Bak-Kak's Ear Infection

Was cleanin Bak-Kak's ear jus now... still v jialat.. *sigh* Sudden tot of the idea to take dwn photo & video his ear condition. Those who'd heard me mentioned his infection before, can see for urselves how it's like... Tis picture above shows his left ear. His right ear, not as bad...

As seen, looks shiny because it's damp with pus, discharged from the inner ear. And, around it, those already solidified blood & pus mixture... haizZz.. Also, der's a foul smell... im tinkin most probably caused by the bleeding.. cos blood smells strong... wat's more, mixed wit PUS! Aarrghh.. pek chek arh.. moody moody~

Below, copied from some website.. sounds jus like tat of my poor Bak-Kak...

My Dog’s Ears Stink!

You find Poochie shaking his head vigorously. He seems severely irritated with his ears. He uses his legs to scratch his both ears desperately. He whines in pain while he digs his toes into his ears. You pick Poochie up and lift up his ear flaps to take a look at what is happening. Alas, the smell! It smells like rotten fish! And the ears are looking red and inflamed. You try to touch the ears and Poochie cries in pain and shudders away.

What Poochie is suffering from is a severe case of ear infection (Otitis Externa). Otitis externa occurs when there is bacterial and fungal infection to the external canal of the ear. The dog’s ear canal is shaped like the letter “L”- a vertical and horizontal portion. This “L” shaped canal often result in accumulation of dirt, wax and moisture. Such accumulation, if left uncleaned, will lead to infection. Otitis externa is also more common in dogs with very hairy ear canals (e.g. Miniature Schnauzers) and dogs with flappy, droopy ears (e.g. Cocker Spaniels). In such cases, it is important to keep the dog’s ear clean and dry. Always check for bad smells and abnormal discolouration of the wax discharge. If there is pus like discharge stained with some blood stains, it is time to seek veterinary help.

Otitis externa will develop to even more serious problem. If left untreated, otitis media can set in. When this happen, bacteria and fungi travel deeper to the “L” shaped canal. The affected dog will be in extreme discomfort and pain. He may have a head tilt to the affected side, walk in circles and even be nausea and vomit! Immediate medical attention must be sought. The vet will have to sedate your pet for a thorough ear canal examination. Proper cleaning and flushing will be done. Cytological examination and bacterial culture may be carried out. Oral and topical medication will be prescribed to help rid the nasty infections.

Ear mites can also lead to bad ear infection with dark crusty ear discharge. Ear mites can be detected easily via a microscopic examination of the ear discharge. Mite infestations are highly contagiously hence it is important to seek treatment quickly to prevent spreading the ear mites to other dogs.

Ear infection can be easily prevented and treated if you spend time to check your dog’s ears daily. Some ear infections can be related to food or air borne allergies, therefore, it is important to monitor the food and the environment. Choose a suitable cleanser for your dog and regularly clean the ear canals thoroughly. If Poochie has healthy clean ears, regularly cleaning can be done weekly or fortnightly. If Poochie does have bad ears, cleaning has to be done at least once every 2 days. Use medicated ear drops as directed by your veterinarian. Make sure you keep all the review consults with your vet so that he/she can have a clear understanding of the ears’ condition.

Hope with the sale of the puppies, haf $$$ to bring him for treatment soon... HaizZz... Sure gonna cost a BOMB.. did some read-ups from web.. if reli bad, might even haf to operate on him, so as to flush the ears throughly... OMG! Praying hard tat will never happen...