Should we consider ear canal removal after my dog who used to get chronic ear infections just recently had a flare up?
Original Question: Our Standard Poodle has chronic ear infections. She’s 11 years old and has had them off and on most of her life. She’s still very active, eats well, sleeps well. She’s had an ear swab done and lab tested. It was bacterial and treated with a very strong medication. The vet said it was a "very, very nasty infection resistant to most drugs". Once treated it seemed to disappear for nearly a year. Now she has another infection. The vet is recommending we consider ear canal removal. Do you ever recommend that as a "fix" and at this stage should we consider it? She seems otherwise to be completely healthy. No medications; good blood work; just her ears. Thank you very much for any response. - Dena
Nov 8, 2017
Hi Dena,
If it’s been a year since the last ear infection, I would be inclined to treat again. Ear canal removal is not something typically recommended if the ears can be improved. Oftentimes, there is an underlying cause such as allergies that could be addressed to prevent or limit ear infection recurrences. I would explore these alternatives before getting to the surgery possibility.
I would also recommend you to take a look at our video tutorial ‘How to Properly Clean a Dog’s Ear’ as it could help the ears to improve.
I hope this helps,
Dr. Ryan Llera
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