Question

We have a Weimaraner, Martha, who has regular ear infections. She shakes her head - it has been so bad that she has twice caused ruptures in the artery in her ear causing considerable and painful swelling. Two operations later and several rounds of antibiotics and eardrops, she still gets these infections. Is there some other drug or non-drug treatment we can use to manage the problem? Martha is only three, lively and very friendly. It is very upsetting to see her troubled this way.
DT

Answer
provided by Dr Paddy Batch BVSc

Unfortunately a large percentage of "fat ear" which your dog seems to be experiencing, are the result of autoimmune disease that has been followed by infection. Your vet would have checked that Martha's ear canals have not been partially closed by the surgery she has undergone and if the infections are occurring only weeks apart, your vet would have taken a swab to identify any resistant bugs and recommend appropriate treatment.

Many dogs will at some stage get an ear infection and you may just have a susceptible dog. If this is the case, there are a number of good over the counter ear rinses that you could use on a regular basis (weekly or twice weekly as a preventative to clean Martha's ears). The greatest problem in my practice is the client's failure to massage the dog's lower ear canal to ensure the ear rinse is getting where it needs to go to dry the ear and remove debris. Ask you vet to show you how to do this as simply rubbing or massaging your pet's face is ineffective.