One of the most common problems seen in the average veterinary practice is ear infections in pets. Many dogs and cats suffer from this uncomfortable condition, and chances are that your veterinarian sees several cases a day.
As a pet owner, here is what you need to know about the dreaded ear infection:
- Common signs that there may be a problem include shaking of the head, scratching at the ears, holding one or both ears in an abnormal position, a foul odor, abnormal ear discharge, a reddened ear canal or flap, and/or holding the head in a tilted position. If you notice one or more of these symptoms, you should schedule an appointment.
- Unlike the ear infections people get, dogs and cats tend to get infections that affect the external ear. This means that systemic antibiotics are not normally an effective means of “curing” them. Most often your veterinarian will take a sample from the ear canal to examine under the microscope. This helps to determine what type of infection is present and what the best method of treating it may be. Infections may be bacterial, fungal, parasitic, or a mix of all of those.
- Ear infections usually occur because there is something abnormal about the ear. In many animals this abnormality may be some sort of allergy. Foreign bodies such as ticks can also result in an infection. Some animals may have an abnormal ear canal due to a polyp or thickened skin that prevents the ear from functioning normally. It is important to determine if there is an underlying cause for an ear infection so that future episodes can be avoided. Sometimes, however, it is impossible to remove the underlying cause, such as in the case of certain types of allergies.
What Your Veterinarian Can Do About Ear Infections in Dogs and Cats
Your veterinarian will visualize your pet’s ears with an otoscope to be sure that there are no growths or foreign materials in the ear. He or she will also attempt to look at your pet’s ear drums to be sure that they have not ruptured. A sample of the ear’s discharge will often be examined under a microscope in order to look for parasites such as ear mites and determine what type of infection is present. Your veterinarian will prescribe medications based on these findings and may ask you to clean your pet’s ears periodically. If there is a predisposing cause, your veterinarian will outline a plan to hopefully eliminate it. Ear infections are a painful, smelly, and common problem. Should your pet ever experience one, we hope that you feel a little better educated about what to expect.
