Predisposing issues that pose an increased risk of reoccurring otitis externa

While at the Fetch conference in Long Beach, California, Brittany A. Lancellotti, DVM, DACVD, sat down with dvm360 in an interview to explain how predisposing factors like excess ear hair or small ear canals can increase the risk for reoccurring cases of infections. She also shared her tips for owners looking to reduce the frequency of otitis externa in their pets.

The following is a partial transcript of the video.

Brittany A. Lancellotti, DVM, DACVD: So when we're thinking about ear infections, there [are] primary diseases that trigger the infection, secondary infections with bacteria and yeast, perpetuating factors that develop from chronic inflammation, and then there's predisposing factors. These are the risk factors that put animals at higher risk for an increase in frequency and severity of infections, but by themselves aren't necessarily the trigger for infection. So those predisposing factors are going to be things like excess hair in the ear canal, [dermatologists] see a lot of doodles with lots and lots of ear hair. Or a small ear canal size, like our French Bulldogs or English Bulldogs will have.