Spaniel’s painful ears need surgery

Q: My cocker spaniel has been plagued with ear problems for most of his adult life. What started as intermittent infections continued to the point where my dog’s ear canals have been almost completely occluded. I cannot even get a swab into his ears anymore. Even in the past, trying to clean out and medicate his ears was always an ordeal, and he would physically stress out whenever we tried to do what was needed. Was that due to pain or just that it felt weird? We were told that his ear infections were due to bacteria and yeast. The smell has always been atrocious.

Recently, my vet tried the long-acting products but with continued issues, a TECA is now suggested. My vet says that the procedure will remove most of the ear. Will my dog become deaf? I sense his hearing is already compromised but will this help things? What other options are there at this point?

A: Unfortunately, despite best efforts, sometimes chronic ear infections lead to the situation you are now facing. Cocker spaniels are one of the breeds where I have seen this problem develop the most, due in some part to their large heavy pendulous ears. Some of these dogs have other underlying issues such as allergies or hypothyroidism.

Ear infections are irritating and often painful, which is why you often had trouble cleaning out the ears and treating them with medication. Various bacteria and yeast fester in an environment where they can thrive leading to the production of ear canal discharge, inflammation, and over time thickening of the canal leading to an occlusion. The smell is often very strong and bad, as you point out.

It is critical to address these problems early on and to be persistent in cleaning and treating. There are various oral medications that can be given to reduce the stress and pain that allow one to proceed as needed and I do not know if that was ever pursued. TECA is a total ear canal ablation. It will not make the dog deaf if he isn’t already. The flap of the ear remains, and the ear canal is removed, often leaving an opening to the exterior of the very distal part of it. Sometimes an additional procedure called a bulla osteotomy is called for depending on the degree of disease and damage. This additional procedure may somewhat affect hearing. Post-surgery, these patients are typically given pain medication and antibiotics and after healing are so much better off than ever before. Pain and smells are gone, and your dog will be much more content. I do not think you have other options now and suggest you proceed with the recommendation.

Dr. John de Jong owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic. He can be reached at 781-899-9994.