Q: My veterinarian took an ear swab from my dog Boomer’s ear to analyze prior to giving me medication for his ear infection. Why was this necessary?

A: That is an excellent question. Most ear infections are caused by one of three causes: Yeast, Bacteria, and Ear Mites. Unfortunately, there is no one medicine that treats all 3 problems well. We currently have 8 different ear medications in our pharmacy. When we take a swab from each of your pet’s infected ears, we streak the ear debris onto a glass slide, stain it with a special stain, and examine it under the microscope. Often we are surprised by what we find. Sometimes we will have a single problem such as a yeast infection. Often however we will see combinations like a bacterial infection and a yeast infection in the same ear. Once we identify the cause or causes of the infection, we can prescribe the proper medication(s) to treat your pets ears.

Always remember to follow your veterinarian’s instructions, and treat for the recommended time. We are currently working with some slow release products that drastically reduce the labor involved in treating ear infections. This is especially helpful for our 4- legged friends who do not appreciate having their ears cleaned or medicated.

Countryside Veterinary Clinic
1231 N. Knowles Ave.
New Richmond, WI 54017
phones: (715) 246-5606 or (715)248-7041
website: countrysidevet-nr.com
email: countrysidevet@frontiernet.net