Finishing up where we left off yesterday, today we will look at treatments for sore ears.
Help! My dog has itchy ears, Teneriffe Vet.
What can I do if my dog has a recurrent ear infection, Teneriffe Vet?
Visit your local vet. He may do an ear examination, take some samples using swabs, conduct allergy trials or refer you to a veterinary dermatologist for further work ups.
What treatments are available, Teneriffe Vet?
The goals are to identify the different factors, remove or control pre-disposing and primary factors, reduce inflammation and resolve secondary infections (e.g. bacteria or yeast infection). Generally, your vet may recommend using ear drops that have steroidal, bactericidal and fungicidal properties or oral therapies to control infection and inflammation. These treatments require a re-visit to the vet within 1 week to assess their effectiveness and success. Anti-parasite treatments may take a longer time to see a resolution of the problem. If the second ear examination is satisfactory, your vet may then recommend the use of commercial ear cleaning products with drying agents to keep residual moisture at bay.
It is important that the tympanic membrane (ear drum) is not ruptured before any treatment is given as it can aggravate the problem further. Hence it is important to seek your vet’s advice before you attempt to clean your pet’s ear.
