160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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Dog Questions
Dear Dr. Berg,
We have a cocker spaniel that keeps getting ear problems. We've been to three different vets, and they've all given
us eardrops, which are NOT easy to get in. It seems like it just begins to clear up, and then it's back again.
Duke is in a lot of pain when he has these, shaking his head. And he runs from us when we get the bottle to treat
him. I don't want him to hate us! HELP!!!
L. H., Wilmington
Dear L.H.,
Ear infections can be an extremely frustrating problem for veterinarians and owners to successfully remedy, and
are usually very painful for the dog. It may take weeks of judicial cleaning and medication before a dog's ears
are again comfortable.
You can usually tell that your dog has an ear infection by watching for several signs. First, usually the ears
are very uncomfortable, and a dog will scratch at them and may cry when he scratches. There may also be an odor
when you smell the ears. There is likely to be a discharge or build-up if you take a flashlight and look into the
ears. In an extreme infection, you dog may even become wobbly because the infection has gone deeper to affect the
middle ear.
Most veterinarians will recommend that you first clean the ears out before you put in any eardrops. This is best
done by using an ear wash that your veterinarian will recommend to you. To flush out your dog's ears, you fill
the ear with the wash it starts to overflow, then gently massage the ear from the outside to loosen the debris,
then STAND BACK as your dog shakes the fluid and debris out. Finally, you wipe out the external part that you can
see with a clean cloth or gauze. If you try to use cotton swabs to ream out deep in the canal, you may end up packing
the material in or, even worse, damaging the ear drum. By using the flush, you are cleaning right to the bottom
and the dog is shaking the deep material out. The flush also tends to leave behind an acetic environment, and bacteria,
yeasts, and fungus don't like to grow very well where there is acid.
There are a wide variety of eardrops available, and your veterinarian will usually recommend a specific type, based
on his experience. Sometimes he may take and ear swab to sample the material in the ear and look under the microscope.
This is done to look for ear mites and also, using a special stain, to check for the presence of yeast. Many resistant
ear infections have been treated for many weeks with antibiotics, and what is actually growing in the ear is a
yeast called Malassesia, which your veterinarian can find under the microscope.
Your veterinarian may also take a sample of the material and do and ear culture. The material will be spread on
a growth medium to allow any bacteria present to grow. If there is growth, they will then drop different samples
of antibiotics on the growth to see what works best to kill the bacteria. When your veterinarian receives the report,
he will prescribe an antibiotic based on that report.
Unfortunately, there are some dogs that have extreme ear problems, and surgery must be considered. A Zepp's operation
is one that opens up a portion of the canal to allow better drying and drainage. In extreme situations, and ablation
may be done where the entire ear canal is removed.
So follow your veterinarian's guidance on this difficult problem. It will take patience and perseverance, but can
usually be solved. And please be sure that your dog has something more than ear drops to look forward when you
bring out the bottle...a special dog treat, a special walk, a special playtime. A spoonful of biscuits helps the
eardrops go down.
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