This can damage the mechanisms that enable the animal to balance correctly and can also lead to deafness. It is thought that the breed is predisposed to the condition because of several ear abnormalities including the long, drooping ears, characteristic of the breed, and excessive hair growth and wax production within the ear canals. Blackwell Science: Oxford. Dogs of this breed are at risk of this disease partly because of the conformation of the ears. These can be due to over-growth of organisms of the normal ear canal flora (Staphylococci bacteria and Malassezia yeasts) or to infection with bacteria that are not normally present. Occasionally infection may spread into the bloodstream causing generalised and serious disease. American Journal of Veterinary Research 50: 1918-1922, Lund EM, Armstrong PJ and Kirk CA (1999) Health status and population characteristics of dogs and cats examined at private veterinary practices in the United States. Otitis externa (OE) is inflammation of the external ear canal often accompanied with irritation which may cause the affected dog to shake its head, rub the ear with a paw or against the floor or furniture, scratch at it with a hind leg. In one study of surgical ear canal removal to treat such cases, 48 out of 80 dogs (60%) were Cocker spaniels (Angus et al 2002). 7. Secretions within the ear also tend to become less acidic and as a result of these changes in the habitat of the ear canal, infections tend to occur. Raising a new Cocker Spaniel puppy can be bewildering at times, but don't worry, help is at hand. Veterinary interventions may help (Nuttall et al 2009) but in Cocker spaniels these often need to be prolonged and repeated. Around 80% of dogs with chronic otitis externa get middle-ear disease (Griffin 1993). from swimming, or exudates from neoplasms or polyps. About Cocker Spaniels is owned by Pauline Simpson Copyright 2008 - 2022 All Rights Reserved. Angus JC, Lichtensteiger C, Campbell KL and Schaeffer DJ (2002) Breed variation in histopathologic features of chronic severe otitis externa in dogs: 80 cases (19952001). Beautiful as they are, the design of their ears doesn't help either; they don't allow airflow into the ear canal! It is likely that multiple genes and environmental influences are involved. The Veterinary Journal 182: 402-11, August JC (1988) Otitis externa. A missed or skipped dose could increase the likelihood of reinfection. Such foreign bodies cause severe irritation and sometimes painful otitis externa. Inflammation increases the temperature and moisture levels in the ear, providing a warm and cosy habitat where bacteria can grow and multiply unchecked. As far as we are aware there is no way of predicting which puppies will become severely affected. How to Treat Ear Infections in Cocker Spaniels, http://www.powerscourt-cockers.co.uk/advice-pages/health-otitis-externa-ear-infection/, http://www.ufaw.org.uk/dogs/cocker-spaniel-otitis-externa-and-media, http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/ear-infections-in-dogs-otitis-externa/750, http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_dg_ear_mites, https://www.cesarsway.com/ear-infections-faqs/, https://www.mspca.org/pet_resources/how-to-clean-your-dogs-ears/, http://www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/how-to-keep-your-dogs-ears-clean-and-healthy, http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/what-you-should-know-about-tea-tree-oil-toxicity-in-dogs-and-cats?page=2, http://viim.org/dog-cat-ear-infections-chronic-resistant.php, tratar las infecciones de odo en los cocker spaniel, traiter les infections de l'oreille chez le cocker spaniel anglais. Read on to learn about specific ear problems in dogs: their common causes, symptoms, treatment and how you can help keep your Cocker Spaniel's ears healthy and infection-free. allergic reaction to something that he eats. In otitis externa there is inflammation with accompanying irritation which may cause the affected dog to shake its head, rub the ear with a paw or against the floor or furniture, scratch at it with a hind leg. I now check Max's ears after every walk, and I clean and brush them thoroughly every week, and we've never had any problems since then. Please don't try to tackle the problem yourself. Secondary infection can occur. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 221: 10006, Asher l, Diesel G, Summers JF, McGreevy PG and Collins LM (2009) Inherited defects in pedigree dogs I: conforming to standards. Affected dogs will probably be uncomfortable all the time and discomfort is shown by rubbing and scratching the ears and shaking of the head. To diagnose the ear infection, your vet will use an otoscope to look in the ears, gently touch and manipulate the ears, and take samples to analyze under the microscope. pp 83, Hayes HM Jr, Pickle LW and Wilson GP (1987) The effects of ear type and weather on the hospital prevalence of canine otitis externa. Whatever the cause, allergies can be tough to diagnose. That was painful for Max, poor mite, but it was painful for me too - on the pocket! Australian Veterinary Journal 45: 420422, Harvey RG (2009) Predisposing, Primary and Perpetuating Factors of Otitis. My Cocker Spaniel ignores me. before Max was clear. Clean the ears 30 minutes before giving the medicated ear drops. Inflammation of the ear canal causes scarring and, sometimes, calcification and thickening of the outer layer of the skin and growth of the wax-producing glands. Ear infections in cocker spaniels can become chronic and so severe that the entire ear canal needs to be surgically removed. It took 6 months of bi-weekly visits to the vet and several different treatments, including three lots of ear flushing (for which he had to be anaesthetized each time!) As a result, wax and scale tends to be trapped in the ear canal, air flow reduced and humidity increased promoting the growth of microorganisms. If you are giving ear drops, use only the prescribed number of drops. In: Small Animal Surgery. Gently massage the base of the ear for about 20 to 30 seconds, then wipe the ear dry with some cotton balls or gauze. Of 100 dogs presented to Saridomichelakis et al (2007) for treatment of otitis externa, 18% were cocker spaniels. Some dogs with otitis externa have a head tilt (Scott et al 1995). Cocker Spaniel ear infections are relatively common, particularly where the dog's ears aren't checked and cleaned regularly. The mites leave a dark dried blood residue (which looks like tiny specks of black grit or coffee grains) inside the ear. Lift the flap of one ear and squirt some ear cleaning solution in the ear, according to the label instructions. A disease of multifactorial etiology. (Saridomichelakis et al, 2007). In some cases, such infection may spread further to involve the inner ear. Do not forget or skip any treatment doses. Predisposing factors: narrow ear canals, pendulous ears, excessive hair growing in the ear canal, repeated wetting e.g. These further narrow the ear canal and this perpetuates an environment that encourages microbial growth such that repeated infections are likely. References. Many factors affect the ecology and health of the ear canal. This article has been viewed 63,842 times. Make sure the tip of the bottle does not touch your cocker spaniel's ears. It is not intended to replace the advice and treatment of your veterinarian. Veterinary Clinics of North America-Small Animal Practice 18: 73142, Baxter M andLawler DC (1972)The incidence and microbiology of otitis externa of dogs and cats in New Zealand. Possible causes of your Cocker Spaniel's ear infection are: Symptoms of Otitis Externamay include sensitivity caused by pain, inflammation, head shaking, scratching the ears, and/or a waxy discharge which can smell pretty awful. Cocker Spaniels love to swim; just make sure you dry his ears thoroughly afterwards. There may be waxy, pusy or bloody discharge. Removal of the ear canal and the outside section of the middle ear (total ear canal ablation with lateral bulla osteotomy) is the standard surgery for this (Mason et al 1988). Why Won't My Dog Listen? It is common and can become severe and chronic in cocker spaniels. Cocker spaniels are predisposed to otitis externa (Fraser et al 1961, Fraser 1965, Rycroft and Sabam 1977, Scott et al 1995, Cristina and Degi 2007, Saridomichelakis et al 2007, Nuttall et al 2009) but as far as we aware, data on the proportion of individuals that develop the disease is unknown. Mosby, St Louis pp 163, Fraser G (1965) Aetiology of otitis externa in the dog. Journal of Small Animal Practice 2: 3247, Griffin CE (1993) Otitis externa and middle-ear disease. Symptoms of ear mitesinclude your Cocker shaking his head or scratching his ears, and you may also notice an increase in ear wax. Sometimes there is damage to nerves that run through the middle ear resulting in facial paralysis or decreased tear production. If you suspect your Cocker has ear mites, make an appointment with your vet, who will be able to confirm your suspicions and prescribe a suitable course of treatment. Conventionally these factors have been categorised into three types: primary factors that cause otitis externa in any individual; predisposing factors that tend to increase susceptibility to otitis externa but which do not, by themselves, cause the disease, and perpetuating factors which only contribute to the disease when it has been triggered by other factors but which themselves also require control in order to treat the condition (August 1988). Dogs with chronically thickened ear canal walls and narrowed ear canals may require major surgery to control the disease and tackle the chronic pain (Harvey et al 2001). Infection may spread to the middle ear, which also often results in obvious pain and can cause long lasting damage (Stern-Bertholtz et al 2003). This pain may cause the dog to guard the ear and show aggression when the ear is touched, or may cause decreased activity and appetite. Edited by CE Griffin, KW Kwochka and JM MacDonald. Conventionally, these factors have been categorised into three types: primary factors that cause otitis externa in any individual; predisposing factors that tend to increase susceptibility to otitis externa but which do not, by themselves, cause the disease, and perpetuating factors which only contribute to the disease when it has been triggered by other factors but which themselves also require control in order to treat the condition (August 1988). {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Treat-Ear-Infections-in-Cocker-Spaniels-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Treat-Ear-Infections-in-Cocker-Spaniels-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Treat-Ear-Infections-in-Cocker-Spaniels-Step-1.jpg\/aid7629171-v4-728px-Treat-Ear-Infections-in-Cocker-Spaniels-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"