Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Herbal treatments tested against bacteria from dog ear infections
By Olson, Jacquelyn N B et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2023·Animal Hospital of Dunedin·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Evaluation of in vitro activity of herbal formula Di Er You and herb Coptis against bacteria isolated from dogs with otitis externa.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 32 dogs with ear infections (otitis externa) had samples taken from their ears to test how well different treatments could fight the bacteria causing the problem. The herbal formula Di Er You (DEY) and the herb Coptis were tested alongside a common ear treatment called Zymox. The results showed that both DEY and Coptis were more effective at stopping bacterial growth than Zymox, with Coptis performing the best overall. While these findings are promising, further studies are needed to confirm their effectiveness in real-life situations.
People also search for: dog ear infection treatment · herbal remedies for dog otitis externa · Coptis for dog ear bacteria
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the in vitro activity of the herbal formula Di Er You (DEY) and the single-herb Coptis against bacteria cultured from dogs with otitis externa. ANIMALS: 32 client-owned dogs diagnosed with otitis externa. METHODS: A sample of otic debris from each patient was collected and plated onto a fresh Sheep's Blood Agar plate in the hospital. After bacterial growth was confirmed, 4 wells were created, numbered randomly, and treated with saline (placebo), DEY, Coptis, and Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution with 1% Hydrocortisone (Zymox). After 24 hours of incubation, the diameter of the zone of inhibition (dZOI) of each treatment was measured and recorded, and compared among treatments. A sample of the bacterial colonies grown was submitted to an outside lab for bacterial identification. RESULTS: The mean ± SD dZOI values for saline, DEY, Coptis, and Zymox treated wells were 0.25 ± 1.41, 12.47 ± 3.92, 14.25 ± 7.12, and 3.22 ± 5.12, respectively. Post hoc multiple comparisons test revealed that (1) saline-treated wells had significantly smaller dZOI values than the other 3 groups (all P < .001), (2) Zymox treated wells had significantly smaller dZOI values than either herbal treated groups (both P < .001), and (3) DEY treated wells had significantly smaller dZOI values than those treated with Coptis (P = .0042). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results from this in vitro study suggested that both DEY and Coptis could be effective treatments in inhibiting the growth of bacteria in dogs with otitis externa. Prospective randomized controlled clinical trials are warranted to confirm these findings.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37491003/