Diseases of the ear are common in 
cats
and 
dogs and are often very painful
to the patients. The affected animals may scratch, rub or shake
their head and ears excessively. Just touching the ears might
be very uncomfortable to them and the owners may recognize an
offensive odor coming from the ear.
Microbacteria, fungi, yeast and parasites like mites and ticks have to be considered as cause for infections of the ear. Allergies due to inhalants, food and other sources or general skin disorders like seborrhea or diseases of the endocrine and immune system can likewise cause ailments of the ear pinna, ear canal or inner ear. Therefore, chronic reoccurring ear problems require an intensive work-up to identify the underlying cause. Frequently we take bacterial culture and sensitivities testing, check for yeast and fungus organisms, parasites and perform allergy and food skin testing.
After establishing the proper diagnosis and treatment plan, the next critical step is the follow up care at home. We spend considerable time going through the procedures with the owner. Some clients feel uncomfortable with cleaning of the ear canal because they are concerned about hurting the ear drum.
The ear canal of dogs and cats is angled and longer than the one of a human. Therefore, cleaning the ear canal carefully with the proper solution like EPI OPIC CLEANER and Q-tips is a safe procedure. Sometimes the infection and inflammation of the ear canal may have caused such a massive build-up of cell debris, crusted blood and pus that flushing with diluted betadyne and novalsan solutions are indicated. Often, inflamed ears can be quite sore and painful to our friends, and our best intentions can be met with hostile responses. Therefore, proper attention should be given to reduce the pain and discomfort to the patient. As the pain subsides the little rascals become much more cooperative. Puppies and kittens should be taught early in life to accept the gentle handling and cleaning of the ear. Chronic ear conditions can be very uncomfortable and painful to the patient because of the excessive tissue proliferation and inflammation of the ear canal. Then surgery is often the only choice to give relief to the patients. The proper diagnosis, treatment and follow-up home care are equally important in the successful treatment of ear conditions.
We recommend the routine ear cleaning with Epic Otic Cleaners particularly in patients with excessive ear wax build-up, allergies, swimmers ear and moist dermatitis. With the proper care at home, a large number of the ear problems could be controlled or even avoided. In case you can't comply with the instructions given to you, discuss the matter with your veterinarian, because the success or failure of the ear treatment rests on the owner's ability to clean and medicate the ear in the proper way. I have to admit, that it is not always easy, but it's worth the effort. We always have to consider the ears as a part of the whole body and especially of the skin. For example, allergies, diseases of the immune system, sebborrhea and hypothyroidism can be the cause for chronic or recurring ear conditions.
Intradermal skin testing for pollen of trees, grasses, weeds, molds, house dust and the feeding of low allergenic diets can be very helpful procedures in the diagnosis of chronic ear problems.
Soak the ear swab well with a good ear cleaning solution -- we recommend EPI Otic Cleaner, Allerderm Inc., and gently massage the ear around the cotton swab. Often we even dispense a muzzle to owners with a rebellious pet to assure that the ears will be treated the proper way. Routinely check your pets ears for soreness, redness, odor, itching of the pinna and external ear canal.
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West County Animal Clinic Ballwin, MO (314) 227-3505 |
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