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Does your pet...
- Shake her head often?
- Paw at his ears?
- Have a funny smell that you can't identify?
- Have floppy ears?
If so, your pet may have an ear infection.
Many factors may cause Otitis Externa or ear infection:
- Parasites- Ear mites live in the external canal feeding on the blood of the pet. Often you can see what appears to be coffee-grounds in the pet's ears and the ears are extremely itchy.
- Foreign bodies- Plant awns, dirt and dried medication can irritate the canal and cause hypersensitivity and inflammation.
- Allergies- Inhalant allergies, food allergies and contact dermatitis can cause infection.
- Seborrhea complex- Abnormal secretion of sebum, increased or decreased.
- Breed type- Many dog breeds have floppy ears that restrict free circulating air within the canal thus preventing normal ventilation and drainage.
- High Moisture- Swimming and high humidity allow bacterial and fungal colonization.
- Treatment Errors- Inappropriate treatment such as cotton tipped applicators, excessive hair plucking in the canals and incorrect cleaning products.
The most common types of infection are bacterial, yeast and ear mites. At Towne North, when we suspect an ear infection, we will take a swabbed sample of the discharge and identify the problem under the microscope to determine the proper treatment. Then we flush the ear canals and send home a cleanser, either OtiCalm® or AloCetic® which can be used after the infection is cleared as preventive maintenance. Medications for ear infections are specific to the type of infection. Tresaderm®, OtoMax®, Baytril Otic® and Chronic Ear Solution are the more common medications we use.
Routine cleaning of dog and cat ears is quite simple. Avoid getting cleanser or medication in your pet's eyes. You can place a drop of mineral oil in each eye before treatment as a protective barrier.
- Make sure your pet is comfortable. You may need someone to hold the pet for you.
- Gently lift the Pinna or ear flap, pour a liberal amount of the cleanser into the canal, massage the cartilagenous part of the ear where the pinna attaches to the head. Massage for 10 - 15 seconds.
- Allow the pet to shake her head (protect your eyes!).
- Then gently wipe (with a cotton ball) any exudate and excess cleanser from the portion of the ear canal that you can see. You don't need to go very deep into the canal. The cleanser will have a drying component so leaving some cleanser in the canal; is ok. Never use a Q-tip.
Do this a few times a month and your pet should have healthy and odor-free ears.
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