Canine External Otitis - Symptoms and Treatment

Content

• Canine External Otitis - Symptoms
• External otitis in dogs - causes
• Other factors of canine otitis
• Diagnosis of canine external otitis
• Canine External Otitis Treatment

In this article by PeritoAnimal we will talk about external otitis in dogs, a relatively common disorder which, therefore, we are likely to have to deal with as caregivers. Otitis is an inflammation of the external ear canal, which may or may not affect the tympanic membrane and may or may not be accompanied by infection. To cure it, it is essential to identify the cause that produces it, since if it is not discovered or not treated directly, it can become chronic.

Canine External Otitis - Symptoms

As we have already said, external otitis is inflammation of the external ear canal, in its vertical and horizontal section, which can affect the tympanic bulla. The symptoms will depend on the severity, and are as follows:

• Auricular erythema, that is, redness inside the ear due to an increase in blood in the area.
• About everything, shake of the head and itching.
• Ache in the area.
• If there is an associated infection, there will be secretion.
• In cases of chronic otitis externa in dogs, it can occur otohematoma and even deafness.

External otitis in dogs - causes

The primary causes of otitis externa in dogs are as follows:

• parasites.
• Hypersensitivity mechanisms, such as atopic dermatitis and the adverse reactions to food, that is, both intolerance and actual allergy. These mechanisms are the most frequent cause.
• foreign bodies or trauma.
• Neoplasms or polyps that obstruct the duct, although this cause is more common in cats.
• Keratinization disorders that dry out the skin and are related to endocrine diseases such as hypothyroidism.
• Finally, autoimmune diseases can also be behind canine external otitis.

Other factors of canine otitis

Although they are not directly responsible for external otitis in dogs, there are other elements that contribute to establish, aggravate or perpetuate the condition. They are as follows:

• Predisposing causes: although they are not enough to trigger external otitis, they will facilitate its onset. Among them are the pendular shape of the ears of some dogs such as cockers, which makes it difficult to ventilate the canal; ear canals with a lot of hair like those of poodles, or those that are very narrow, like those of shar peis dogs. It is also necessary to take into account the dampness of the canal in dogs that swim or bathe frequently.
• secondary causes:
• are those that will aggravate external otitis over time. Even if it is cured, if the primary cause is not treated, the condition will not be resolved definitively. These are infections caused by bacteria or fungi, such as External otitis in dogs by Malassezia.
• Perpetuating factors:
• are those that physically prevent medical treatment, such as hyperplasia, calcifications or stenosis. You can only resort to surgery. The chronification of external otitis, that is, not treating it, can cause these damages and otitis media, a condition in which the tympanic membrane is damaged or absent and which can, in turn, cause internal otitis. So we can see the importance of early treatment of acute otitis externa in dogs.

It is important to know that removing hair from the ear canal does not prevent the appearance of otitis, and may even favor its development. .

Diagnosis of canine external otitis

To diagnose external otitis in dogs, tympanic membrane status should be evaluated, what is done by otoscopic examination. The problem is that in dogs with suppurative external otitis, the eardrum will not be visible, so it will be necessary to resort to cleaning or washing the ear, which also allows ruling out the presence of masses or foreign bodies, the appearance of any pathological change in the duct and also favors the effect of local treatment. General anesthesia is necessary as some material can pass into the nasopharynx, which could cause aspiration pneumonia.

Canine External Otitis Treatment

The treatment, which must always be prescribed by the veterinarian after otoscopic examination and cytology, if applicable, aims to control duct inflammation and the elimination of infections, if there is. For this, local medication is preferred, that is, applied directly to the duct, since this way there will be a lower risk of side effects than through systemic treatment, and it will be more concentrated.

The exception to the above treatment is for dogs with duct damage or where topical treatment is not possible. The veterinarian will have to check the ear after 7-15 days to see if the cure is complete. Furthermore, the primary cause must be treated and predisposing or perpetuating factors must be corrected.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.