Pet Article

EAR INFECTIONS IN PETS

Ear infections can cause great frustration and discomfort for both owners and pets alike. They are one of the reasons many pet owners visit their veterinarian. Common signs of ear infection include head shaking, frequent scratching, foul odors, abnormal discharge, redness and pain. Although the ear may seem like a very simple structure, it is actually a complex organ that can become irritated because of a whole host of primary causes and contributing factors.

In cats and dogs, the external part of the ear consists of the pinna, the ear canal, and the eardrum. The ear canal consists of a vertical part (the part you can see when you look inside the ear) and a horizontal part, which extends deeper into the eardrum, a part which you cannot see.

This angle in the ear canal is a normal anatomical feature that makes cleaning of the ear difficult and helps to trap debris and wax inside the ear. Many factors can make ear infection more likely. Things that increase moisture and decrease ventilation can contribute to infection. Dogs that like to swim or cats and dogs that have a naturally narrow ear canal can be at risk. Excessive hair or floppy ears can also trap moisture inside the ear. While these factors may predispose your pet to infection or make a current infection worse, by themselves they do not cause infection.

In addition, some pet owners can at times make infections worse by using water or irritating substances such as, rubbing alcohol (neat) or vinegar (neat) to clean the ear, they can also cause trauma to the ear canal by aggressive cleaning. Water increases moisture within the ear and does not evaporate adequately deep in the canal. Irritating substances can damage the fragile lining of the ear canal, making it more susceptible to bacterial infections. Only gentle cleansers designed for use in the ear canal should ever be used. Prescription ear cleansers available from a veterinarian may be used to treat specific disorders or infections, as advised by your veterinarian. The use of cotton swabs is not recommended because they tend to pack the earwax tighter into the ear canal, making it more difficult to remove.

It may surprise some pet owners to know that, bacteria and yeast are not considered a cause of ear disease, rather they are considered the result of inflammation of the ear canal. An infection of the external ear is almost always a sign of an underlying disease. Changes in the ear canal resulting from the underlying cause allow normal bacteria and yeast to overpopulate. Eventually this overgrowth will become an infection and result in ongoing disease, even after the initial cause has been resolved.

One of the most common underlying cause of ear problems in dogs is allergic reactions. Pollens and molds that cause hay fever symptoms in people are the principal causes of skin and ear disease in dogs. Dogs can also become allergic to an ingredient in their food, even after they have been eating that food for years. (If you suspect your dog has an allergy, contact your veterinarian for directions on managing these conditions.)

Other causes for ear infections include foreign objects that become lodged in the ear, ear mites, polyps, or tumors within the ear canal.

Successful management of ear disease requires both identification of the primary cause as well as management of any secondary infections. Addressing just one or the other is a common reason for treatment failure. If the ear canal remains inflamed and infected for a long time, infection can move across the eardrum and into the middle ear.

Over time, or in certain breeds of dogs, such as cocker spaniels, the ear canal becomes thickened or even mineralized, causing it to be inflexible. Once the ear canal becomes mineralized, changes may be irreversible and surgery may be required to relieve chronic pain.

If your cat or dogs ear problem has been treated several times with little improvement, it may be time for your veterinarian to dig a little deeper to establish the root of the problem. Unles the cause of the problem can be stopped, the infection may never go away.

If you suspect that your pet has an ear infection, contact your local veterinarian.

Mark Woodcock
1 Flea Control