Shake head, Scratch left ear with left hind leg;
Scratch right ear with right leg, shake head;
Then repeat, repeat, repeat …
No it is not the latest dances move for your canine companion, (perhaps an attempt to appear on ‘You Tube’), or a way to keep you up all night– it could be a sign that your dog has Itchy Ears!
Itchy ears are an extremely common presentation here at the Newtown Veterinary Clinic. In fact, I have just sat down to write this up after seeing a lovely pooch with this condition. Meet “Knoxx” a Labrador x ShihTzu from Waurn Ponds.
Such a handsome fella.
The itching had been ongoing for several days without improvement. The owner had tried to resolve the itchy ears with the use of an ear cleaner from a previous episode of a similar situation. As Knoxx had previously presented with itchy ears over 6 months ago, it was important to work up this new episode from scratch (excuse the pun!).
Knoxx was in great condition and had no other skin problems. Visual inspection of the ears revealed slightly reddened and inflammed ear canals, with a slightly increased but not excessive discharge. Examination with the otoscope showed that this pattern continued further down the ear canal.
To determine the best treatment for Knoxx’s ears, it was decided to perform a quick test in the clinic, which involves taking a swab from each ear and having a look at the substance on a slide under the microscope. This is a great way to determine if the problem is caused by an infection (either bacterial or fungal) or potentially an allergy (if no excessive overgrowth of bacteria or yeast are seen).
In this case there was only a few scant yeast and bacteria seen under the microscope. It was decided that the best treatment for Knoxx would be to relieve the itchiness of his ears. This was achieved with an anti-inflammatory injection to relieve the itchiness quickly and an ongoing anti-inflammatory ear treatment. Knoxx will be reviewed in one to two weeks time to check that there is a good response to the treatment and formulate an ongoing plan.
We will keep you posted on his progress.
A Little Bit Extra on the Topic of Ears
The ear canal is an L shaped tube that runs from the outer ear to the tympanic membrane (ear drum). The ear canal lining contains glands that produce wax and keep it moist. When an ear becomes inflamed and swollen, it narrows the ear canal and the healthy balance of normally harmless bacteria and yeast become disturbed. A perfect breeding ground for bacteria and yeast is created in the ear canal due to the increased heat from inflammation and the overproduction of wax.
For any form of itching, the cycle of inflammation, moisture, itching and infection can be an increasingly hard cycle to break. In the case of ears, every time there is inflammation the ear canal becomes narrower, and the wax glands increase in size and become more active, creating a wonderful breading ground for bacteria and yeast. These bacteria and yeast can spread into the inner ear and down behind the eardrum and infect the bulla. This is where ear infections get very serious, as these infections are incredibly painful, can lead to deafness, and require surgical treatment.
For more information go to our website at http://www.localvet.com.au/Newtown/ItchingandAllergiesinDogs.aspx
