Our
pets have beautiful ears, whether they are the pendulous
basset hound type, the alert, erect ears of the German
shepherd, or the tufted color-points of the Himalayan
cat. Our pets hear better than we do, and use
their ears as moveable antennae, shifting and tilting
them to better pick up sound.
But pets' ears are troublesome outcroppings; unlike
human ears, they don't drain well. Pets have a horizontal
ear canal like ours, but they also have a vertical canal,
so the entry to the ear is an L shape. Thus they
trap water, get infected and smelly, develop parasitic
ear mites, or get foreign objects, such as grass awns,
stuck deep inside. The ear gets red, swollen and
painful, and the canal narrows. Lack of treatment
will lead to chronic pain and even rupture of the eardrum.
EAR
CLEANSER
A little preventive care goes a long way; a weekly routine
ear check at home, and use of ear cleansers, can prevent
so many conditions. After a walk take a moment
to check your dog's ears for ticks and plant material
such as speargrass. If your dog has been swimming,
rinse the ears with an ear cleanser (usually propylene
glyco-based) and wipe gently with cotton balls.
Never use Q-tips, as they may break in the ear.
Never put water in the ear. Ear cleansers are
meant to remove wax and debris, and to dry the ear canal.
In floppy-eared breeds of dogs especially, a weekly
cleaning will ward off bacteria and fungus.
Make sure the cleanser is specifically for dogs; don't
use human ear medications without veterinary advice.
If your dog or cat is scratching at the ears, shaking
its head a lot or holding it at an angle, it's trying
to tell you something. Look into the ear; it will
likely be red and raw, and maybe odorous. Head
straight to the vet. The vet may need to use an
otoscope to better visualize the deep external ear canal.
If a foreign object is suspected, or if there's a bad
infection, anesthesia and flushing the ears may be necessary.
A swab is often taken first, to be tested in a laboratory
to establish which antibiotic or antifungal works best.
Veterinary eardrops will be dispensed, and within a
few days, your best friend's earache will be gone.
The drops usually contain one or all of the following:
an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid such as Betamethasone,
an antifungal such as Miconazole, and an antibiotic
appropriate for your pet's specific current condition.
EAR
MITES
Cats sometimes come with ear mites; the ears are itchy
and contain a flaky black discharge, and an otoscopic
exam reveals miniature white spider-like parasites crawling
in the ear canal. These are best treated with
an initial ear flush under anesthesia, followed by eardrops
applied at home. The drops contain oils (usually
sesame) to soothe the inflamed ears, and ivermectin
to kill the mites. It takes a month of diligent
homework to rid your kitty of these parasites.
STRANGEST
THINGS
Dogs that love to run through thick bush will often
end up with the strangest things in their ears; anything
from speargrass thorns to metal wire. They then
scratch until the ear and side of the head are a mess.
With the dog under general anesthesia, an otoscope must
be used with a long-nosed clamp to enter deep into the
ear canal and grasp and extract the intruder.
Most commonly, one finds dry grass seeds with pointy
tips, especially in the summer months, in dogs that
have gone up-country for some fun.
Dogs and cats whose ear problems are neglected may develop
chronic, possibly irreversible ear conditions.
A surgical procedure ("Zepp" surgery) may
be done as a last resort to help drain a chronic infection.
Your vet has the skills to diagnose and treat ear problems.
Ask your vet to demonstrate how you can do weekly preventative
care at home.
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