Shar pei Lateral Ear
Re-section

Due to the 'desirability' of smaller and smaller ears in the breed there are increasing ear problems in Shar pei,  some of which may require surgical intervention to relieve.

Diseases of the external ear canal, (otitis externa) fall into four main groups,  ear mite infestations, bacterial infections, fungal infections and foreign bodies such as grass seed lodged in the ear canal. These are the common causes, but there are a number of other possibilities as well. Your vet will carry out an otoscopic examination of the ear canal to determine which of these conditions is present and commence appropriate treatment.

Some dogs have a natural predisposition for ear trouble,   West Highland White Terriers, Poodles and the modern Sharpei are good examples of such breeds, they have narrow ear canals with hair in them, this obstructs air flow and causes moist warm conditions in the bottom of the ear canal  which are ideal for bacterial and fungal growth, this is worsened in Shar-pei with narrow ear canals, by the closed fold of the ear flap.

Some dogs have much wider ear canals and an upright external ear, they therefore have excellent air flow so external ear disease is very rare. Other ear problems occur with less frequency, these would include allergic conditions, middle ear disease (otitis media) and skin lesions on the external ear are common in diseases such as mange.
Sometimes the dog scratches so much that it bursts a blood vessel between the layers of the skin and a blood blister (aural haematoma) can form, these respond easily to drainage and minor surgery.

How are the common ear diseases treated? Ear mites are easy to see as they are clearly visible under the low magnification of the otoscope and crawl about, sometimes in large numbers, the ear mite products are usually very effective. Foreign objects such as grass seeds etc, are easy to see as well, but removal may involve an anaesthetic, once removed though the problem is over.

It is often difficult to differentiate between fungal infections and bacterial infections, but some of the common ear products will treat both conditions, so they are generally the front line approach. Bacterial and fungal infection may become chronic and difficult to treat so if the first treatment does not work it is often prudent to send samples away to identify the causal organism and work out which would be the most effective treatment.

Ear swabs are used to obtain  a sample of discharge for microscopic analysis

Microscopic analysis of the discharge helps determine if your pet's problem is bacterial or fungal related. This analysis is performed by taking some of the discharge from the ear canal, staining it blue with a special stain, and observing how many bacteria or fungi are noted…

A culture of the discharge from the ear is frequently used to help your vet determine what bacteria or fungus is causing the problem. Since many organisims are usually grown in a culture, and some of them are normal inhabitants, this test is not always advantageous. ..

Some bacteria which live in ears are now very resistant to common antibiotics so it is always best to work out what is going on in cases of long standing ear disease. If the problem is still present after this stage then an ear syringe often helps, this is carried out under deep sedation or light anaesthetic and involves gently floating out all the debris in the ear canal then packing it out with antibiotic or antifungal ointment...

A culture that may grow out 3 different bacteria that are common to find in the ear canal. (Pseudomonas) is resistant to all the antibiotics that are commonly tested…
Pseudomonas species bacteria are one of the more common bacterial causes of chronic ear infections and can invade other tissues in the body. It is one of the bacteria that has developed resistance to many common antibiotics. For this reason, it is
best to base the choice of antibiotic used in a Pseudomonas infection on a culture and sensitivity test if at all possible...

Culturing the bacteria is simply getting it to grow on a culture plate from a swab or from a tissue. Sensitivity testing involves exposing the cultured bacteria to a number of antibiotics to see which ones kill it on the culture plate at concentrations likely to be present in the blood stream. An antibiotic chosen by culture and sensitivity has a good chance of working well if it also penetrates the tissue that is infected in a reliable manner.

 A major breakthrough was the development of the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics (including Enrofloxacin, its counterpart for human use ciprofloxacin, and several others). These medications are active against many bacterial types including Pseudomonas.  They are available as tablets ( BAYTRIL) and may be used in either dogs or cats to combat different types of infections, especially those involving Pseudomonas.  Enrofloxacin is also active against Staphylococci, and thus is commonly used for infections of the skin.  Enrofloxacin has toxic properties in humans. It is for veterinary use only

Dogs with Pseudomonas ear infections require very high doses of enrofloxacin and nausea may become a problem. In immature dogs (less than 8 months of age) damage to joint cartilage can occur. This phenomenon is only seen in growing dogs ...

This ear has had recurring infections for so long that it is no longer possible to clean the external ear canal. The canal is swollen shut and it is infected. The only adequate remedy in this case is surgical correction to completely remove the ear canal.  It is extensive surgery and requires an experienced surgeon with specialised training and expertise. The Prime Objective of long term ear care is to never let the disease progress to this point...

Lateral Ear Resection
The occasional ear infection is a nuisance but it can usually be expected to resolve in 2-4 weeks. Chronic ear infection can be recurring or on-going. It can lead to dizzying middle ear infections, unending headaches and pain, as well as permeating foul odour. If your dogs behaviour changes this may be a possible cause. There comes a point when simply managing the infection with cleaning solutions and oral medications is simply not enough and surgery must be considered.  one technique that can be used to benefit the patient with chronic otitis is the Lateral Ear Resection, in those cases an operation designed to open up the ear canal and drastically increase the air flow may be indicated.  If this is performed by an experienced surgeon the final result is generally of great permanent benefit to the dog, i.e: no more pain, improved hearing, etc, but it does require around 3 weeks of quality aftercare by the owner to ensure a good result!...
One of the chief complications of the Lateral Ear Resection is stricture at the entrance of the re-shaped ear canal. In other words, the new ear canal entrance may scar  into a hole too narrow for proper ear treatment. Good aftercare should prevent this...	The other classical complication of Lateral Ear Resection is called “dehissence” which means that the stitches do not hold. This happens when there is too much tension on the tissue or too much infection. If this occurs, the tissue is left to heal in naturally which takes longer than healing with stitches. Again Good Aftercare can help avoid this...

Can ear disease be prevented? probably not, the best thing would be to consult your vet at the first sign of trouble, this would be when your dog’s ear is obviously smelly, sore or itchy or if there is any sign of ear discharge. If you have more than one dog, and one is constantly licking the others ear,or both are licking each others ear's constantly this is a sign of ear infection...Take your Pei to the Vet...

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