Chronic Otitis Externa: Strategies for Better Care

Course overview

Otitis externa is very common in dogs, and it is the dermatologic disease for which we are least effective, particularly when it becomes chronic. Often dogs with chronic or recurrent otitis are treated without cytology, without rechecks, without finding the underlying cause, and without establishing a proactive preventive care program to reduce relapses. Over time, many of these dogs will end up with incredibly resistant infections, stenosis, proliferative changes, and constant pain, requiring a total ear canal ablation. By this time, the owners are financially and emotionally tapped out, and their dogs suffer. This course discusses an approach to chronic or recurrent otitis that is meant to help prevent progression to the end stage ear.