Chronic Ear Disease
In Cats & Dogs
Ear disease can affect both cats and dogs, but it’s much more common in dogs. The main cause of ear disease is allergic skin disease. Chronic ear disease is when a pet’s ears have been inflamed or infected for some time and may be failing to respond to standard medications.
Sometimes the ears have what we call ‘chronic changes’ and may be narrowed and thickened, ulcerated and painful. The disease may have gone from the outer ear canal into the middle ear and the ear drum may be ruptured. It is not unusual and we’re finding more and more nasty infections that do not respond to standard antibiotics and may have ‘antibiotic-resistance’.
What to Expect at
YOUR CONSULTATION
What to Expect at
Your Consultation
1
HISTORY REVIEW
Detailed history and review of past treatments
2
EXAMINATION
Full dermatological and ear examination
3
TESTING
Diagnostic testing including video-otoscopy
4
TREATMENT PLAN
Provided with a tailored treatment plan based on your individual pet’s needs
OUR CHRONIC
EAR DISEASE SERVICE
OUR CHRONIC
EAR DISEASE SERVICE
Our aim is to restore normal ear health for your pet. This is possible in the majority of cases as long as we take into account the underlying causes of the ear disease. The majority have allergies but there are other causes such as hormonal problems, foreign bodies and tumours or polyps, which is especially common in cats. The outcome is usually good, however, when the middle ear is affected, results are often less favourable. For ears that cannot be salvaged with standard treatments your pet may be referred for surgery.
Our clinic benefits from having state of the art video-otoscopy (a small video camera that transmits images to a larger screen). This allows for a magnified view of the deeper structures of the ear and more precise cleaning and sample collection.
Treatment after that will be tailored to your pet based on the degree of damage to the ear and the type of infection. To select the right antibiotic therapy, we take samples for bacterial culture and sensitivity.
After the initial therapy to treat the ear disease, it’s not unusual to require long-term treatment to reduce future incidents. We’ll discuss any long-term treatment your pet may need with you.
OUR CHRONIC
EAR DISEASE SERVICE
OUR CHRONIC
We treat a wide range of skin conditions. Below is a list of different conditions, which gives an idea of the range of conditions we see.
Allergic Skin Diseases
Atopic dermatitis
(environmental allergies)
Flea allergy dermatitis
Food allergies/intolerances
Infections (Chronic/Recurrent)
Bacterial skin infections (pyoderma)
Yeast infections
Ringworm (especially in cats)
Autoimmune & Immune-Mediated Conditions
Pemphigus complex
Lupus diseases
Ulcerative diseases
Erythema multiforme
Vasculitis
Nodules and lumps with or without draining sinus tracts
Scaling disorders
Sebaceous adenitis
Epitheliotropic lymphoma
Crusting disorders
Zinc-responsive dermatosis
Metabolic epidermal necrosis
Chronic Skin Issues
Itchy or inflamed paws (pododermatitis)
Hair loss (alopecia) - Alopecia X, Colour dilution alopecia
Anal furunculosis
Pigmentary skin disorders
Hypopigmentation - Vitiligo, Uveodermatological syndrome
Hyperpigmentation - Post-inflammatory, Hypothyroidism
EAR DISEASE SERVICE
OUR CHRONIC
EAR DISEASE SERVICE
OUR CHRONIC
EAR DISEASE SERVICE
We treat a wide range of skin conditions. Below is a list of different conditions, which gives an idea of the range of conditions we see.
Allergic Skin Diseases
-
Atopic dermatitis
-
(environmental allergies)
-
Flea allergy dermatitis
-
Food allergies/intolerances
Infections (Chronic/Recurrent)
-
Bacterial skin infections (pyoderma)
-
Yeast infections
-
Ringworm (especially in cats)
Autoimmune & Immune-Mediated Conditions
-
Pemphigus complex
-
Lupus diseases
Ulcerative diseases
-
Erythema multiforme
-
Vasculitis
Nodules and lumps with or without draining sinus tracts
Scaling disorders
-
Sebaceous adenitis
-
Epitheliotropic lymphoma
Crusting disorders
-
Zinc-responsive dermatosis
-
Metabolic epidermal necrosis
Chronic Skin Issues
-
Itchy or inflamed paws (pododermatitis)
-
Hair loss (alopecia) - Alopecia X, Colour dilution alopecia
-
Anal furunculosis
Pigmentary skin disorders
-
Hypopigmentation - Vitiligo, Uveodermatological syndrome
-
Hyperpigmentation - Post-inflammatory, Hypothyroidism
WHO DO WE Care For
We care for all dogs and cats with external ear disease, also called otitis externa. The vast majority can be treated with medication, and sometimes we use video-otoscopy. If the condition requires advanced surgery your pet may be referred to a surgical specialist.
But don’t worry, a lot of the dogs we see do not need anaesthesia and video-otoscopy, and their ear disease can be managed medically, as we would do with a dog or cat that has an allergy.
FREQUENTLY
AskeD Questions
rELATED
Services
EAR DISEASE
ALLERGY TESTING
OTHER SKIN CONDITIONS
ALLERGY TESTING
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
"Simon has been our vet for over 10 years, so when we’ve encountered skin issues with our dogs we’ve been lucky to benefit from his in-depth, and enthusiastic expertise! A poorly pet is always a worry, but it’s easy to trust Simon as he bothers to take time to talk us through the problem, and importantly, the treatment options. Being part of that decision is really important to us.”
Genevieve Klasinski
Owner of Woody the Golden Retriever
"Henry has had severe allergies for many years now, and finding someone who truly understands and can manage his problems has made all the difference. Simon is kind, patient, and incredibly thorough. He takes time to explain everything and has worked with us to find a treatment plan that has finally brought Henry some relief. With Simon’s knowledge it gives us confidence and peace of mind that Henry is getting the best treatment”
Anna Green
Owner of Henry the Cockerpoo
"We feel really lucky to have found Simon. He successfully diagnosed our little dog (Candy) with multiple allergies - lots of other vets we had seen didn’t have the expertise to do this. This meant he was able to tailor her treatment to her allergies and all her symptoms have been well controlled for years now. Simon is always up to date with advances in veterinary science and involves us in decisions about Candy’s treatment. He has helped us manage her occasional flare-ups at home and to know when she needs professional help. He is just amazing and I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
Sheila Holland
Owner of Candy the Cavachon