Dog ear infection surgery

Most dog ear infections respond to prescription ear ointments and cleaning if they are diagnosed early and treated thoroughly (always finish the bottle or tube of medication unless directed otherwise by your vet, return to your vet if the ear is not improving as expected).  In some more severe cases other medications such as oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatories are required.

In middle and inner ear infections, or chronic ear infections, surgery may sometimes be required to effectively treat the infection.  In some cases this may help open the external or the inner ear so it can clear infection more easily.  In severe dog ear infections the entire ear including the middle ear must be removed (read more about dog ear infection complications).

Dog ear vet

Read more about dog ear infections

Will my pet need an operation?    Sometimes, ear infections recur. This can be for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the dog or cat may have a deformed or narrow ear canal or that it may have tumours or growths in the ear. In addition, recurring ear infections often result when the animal has a generalised skin infection. Solving the skin infection will usually eliminate the ear problem. In cases where a narrowing of the ear canal is present, from a tumour, a long-term infection or a natural deformity, the ear canal remains moist and infections are almost impossible to eliminate. Your pet may need an operation to solve this problem.  In one operation, your vet removes the skin overlying the outer portion of the ear canal so that the ear canal is open to the air. This results in drying of the canal and elimination of the infection.  In another operation, called an ear ablation, your vet will remove the entire cartilage of the ear canal and the hole going down to the eardrum. While this usually solves the problem, sadly, the animal will be deaf in that ear.  If you feel you pet’s ears are causing it problems, don’t delay. Ear infections left untreated can be a very difficult problem.