Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Does ear cleaning help treat dog ear infections better
By Corb, Erin et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2024·Animal Dermatology Clinic, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of ear cleaning on treatment outcome for canine otitis externa.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 23 dogs with ear infections (otitis externa) was treated to see if cleaning their ears would help. Some dogs had their ears wiped with gauze, while others received a thorough cleaning with a special product. All dogs were given a medicated ear solution for five days. By the end of the week, both groups showed improvement in their symptoms, but the dogs with cleaned ears had a better reduction in certain bacteria. Overall, ear cleaning didn't change the treatment outcome significantly, but it may be more beneficial when specific bacteria are involved.
People also search for: dog ear infection treatment · cleaning dog ears at home · otitis externa in dogs treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ear cleaning is often recommended for management of canine otitis externa (OE). Few in vivo studies evaluate how ear cleaning affects treatment outcome. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of ear cleaning on canine OE by comparing treatment outcome in cleaned versus noncleaned ears. ANIMALS: Twenty-three client-owned dogs with ceruminous or purulent OE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty ears were randomised to one of two groups: 20 ears were wiped with dry or saline-moistened gauze (grp1), and 20 external ear canals received manual cleaning (grp2) with a commercial product. One millilitre of a commercial otic suspension containing hydrocortisone aceponate, miconazole nitrate and gentamicin sulfate was applied to affected ears every 24 h for five days. Cytological scores, modified otitis index score (OTIS3), pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS), modified PVAS and client questionnaire were compared on Day (D)0 and D7. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences between cytological scores, modified OTIS3, PVAS, modified PVAS or client assessments between groups at D7. Both groups had significant reduction in all treatment parameters from D0 to D7 with the exception of cytological rod scores that were only significantly decreased in cleaned ears. There was a significant difference in OTIS3 before and after cleaning on D0. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Both groups achieved successful outcome regardless of cleaning. Ear cleaning may be more important when rod-shaped bacteria are present.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39210729/