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Escarpment Magaz ine Summer 2012
escarpment
FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS
By DR. JACQUIE PANKATZ
Ear
infections are one of the most common pet ailments that we see in our veterinary practices. Pets may
scratch excessively at their ears, shake their head and have a bad odour or discharge in the ear canals. In
severe cases, pets may show a pain response when the ears are touched and can even develop a head tilt
or become unbalanced if the infection progresses into the inner ear. There are many causes of ear infections
and it is important that a proper diagnosis be made in order to have the correct treatment prescribed. Your
veterinarian will use an otoscope to look into the ear canals, and if possible, try to visualize the eardrum that
lies deep into the canal. Sometimes polyps or tumors may be identified as the cause of the infec-
tion. An ear swab of the canal is an important test to help identify the cause of the infection.
By looking at the debris obtained from a swab under the microscope, your veterinarian
will be able to identify common organisms including ear mites, bacteria or yeast that
might be responsible for causing the infection. Sometimes, a bacterial culture will be
needed in order to help make a diagnosis.are also increasingly being utilized in
veterinary medicine to manage these patients.
Depending on what is found on the ear swab analysis, medication is prescribed
that is usually in the form of a topical ear drop however it is not uncommon to
also prescribe oral antibiotics or steroids for more severe cases. An ear
cleaner may also be prescribed to help remove the debris in the ear
canal that may be contributing to the irritation. It is very important to
use an ear cleaner prescribed by your veterinarian as many OTC
products may actually make the irritation worse. Never use alcohol
or hydrogen peroxide in the ear canal and Q-tips should not be
placed into the ear as there is risk of rupturing the eardrum. Cotton
can be used to gently wipe out the debris once the ear cleaner
has been used to break up the debris and bring it up to the surface.
Your veterinarian or veterinary technician can show you how to
properly do this. Some pets, however, may require seda-
tion if the ear is painful or if the pet does not like having
their ears touched.
my
ears
hurt