Twenty per cent of visits to the vet may be due to otitis and, although in general they do not represent a serious condition for the animal, they may become very insidious processes if they are not treated suitably. This work presents a selection of clinical cases to help vets to establish the proper guidelines for treatment, management and control.
1. Introduction and brief anatomic outline
Ear anatomy of the dog and cat
Introduction
Outer ear
Tympanic membrane
Middle ear
Inner ear
2. Otitis externa (EO) etiopathogenic
3. Otitis clinical findings/features
Clinical history
General and dermatologic clinical examination
Otoscopic examination
Other tests
Treatment
Ceruminous- erythematous or suppurative infectious otitis externa (bacteria and/or yeast)
Otitis externa due to foreign body
Ceruminous-erythematous parasitic otitis externa
Otitis media
4. Sampling
Skin scraping
Sampling with cellophane paper
Cerumen sampling
Cytology
Sample staining
Results interpretation
5. External and systemic treatments
Introduction
External treatments: cleaners
External treatments: therapeutic products
Systemic treatments
Microenvironment modifiers
Antibiotics
Antifungal
Acaricide
Instructions sheet for the owner
6. Clinical cases
Bilateral otitis externa in a cat due to Otodectes cynotis
Pinna ́s bilateral injuries in a dog due to Sarcoptes scabie
Trombiculiasis of the pinna and periauricural area in a cat
Pinna ́s injuries in a dog with leishmaniasis
Pinnal dermatophytosis in a cat
Bilateral otitis externa due to Sthapylococcus
Bilateral otitis externa due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Bilateral otitis externa due to Malassezia
Bilateral otitis externa related to atopic dermatitis in a Yorkshire Terrier
Pinnal injuries in a cat with seasonal atopic dermatitis
Bilateral otitis externa related to food allergy in a dog
Bilateral otitis externa with stenosis related to allergic process (atopic dermatitis/food allergy)
Bilateral cushingoid disturbances due to a drug reaction in a cat with suspected allergic otitis
Bilateral otitis externa related to hypothyroidism
Unilateral otitis externa because of foreign body
Unilateral otohematoma associated with bilateral otitis externa due to scabies
Otitis due to ceruminous glands adenocarcinoma
Pemphigus foliaceous in a cat
Bilateral otitis externa due to juvenile cellulitis in a puppy
Unilateral otitis media
Proliferative and necrotizing otitis in a cat
7. References
