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Anyone whose dog has a chronic ear problem will tell you this: whoever made dogs ears messed up. Dogs' ears are made with both a horizontal and a vertical canal that can be difficult to both aerate and drain. They are also lined with modified sweat and sebaceous (ceruminous) glands that secrete a fat-rich earwax. It is a combination originally intended to protect the ear that in the modern dog has run amuck. There are many factors that contribute to chronic otitis in dogs. Some breeds have hyperactive ceruminous glands (e.g., cocker spaniels). Some diseases, such as allergies, food hypersensitivities and hypothyroidism, can cause these glands to secrete high amounts of cerumin. Cerumin combined with moisture is both an irritant and a very favorable environment for yeast and bacteria to grow. They love the stuff. When they digest it the result is an odor similar to rancid fat. The structure of the ear with both horizontal and vertical canals doesn't help the problem either. These canals form right angles to each other and make it easy for moisture to remain. Dogs with long, pendulous, heavy ears have a more difficult time keeping the ear canal dry (e.g., cocker spaniels ... and no, I am not picking on you guys). Dogs with upright ears (e.g., German shepherds) have less of a problem. If anyone were ever looking for a positive side to ear cropping...oh, never mind! I shouldn't even tell you that my Doberman and Great Dane have never had an ear infection, but my Weimaraner gets them all the time. So, from what we've seen so far we have a potentially problematic situation: a structurally flawed ear with a substance that attracts bacteria and yeast. What results can be a vicious cycle of infection and inflammation. The ear responds by thickening the skin lining the ear and causing the cartilage underneath the ear to swell. This causes the canal space in the ear to get smaller and even less air gets in. The cerumin glands become even further irritated and secrete even more earwax. Are you beginning to see (and smell) the picture? Scar tissue can get so extensive that surgery may be necessary to open up the ear canals; a Zepp or Lacroix procedure is considered. This is the end result we use in order to scare our clients into better home care for their dog's ears. This is the take home message: better home care is the key to managing chronic ear problems. If you are having chronic ear problems your veterinarian should try to find an underlying cause. This can save you both aggravation and money in the long run, not to mention make treating your dog much easier. As mentioned above we look for things like allergies, food hypersensitivities and thyroid disease. If this is truly a chronic (long-term) problem insist on having a culture and sensitivity done. This will identify what microorganisms are causing the problem and also will tell your veterinarian which drugs will work best. It is worth the extra cost; for example, treating a 40-pound dog with oral medicine and ear solutions for two weeks could cost double that of the culture and sensitivity test. If your veterinarian did not select the right drugs (with their educated guess) you have wasted two weeks and your pet is still suffering. Get a culture done. Next our technicians show our clients how to medicate and clean the ears. I cannot stress how important ear cleaning is; not only in helping to cure the problem but also to keep it from reoccurring. The ears must be clean before medicating. Imagine taking a shower with a raincoat on. That is what it is like trying to medicate a dirty ear; the medicine must come in contact with the skin of the ear to do any good. The type of ear cleanser you use is also important. We use a two-step procedure that is actually very easy. We try to minimize using cotton, gauze, and Q-tips unless there is an unusual amount of discharge and wax buildup. An ear cleanser is used first. It must be mild so as not to harm the delicate lining of the ear. The cleanser softens and removes excess secretions and dirt. Put it in, massage the base of the ear, and stand back and let your dog shake its head. Next we use an antiseptic flushing-and-drying lotion. This reduces the moisture in the ear without dehydrating the ear lining; it also protects the ear. The biggest mistake most people make is in not using enough flushing agent. You should flush three to four times after each cleaning until the flush flows clearly. Use this flushing agent after baths or swimming also to dry the ears. If you are treating an active ear infection clean the ear daily or every other day. We recheck ear infections weekly in our office; if you are serious about resolving your dog's chronic problems we advise the same. Once we have things under control don't be a typical human and just bury your head in the sand. Instead, clean your dog's ears twice weekly. That's the take home message! -Dr. Stephen M. Sheldon, D.V.M. practices at and owns Hammocks Veterinary Hospital in Miami, Florida. A University of Florida graduate, he is President of the South Florida Veterinary Medical Association, and a member of the Veterinary Cancer Society. He can be reached at (305) 388-0880. Visit his website at http://www.hammocksvet.com/. |
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