Ear Infections in Pets

 Ear infections in animals usually involve just the outer ear, that is, the portion that is visible to you, the ear flap and the portion that is visible to your veterinarian with the aid of an otoscope, the ear canal that connects the flap to the ear drum. In some cases, however, the middle or even inner ear may be affected.

This condition may be sudden (acute) or may have been on and off for a long time (chronic). The ear is an extension of the skin and may be indicative of an overall skin condition that is afflicting your pet.

Causes

The causes of an ear infection are multiple and include: primary or secondary to inhaled allergies, food allergies, overgrowth of bacteria and/or yeast, foreign bodies (foxtails), and malformed ears (in some breeds).

Treatment

Usually, management of ear conditions involve medications, either topical and/or systemic. Occasionally, however, especially in cases of chronic, recurrent infections that have resulted in permanent painful changes to the ear, surgery may be recommended to alleviate your pet's condition.

Cytology

Cytology is the microscopic analysis of the ear material that may have been performed for your pet. Your pet's cytology shows: yeast / bacteria / both / not run.

Cleaning

This is needed to eliminate as much of the discharge in the ear as possible and may need to be done on an ongoing basis.

A generous amount of the solution should be used and is poured into the canal. This is followed by gentle massaging of the ear and allowing the pet to shake its head. Then the use of cotton balls or gauze allows cleaning of the outer accessible portion of the ear canal. Note that q-tips or cotton swabs should NOT be used since these will push debris further into the ear.

Product to be used for ear cleaning: ______________________________

Recommended frequency of cleaning: ____________________________

Topical medication

This has been prescribed to eliminate the bacteria/yeast that is afflicting your pet's ear. This may need to be done on an on-going basis.

Medication to be applied: ______________________________

Recommended frequency of treatment: ____________________________

Systemic medication

In cases of some bacterial or yeast infections, systemic antibiotics or antifungal medications may be prescribed.

Other treatments

If your veterinarian is suspicious of an inhaled allergy, the recommendations for treatment may include: antihistamines; anti-inflammatories; essential fatty acids (EFA's); allergy testing and hyposensitization. If you veterinarian is suspicious of a food allergy, a change to a hypoallergenic diet for 6-8 weeks may be recommended.

Follow-Up

Please follow your veterinarian's recommendations for cleaning and administering medications and requests for recheck appointments. Ear infections often recur and the medication that worked the first time may not work again later since a different condition may occur at a later time.

The above is general veterinary information. Do not begin any course of treatment without consulting your regular veterinarian. All animals should be examined at least once every 12 months.

About the author:

Linda Mar Veterinary Hospital and its cat-only affiliate, Coastal Cat Clinic, are small animal practices located in Pacifica, California.

 Linda Mar Veterinary Hospital