Veterinary Medicine Essentials: Otitis

Itchy, odoriferous, aggravating ears. We hear you, and so we've collected our most useful content on diagnosing and managing your veterinary patients with otitis. You'll find guidance on ways to identify the underlying problem and to treat the inflammation and help relieve the irritation that the pet-and the owner-are feeling.

Updates on otitis

Quick update: What to know about allergic otitis in cats

May 22, 2017

Otitis in cats may not be common in your veterinary clinic-but here's a quick update to prep for the next time you see a cat with itchy ears. ...

Stop the perpetual otitis resurgence

Apr 21, 2017

Two veterinary client communication tips to tip the scales of a long-term healthy ear in your favor. ...

Data: All eyes on the ears

Sep 23, 2016

Labs, goldens, bulldogs, Westies ... and yes, bassets. (Plus any other dog who regularly puts in her laps to stay cool or stay trim.) They're all more likely than average to suffer from otitis. ...

Perk up those ears! Otitis tips ahead.

Jul 26, 2016

Derm doc Darin Dell has some quick tips for this tough-to-manage condition. ...

Otitis externa management: You could be doing it wrong

Nov 03, 2015

From "that smell" to potential ear hematomas and ablations, otitis externa can be a clinical challenge for any veterinary practitioner to manage. Wayne Rosenkrantz, DVM, DACVD, answers some of the most common questions about his approach to the management of this odorous condition. ...

Diagnosing otitis

7 steps for a full ear workup

Overheard at CVC: Dr. Paul Bloom, highlights the steps for a complete ear disease exam, including the vital role veterinary technicians play. (Hint: It's about finding the what and the why.) ...

The nitty gritty details of collecting cytology samples in veterinary patients

Are you interested in cutaneous cytology but unsure of how best to collect samples? You're in luck! Read this practical guide and you will be swabbing ears and tail folds like a pro in no time. ...

Diagnostic otology (Proceedings)

Non-responsive or chronic and recurrent otitis externa is a common reason for pet owners to leave their regular veterinarian and seek second (and third, fourth and fifth........) opinions. Proper management of these conditions takes a co-ordinated approach that includes strong history taking skills (keeping in mind the primary, predisposing and perpetuating factors involved in otitis), a thorough physical and otoscopic evaluation, appropriate diagnostic tests and the institution of a sound therapeutic plan that addresses the underlying factors while treating the current condition. ...

Otitis in cats: what is different from dogs (Proceedings)

The cat has some important anatomic differences from the dog. The obvious is that there is less breed variation in pinna shape and conformation as well as relatively short and straighter ear canal. ...

Common mistakes in your veterinary dermatology workups

In a busy veterinary clinic, it's easy to make your best educated guess and move on when presented with what seem to be simple dermatologic diagnoses. But not so fast-many conditions can have similar presentations. ...

Otitis media and interna: Look for neurological signs

The practicing small animal veterinarian often has to face small animals with otitis externa. While not as common, otitis media and interna likely cause neurological signs. ...

Treating and preventing otitis

5 tips to tackle otitis externa

This CVC educator and Iowa State University faculty member breaks down some ear-cleaning basics every general practitioner can put to work today. ...

The 'ugh's and 'why's of chronic otitis

Managing a one-time case of otitis is bad enough. Treating difficult cases? Insert exasperated sounds here. Don't worry, we've got your back. ...

Straight-up sewer ear: How to improve your outcome in otitis externa cases

The clinical presentation of gnarly otitis externa cases makes it difficult to even see that tympanic membrane. Ask yourself these questions before you tackle your next case, and arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan swiftly. ...

Canine otitis: Treatment advice from the ear tip to the tympanic membrane

How to achieve an optimal outcome in veterinary patients with ear infections or allergic conditions. ...

Skills Laboratory: How to perform a myringotomy

Careful preparation and technique are essential when performing this procedure. ...

Canine ear canal surgery considerations

How to choose between lateral wall resection and total ear canal ablation. ...

Just Ask the Expert: How do you manage ceruminous otitis in cats?

Veterinary dermatologist Dr. Paul Bloom discusses how he handles these cases. ...

Associated conditions

Anxiety and otitis: What a pain in the ear

Veterinary professionals, lend me your ear! Pain, otitis and anxiety are a combination not many want to mess with, but I've got some tips and tricks worth listening to. ...

Ear cases getting you down? Shake it off.

Famous (and famously funny) dermatologist Dr. Paul Bloom is here with genius tips that are both practical and clinical-and sure to help you with those frustrating otitis cases. ...

The Essentials: Atopic dermatitis

The itch. The scratch. The irritation. Atopic dermatitis is likely one of the most common dermatologic problems you see in veterinary practice. We at dvm360 have curated our best, most informative articles about this topic to help you diagnose and treat it efficiently and effectively. And we'll keep you on top of new developments as they arise. ...

FAQs about house dust mite and storage mite allergies

By bringing pets into our homes, we've increased their exposure to these common skin irritants. ...

Dermatologic manifestations and nutritional management of adverse food reactions

Most practitioners recognize that some dogs and cats with pruritus or gastrointestinal conditions can be managed either in part or fully by feeding a limited-antigen diet. ...

Client education

Stop the perpetual otitis resurgence

Two veterinary client communication tips to tip the scales of a long-term healthy ear in your favor. ...

12 tips for easier cat and dog ear care

We love aural communication, which is why we've put together this list of some of our favorite veterinarian and veterinary technician ear tips from readers in the past few years ...

Tell your veterinary clients what you're going to ask them: The ear disease edition!

Client compliance is big when it comes to ear disease. In order to heal those poor crusty-eared pooches, be up-front about the info you'll need from clients. We've organized it for you! ...

Handout: Fight ear infection fiction

Give your clients some solid info about ear inflammation and infection with this handout. ...

Client handout: What to do for my dog's itchy, sore ears?

Use this handout to talk to veterinary clients about what otitis is and what they can do to help their pet. ...

Client handout: Answers to your 3 most burning questions on ear and skin infections

Use this handout to answer veterinary clients' common questions about their pet's ear and skin conditions. ...

Arming your team

The dvm360 toolkit: Otitis management

A patient presents with otitis and you know there's trouble ahead. But this time, instead of the usual, you've got a whole set of tools for better treatment, better communication and better client compliance. Lend us an ear. (With an educational grant provided by Bayer) ...

Posts and tweets about otitis externa

Help clients understand what could be causing their pet's head-shaking and ear-scratching through social media. ...

Listen up! Low-stress ear cleaning

We're all ears to hear this five-step lower stress approach to cleaning a pet's ears in veterinary practice. ...

The dermatology toolkit

Your clients have a million questions when it comes to their pets' skin. So does your team. And we're betting you've wondered about a few cases yourself. Well, wonder no more-ditch the itch with these tools. (With an educational grant provided by Elanco) ...

Team Meeting in a Box: Stop getting burned by ear infections

This Team Meeting in a Box will help your team members learn about one of the most common problems in veterinary medicine: canine otitis externa and ear infections. (Sponsored by Dechra) ...

3 tips for chronic ear infections

Sandra Grable, CVT, a dermatology technician at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital, offers this advice to avoid common ear infection mistakes ...