Ear Infection and Inflammation can be due to ear mites, bacteria or yeast infection, foreign bodies ( grass awns like fox tail seed), allergies or other diseases.
Dog (or cat) scratch their ears, gets red, inflamed, smell or even have discharge. In certain cases, further diagnostic tests like culture and sensitivity is recommended to know the type of infection or the specific antibiotics for the treatment. Other factors of foreign body (foxtail, ear mites), allergy and in some cases even thyroid deficiency can complicate the infection.
A thorough cleaning of ears is needed for the medications to work more effectively. And for proper cleansing or to remove any foreign body, a tranquilizer or even general anesthesia may be required. Choice of medication will depend on your pet’s problem and types or duration of infection. Some require surgeries.
One of the most common reason for treatment failure is not applying medication properly and at prescribed intervals for proper amount of time, and thus can lead to bacterial resistance to medications, ear hematoma.
Call us if you have any question at 562-630-2082 and to make an appointment for your pet’s ears.