This is part 2 of a 2-part series on Otitis Externa (Ear Infection)
Part 1 covers the clinical signs, causes, diagnosis
and basic principles of treatment.
Done properly, the treatment of your dog’s ears will take only a few minutes each day and will ensure the fastest possible resolution of the problem.
If you have been given a cleansing solution, this should be used first.
We will show you how to do this.
Warm the solution by standing it in a bowl of warm water. Then lift the ear flap and apply liberally directly into the ear, until it overflows. Gently massage the vertical canal between your thumb and forefinger. (The canal can be felt as a large solid tube lying just under the skin below the base of the ear). Massage for 10 to 20 seconds to break up the wax - you should hear a squelching noise as you massage. Unless the ear is really sore, your dog may even enjoy this, because they’ve been trying to scratch this spot for ages!
Next (if they haven’t done it already!) let your dog shake its head and shake out some of the dirt and wax from the ear canal. Then, get some cotton wool and wipe away the visible dirt and wax. Repeat this process until the fluid coming out no longer looks dirty.
How often you do this depends on how dirty the ears are and how bad the infection is, but usually we recommend once daily until clean and then twice weekly.
If you are very careful you can use a cotton bud to clean the skin folds around the base of the ear, but never put a cotton bud into the ear canal itself – you’ll just push the wax further in!
Shake the drops well before use. Then lift the ear flap and apply the drops directly into the ear canal and work them in by massaging the base of the ear. We’ll show you how to do this. The label on the bottle will tell you how many drops to use. Normally you'll use them twice daily for 10-14 days, but it differs depending on the type of drops being used.
Follow the directions on the label!
Note: If you have used a cleansing solution as well, you should wait at least 10 minutes before putting the ear drops in. If you don’t, the drops will be shaken out along with the cleansing solution, and will be wasted!
At the end of the treatment, it is very important that you bring your dog back for us to recheck the ears. Some cases may require a longer course of treatment for a complete cure, and you will not be able to tell this yourself. Many ear drops contain anti-inflammatory drugs that will take away the redness, swelling and soreness, but if the infection itself hasn’t resolved, the problem may recur soon after you stop treatment. And when it comes back next time, it’s much harder to know how to treat the problem, if we don’t know how well the medication worked the first time!
If everything seems to be going OK, we suggest you stop using the ear drops 2-3 days before you come in for the recheck. If you are using a cleansing solution, you can use this right up to the day before the recheck. But don’t put anything in the ear on the day, as we’d like to examine the ear without any wet, oily ear drops in it.
So please don’t forget to bring your dog back for his/her recheck. If everything’s fine, it should be very quick, and there will usually be no charge. However, if there is still a problem, we can continue or change the treatment – and the consultation fee will still be reduced.
In severe cases, including those where other problems are suspected, or where there is poor response to treatment, we may recommend one of the following: