Keep a ear out for Otorrhoea

Otitis externa is a chronic inflammation of the dog’s external ear canal. Otitis media is an inflammation of the dog’s middle ear. Both these terms are used to describe clinical symptoms and are not diseases. Here’s what you need to know.
Otitis externa occurs when there’s a change in the normal environment of the ear canal that causes the lining of the glands to enlarge and produce excessive ear wax. Gradually, the outer skin (epidermis) and inner skin (dermis) produce excessive fibrous tissue (fibrosis) and the ear canal is narrowed. It is normally a secondary symptom of another underlying disease, such as an infection. It can result in a ruptured ear drum.

Otorrhoea (ENT syndrome) can affect dogs of any age and breed but those with long ears (Spaniels and Retrievers) and hairy external canals (Terriers and Poodles) are more susceptible.

Signs and symptoms

The most common symptoms are pain, head shaking, bad odour, scratching ears’ outer flap, tilting of head, uncoordinated movement, occasional vomiting. On physical examination, the vet might also notice redness and swelling as well as skin scaling, and obstruction of the ear canal. Some chronic cases may lead to deafness.

Causes

Otitis externa and Otitis media can be caused by a variety of things. The primary causes are parasites, food allergies, drug reactions, foreign bodies, accumulation of hair, dead skin buildup (keratinisation), and autoimmune diseases.

Some other contributing factors include: bacterial infections, fungal infections, progressive changes in the environment of the outer ear canal, excessive moisture caused by swimming, abrasive and improper ear cleaning, hyper secretion of sebaceous gland, trauma and distemper.

Diagnosis

These two conditions can be diagnosed in several ways. For instance, X-rays may be used to diagnose Otitis media; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may also be used to identify accumulation of fluids or soft tissue growth in the middle ear.

Other ways of diagnosing these conditions include skin scrapings from the dog’s ear flaps to test for parasites, and skin biopsies to check for autoimmune diseases. However, the single most important tool for diagnosing Otitis externa and Otitis media is microscopic examination of the ear discharge.

TREATMENTS

Medicinal treatment
- Clip the hair and clean it with soap and water.
- Clean with H2O2, spirit or zinc sulphate lotion.
- Apply any antiseptic powder or ointment after cleaning. Iodine preparation can also be used.
- Some ear drops like Oteck AC, Sofracort, etc and ointment like topicure, idoform, tincture iodine can also be used.
The vet will conduct a surgery if necessary.

Post-operative care
- Daily dressing needs to be done. Application of Neosporin powder or any other antiseptic powder is recommended.
- Injection of antibiotic like ceftriaxone at the dose of 500 mg for 7 days.
- Prevent the animal from self mutilation. Use muzzle, etc.
- Skin sutures are removed after 10 to 12 days.

By Dr Himanshu Pratap Singh, Dr Divya Tiwari, Dr MK Mehta, and Dr RK Jain, from College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Mhow, MP

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