Our case of the month is Muffin, a 9 year old hound mix.  Muffin has had a history of chronic ear infections.  We first diagnosed ear problems with Muffin in 1995. In 1998 she began having constant problems.  We tried every type of antibiotic and ear medication known to man, but her ears would not clear up.  Her ears became very tender to touch and difficult for the owners to medicate and clean which caused further disease to the point the the ear canals completely closed.  They had constant smelly drainage and caused her a great deal of discomfort.  We had reached the end of the line on medical treatment with Muffin and recommended that surgery be done to help her with her ear disease. 

We elected to do a modified vertical ear canal ablation on both ears.  Dogs and cats have two portions to there ear canal, a vertical portion and a horizontal portion.  We did surgery to remove the vertical portion removing all the diseased ear canal and leaving an opening for the horizontal canal to be able to drain.  The surgery was a success.  After Muffin healed from surgery the chronic infection was cleared up and she was much more comfortable.  She can even hear much better.  Muffin is a much happier dog now and so are her owners.  Her disposition has improved immensely and is happy to come to the Animal Hospital.

Ear disease is one of the most common problems we see in dogs and cats.  It may be caused by bacteria, yeast, or ear mites.  Sometimes allergies or thyroid disease may be an underlying cause.  We have even seen some food allergies cause ear disease.  Because the canine and feline ear has a vertical portion of their canals, wax and fluid cannot drain out as well and if water of moisture gets into the ear, the humidity and warmth is a perfect climate for yeast and bacteria to grow.  Some breeds of dogs are particularly more susceptable to ear disease especially those dogs with floppy ears, like labs, bassets, hounds, and spaniels.  Routine cleaning of these breeds ears are important for disease prevention.  You should always pay attention to your pet's ears.  Look in them at least once a week and check for any bad odors.  If your pets ears are red, smell bad, or your pet is shaking or scratching at their ears, you need to make an appointment to have the ears checked and treated early before radical treatment such as surgery is needed.