What are the symptoms of otitis externa in Redbone Coonhounds? Otitis externa is inflammation of the external auditory canal. Clinically, it is characterized by itching of the ears, restless shaking of the head, scratching of the ears with the hind limbs from time to time, and an obvious odor scattered in the ear canal.

[Cause] There are many factors that cause otitis externa, such as friction, scratching, foreign bodies, parasites, especially water immersion, which are common causes of otitis externa. Especially for small long-haired dogs. The ear canal structure is very narrow. In addition, the coat is very long. If water enters the ear canal after bathing or being poured by rain, it will not be easily discharged, causing microorganisms to develop and multiply in a humid and warm environment, causing external ear irritation. inflammation.

【Diagnostic Key Points】In the early stage, only flushing, edema and itching of the external auditory canal were seen. Light yellow serous secretions flow from the ear canal and stain the coat under the ears. The animal appears restless. Often shaking his head or scratching his ears. As the disease progresses, local swelling intensifies, or pustules appear, and brown-black foul-smelling purulent secretions flow out. This often leads to hair loss at the base of the ears or dermatitis, and the sick dog's hearing decreases. When it becomes chronic, it will get better and worse, with repeated attacks, and can cause the tissue in the ear to thicken, and even tumors to occur, leading to thickening of the auricle skin, deformation of the auricle and hearing impairment.

[Treatment] Before treatment of acutely ill dogs, the external auditory canal should be blocked with absorbent cotton balls, then the surrounding hair should be cut off, and the external auditory canal should be flushed with normal saline, 0.1% hydrochloric acid, or 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. When flushing, tilt the dog's head toward the affected ear to facilitate the flow of flushing fluid, then remove the cotton ball plugged in the ear canal, and then use a dry cotton ball to absorb the fluid in the ear canal. Use an otoscope to examine the deep part of the external auditory canal, and use an otoscope to remove deep foreign bodies, earwax or tissue fragments. Finally, apply boric acid glycerin (1:20) solution or tannin glycerin (1:20) solution to the external auditory canal, 2 to 3 times a day .For suppurative otitis externa, apply antibiotic ointment to the ear canal after cleaning according to the previous method. In severe cases, rinse 1 to 2 times a day and then apply ointment. Dogs with obvious systemic symptoms can be treated with systemic antibiotics.

External ear drainage should be performed on sick dogs with deformed ear shells or tumors.