• scratching at the head or ears
• shaking the head
• smell and/or discharge from the ears
• Redness and soreness of the ear flap and canal
• Your pet doesn’t want you to touch around the ears
• The pet might be down in the dumps and off food

Checking out a case of otitis

When our mobile vet visits your pet, the first thing we do is ask you some questions about the problem to better understand the issue. For example, it’s really useful for us to know if this is a new or ongoing problem and whether the pet has other skin issues or other problems.

We’ll examine your pet from head to tail, looking for any other problems that could be related to the otitis. Then we’ll use an otoscope to look in your pet’s ear. Sometimes this is a bit uncomfortable, but until we can see what the problem is, we can’t treat it.

Sometimes, if the ear is really painful, we have to arrange a visit to our base veterinary hospital so we can sedate your pet to find out what’s causing the otitis.

Often, we need to take a sample of earwax or discharge to look for ear mites, yeast, bacteria, or abnormal cells. And if we’re concerned that the ear infection might be related to another problem, we may need to do other investigations, such as blood tests, skin tests, or dietary trials.

In simple cases, ear ointments (sometimes combined with ear cleaning) can treat the problem very effectively. Ointments often contain anti-bacterials, anti-yeast and anti-inflammatories. We might also talk to you about how to care for your pet’s ears and skin to help reduce the recurrence of the ear infection.

In more severe cases, for example, if the eardrum is damaged or there are other underlying problems, your pet may need tablets. And sometimes, when there are underlying allergies, getting to the bottom of the ear problem can be a lengthy process.

Here’s a little story about Rob Roy, a 12-year-old cocker spaniel who has had chronic ear infections for years.

His big floppy ears haven’t helped, as they don’t allow air in and keep moisture trapped inside. Over the years, longstanding infections had damaged Rob Roy’s ear canals, narrowing them and making them even more prone to infection.

Eventually, he developed infections that were resistant to most of the antibiotics that we use. He had three types of bacterial infections in his ears at once – staphylococcus, streptococcus and pseudomonas – the last of which is often the most hazardous.

All three were resistant to the usual antibiotics, so we made a special compounded medicine to treat them. Fortunately, they responded to this, and for now, at least, we have resolved his infections. He will need very close monitoring and ongoing maintenance treatments to try to keep any future infections away.

If his infections had not responded, Rob may have faced surgery to permanently open up his canal and allow the infection and discharge to drain out properly. This could have meant that Rob would have lost his hearing.

The take-home message is that ear infections may seem benign, but left untreated or allowed to become chronic, they can become very serious, damaging the middle and inner ear structures, which may leave your pet with permanent hearing loss.

If you have any concerns at all about your pet’s health, we’re only a phone call away.

• Ear infections are common but often linked to underlying issues
  Allergies frequently contribute to recurring ear disease.
• Symptoms can range from mild irritation to significant pain
  Scratching, head shaking, and discharge are common early signs.
• Diagnosis involves more than just looking in the ear
  Examination, sampling and sometimes further testing are needed to identify the cause.
• Untreated or chronic infections can cause permanent damage
  Long-term cases may lead to structural changes and hearing loss.