Tired of Chronic Dog Ear Infections? Stop Them Now

You know the symptoms of chronic dog ear infections: painful, itchy ears, and nasty, smelly discharge.

Acute and chronic dog ear infections are one of the most commonly treated conditions in veterinary medicine. It's estimated that about 20% of dogs have some form of ear disease. For one in four of those dogs, the condition is chronic.

Chronic Dog Ear Infections

Although ear infections are common in dogs, they are also one of the most frustrating problems to treat. This is largely due to the anatomy of the canine ear canal, which is much deeper than that of a human. The depth of the canine ear canal allows dirt, debris, bacteria, and yeast to get trapped and it is difficult to remove. As a result, canine ear infections, also called otitis, tend to be harder to treat and more likely to recur or become chronic. There are three kinds of canine ear infections- otitis externa, media, and internal - each affecting different parts of the ear.

• Otitis externa

  The inflammation of the external or outer portion of the ear canal. It can be acute or chronic and can be unilateral or bilateral. The most common cause of recurrent otitis externa is undiagnosed otitis media.

• Otitis media

  An inflammation of the middle ear structures and can be unilateral or bilateral. It usually results from an extension of infection from the external ear canal. Otitis media has been reported present in 16% of dogs with otitis externa and in over 50% of dogs with chronic otitis externa.

• Otitis interna

  An inflammation of the inner ear structures which typically results from untreated otitis media.

Symptoms of Dog Ear Infections:

Ear infections are quite painful and uncomfortable for dogs, making the signs and symptoms easy to recognize. The first signs of an external ear infection and the most common symptoms of otitis externa include:

• painful, itchy ears
• scratching their ears or shaking their heads
• nasty, smelly odorous discharge
• thickening, redness, and swelling on the skin surrounding the ear canal
• whining and pawing at ears
• narrowing or closing of the canals

As external ear infections progress to involve the middle and inner ear, more serious signs of disease caused by middle ear infections or otitis media can include:

• facial paralysis
• dry eye
• diminished hearing
• abnormal pupil size

Inner ear infections or otitis interna symptoms can include:

• loss of balance
• inability to stand or walk
• nausea or vomiting
• head tilting

What Causes Chronic Dog Ear Infections?

The most common causes of ear infections in dogs include:

• bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa & Staphylococcus aureus)
• yeast (Malassezia pachydermatis)
• fungal (Aspergillosis)
• parasites such as ear mites
• allergies (environmental or food)
• foreign bodies
• viruses such as canine distemper
• autoimmune, thyroid, and skin diseases
• drug reactions
• injury
• tumors or polyps in the ears
• excessive cleaning
• small ear canals or long floppy ears that prevent airflow
• excessive moisture from frequent swimming

Treatment of Chronic Ear Infections in Dogs:

Ear infections are painful and can be detrimental to your dog's health if left untreated. Deep ear infections can damage or rupture the eardrum, causing an internal ear infection and even permanent hearing loss. As soon as you see signs of an ear infection, it is essential that you see your veterinarian. He or she will determine whether the eardrum is intact and if there is any foreign material in the ear canal. Next, they will determine the cause of infection and a course of treatment. Typical treatment includes a cleaning of your dog's ears and a recommended topical medication such as CAMEO Otic Ointment for continued treatment at home.

What is CAMEO Otic Ointment?

• CAMEO Otic Ointment is a new category of ear health management for dogs. CAMEO Otic is formulated with a proprietary blend of all-natural botanicals, including clove bud, eucalyptus, Origanum, and cassia. The combination of these active ingredients helps maintain a healthy balance of the ear environment for up to seven days. Other ingredients in the product can be found Other ingredients in this product can be found here. Cleaning prior to initial application of CAMEO Otic Ointment is recommended, but not needed prior to subsequent, weekly doses.

• It's an all-natural, once-a-week product to proactively maintain your dog's ear health, year-round. What sets this product apart is its semi-solid, ointment form at room temperature that becomes fluid at body temperature. This allows it to thoroughly coat and soothe the ear canal with minimal mess during application.

Cameo Otic Ointment

• CAMEO Otic Ointment is administered just once per week and comes in a convenient tube for easy application. It also eliminates the worry of product contamination from ear diseases and inaccurate dosing. Each box of CAMEO Otic includes eight (8) 2.5 g tubes, which is enough to maintain two healthy ears for one month (use one 2.5 g tube per ear).

• This product is a great alternative to frequent ear cleaning and perfect for year-round maintenance in dogs with chronic ear infections because it does not contain any steroids or antibiotics, which eliminates resistance build-up concerns.

CAMEO Otic is made by PRN PHARMACAL, an employee-owned company that has been dedicated to developing specialized therapeutics that address the unmet, under-served, and overlooked needs of the veterinary medicine community since 1978.

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Information given here is meant to be helpful and/or educational. It is, in no way, intended to supersede, challenge or supplant the diagnosis, treatment or advice of a licensed veterinarian. Browse Jeffers' full line of dog ear care products today. Also, read our Dental Health Care Tips for Dogs.