Otitis Externa - Kenvalley Veterinary Clinic Vet in Kensington

Yourpet hasjustbeendiagnosedwith Otitis Externa.Thisleafletis intendedto helpexplainthe condition
and providerecommendations
for gettingyour pet backto a stateof good healthas soonas possible.
The ear is a very complexstructure,referto the picturebelow.Otitis Externainvolvesthe inflammationof
the outerpartsof the ear.Otitisis a seriousdisease
and can leadto othercomplications
if leftuntreated.
Thesecomplications
can include,amongstothers;
.
.
.
.
Deafness
Comoleteocclusion
of the earcanal
Rupturingof bloodvessels
in the pinna/earflap(Othaematoma)
(Vestibular
Lossof balanceand incoordination
syndrome)
How will I know that my pet has otitis?
lf you hove experiencedeor ochebeforeyou will know whatpoin
your pet couldbe feeling. Besides
pain, other clinicolsignsmay include:
. Redand/orthickenedskin
. Discharge
from the ear(maybe yellowor dark)
. Headshakingand headtilting
. Scratchingat the ear
. Unpleasant
odourfrom the ear
What are the causesof ear infections?
Predbposingfactorssuchos:
. The shapeof your pets ear,
. Climaticconditions
e.9.high humidity,
. Yourpet'slifestyle
e.g.swimming
. Diseases
in otherpartsof your petsbody
Primorycousessuchas:
. Allergies(food,contact,inhaled,fleabite)
. Foreignbodies(ticks,seeds)
. Parasites
(earmites)
. Skinproblems(seborrhoea)
Perpetuatingcauses
suchos:
. Bacterialinfections
. Fungalinfections
. Middleear infections
(otitismedia)
. Chronicthickeningof the earcanal
As part of the treatrnentyour Vet has
prescribedSurclan for your pet.
S ur
SUREYOU
lAlhat is Surolan?
Surolonk an eor ointmentthot consists
of:
. Miconazole
- an antifungal
. PolymyxinB - an antibacterial
. Prednisolone
-acorticosteroid
Thiscombination
is usefulin the treatmentof fungalinfectionsG.g: Malossezid,bacterialinfections
(redness
G.g.:Pseudomonos)
and in the reductionof inflammation
and swellin@.
Surolan hasalsobeen shownto help in the treatmentof ear mites'
How to apply Surolan ear ointment to your pet's ears
Youform a key role in the retum of your pet to good health. Thefollowingguidelineswill help with the
succetsof treatmentof your pet's condition.lf you have any gueriesor concerns
you shouldspeakto your
veterinaion.
. The earshouldbe cleanedpriorto usingSurolan.
Yourvet may havealreadyhavedone this for you
. Gentlyfold your pets ear flap/pinnaoverthe
headand tilt the headslightly
. Apply a few drops(3-5)into the ear canal
usingthe long nozzleon the bottle
. Gentlymassagethe ear to ensurecomplete
distribution
of the ointment
. Applytwicedaily(morningand night)
. The treatmentshouldbe r€peatedior 7-1Odaysor as prescribedby your veterinarian.
Sometimesit may be necessary
to continuetreatmentfor a longerperiodof time (2-3 week)
. lt hasbeensuggested
priorto commencing
thata pet-treator delicaqy
eachapplication
will help
settleyour pet and will makethem associate
the treatmentas a positiveevent
Day
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2
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5
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t0
Date
am,:'
Surold"n
l. Engelen,M.A.CM.,
Anthonissens,
E, (2000).
Efficacyof non-acaricidal
ontaining oticpreparations
in
the treatmentof otmriasis in
dogs and cats,The Veterinary
Recrrd 147,556-569.