Our hospital offers thorough ear exams as one of our many services. Symptoms like head shaking, scratching and pawing at the ears, rubbing the ears on the floor or furniture, whining, and abnormal odors are often indicative of a problem with your pet's ear.
Conditions of the ear occur frequently in dogs and cats and result from a variety of causes. As with any other health issue, gathering a detailed history and performing a full examination of the patient is critical in determining these causes and is vital to the long term resolution of the symptoms. Careful examination of the ear with an otoscope allows your veterinarian to see the full length of the ear canal and the ear drum, which provides information important to the diagnosis.
Conditions of the ears can be extremely uncomfortable and even painful. Some patients will require sedation or anesthesia to be properly evaluated. Additional diagnostic tests are often necessary, and rechecking the ear after each stage of the treatment is critical to providing a long term resolution.
