DOG EARS AND PSEUDOMONAS
DOG EARS AND PSEUDOMONAS
By Tess Thompson
Dog ear infections mostly involve pathogenic organisms that are sensitive to antibiotics and are easily treatable. After an antibiotic treatment regime, most of the bacteria are killed but in certain cases the residual infection is of a resistant and literally immortal bacterium called pseudomonas.
Pseudomonas is a special species of rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria, resistant to every antibiotic known to the medical world. Gram-negative relates to bacteria that do not retain the violet stain used in Gram's Method.
Dog ear infections are a common occurrence and there are certain factors that combine to cause infections in a dog’s ear. These are:
The dog ear anatomy that does not facilitate easy expulsion of parasites, debris, wax or foreign substance that once enters the ear.
The L-shaped structure of the dog that provides a moist and humid environment for bacteria and fungus to thrive upon.
Long floppy ears that prevent air circulation for easy drying of ears.
Allergic reactions.
Thyroid dysfunction.
Parasites like dog ear mites.
Side effects of drugs.
Unclean ears.
Immune mediated and other medical conditions.
A microscopic examination of the discharge from ears determines whether the infection is caused by bacteria or fungi. The culture of the discharge helps in establishing whether pseudomonas is still present and sensitive to some antibiotic or not.
If yes, then high doses of quinolone antibiotics like enrofloxacin or orbifloxacin (oral) are needed for the treatment because inadequate dosage is likely to make the pseudomonas resistant to even these drugs. Pseudomonas requires a definite treatment right from the beginning and any laxity can make treatment a difficult proposition.
Whether it is a case of dog or cat ear mites, the treatment regime is the same. Pseudomonas can prove to be a difficult infection to treat and require utmost care and specialist treatments. Ear infections in dogs are often caused due to poor hygiene, resulting due to bad ear grooming habits. Ear cleaning should be an important part of grooming dogs and cats. This can be done at home with the aid of home remedies for dog ear mites.
Clean your pet’s ear regularly and on the first signs of any ear mite infection, use a vinegar and water solution to loosen the accumulated wax and wipe off with a cotton swab. Mineral oil and Vitamin C drops are very effective for killing ear mites since the solution closes their pores. If infection still persists, your veterinarian would be the right person to guide you in future course of action.
References:
http://asm.org/Media/index.asp?bid=42871
http://talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/DOGS/dogeardisease.html
http://gomestic.com/Pets/Dog-Ear-Infection.30643
http://vetmedpub.com/vetmed/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=179408
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