Treating Chronic Ear Infections

Last week, a four-year old German Shepherd named Marco came in with chronically infected ears. His owners have been dealing with this problem since adopting him over a year ago. They had tried different types of cleaners and medications, but nothing seemed to work. Dr. Chau did an ear cytology as well as an ear culture & sensitivity, which revealed that several different kinds of bacteria were growing in Marco’s ears including E. coli, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. Marco was treated with antibiotics that are specific to his type of infection and a week later, his ears have greatly improved and he’s feeling much better! If your dog has been experiencing chronic ear problems or infections, make sure that you have an ear culture & sensitivity test done to determine which course of treatment will be most effective for your pet. There is not one all-inclusive, broad-spectrum antibiotic that can kill every kind of bacteria. Each one affects a few different types of bacteria, that is why it is so important to find out which bacteria is growing in order to effectively treat the infection and give your pet some much-needed relief!