resistant to many of the commonly used ear
medicines, and it may spread to the middle ear and serve as a source of reinfection.
A new medicine called Baytril Otic [R] contains ingredients that are very effective
against Pseudomonas, and I have had good results with it in dogs with chronic ear
infections.
If a middle ear infection is diagnosed or suspected that must be treated too. A new
antibiotic by Pfizer called Zenequin [R] is one of the few antibiotics shown to be
effective against Pseudomonas in the middle ear.