Hi,

It sounds like this Cocker was rescued just in time!

I believe you are talking about the ear canal ablation surgery which we recommend for ears not responding to medical therapy. The surgery is performed every couple of months at our clinic which is a busy four doctor practice located in Las Vegas. Although I do not perform the surgery myself, it can have a very rewarding outcome in the hands of a skilled surgeon. Either one or both ears are done depending on the severity of the condition; in very bad cases, both ears can be done at the same time. Possible risks include post-operative neurological problems such as a head tilt or even facial paralysis; although these are often temporary. Usually the benefits of the surgery far outweigh the risks.

It does sound like this poor Cocker has some very bad ears and surgery may be the only option to regain his quality of life. Please discuss ALL the pros and cons with your doctor before doing the surgery and make sure that all medical options have been explored. This pet is fortunate to have finally found a caring owner.

Good luck,

drphilvegasvet

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Replying to:

I am helping a friend of mine who is in dog rescue. She recently rescued a 7 yr old male cocker spaniel that was neglected and abused by its previous owners. This poor guy had sores on his feet from chewing on them. He also had infections in both eyes, sores on his rear, and a lump on his belly. But the worst was the horrendous condition of his ears. Both were so badly infected and swollen that the ear canal was completely shut. The swelling was so bad that the ear flaps were over an inch thicker than they should be. This dog was taken to the vet for a thorough exam and medications. He has been on oral antibiotics, ear flushing meds, and anti-inflamatories. The swelling has gone down enough that the vet could finally look down inside his ears. One eardrum has ruptured, the other one has extreme pressure behind it. The vet is recommending surgery to remove the ear canals and ear drums. How common is this surgery? What is the expected outcome from this, and how will this dog be affected? We realize that he will become deaf, but will it also compromise other health issues? We need some information quickly so we can do what is best for this little guy.



Thanks

Hi Kathie, I just read your post about your dogs infection. My chow Maxine has had chronic ear infection in her left ear for about 8 months. We have tried all different medications, had her ear flushed and nothing helped. After a while the ear started to bleed and finally my vet sent her for a videoscope which showed she had papillary adenocarcinoma. So the treatment for that is the total ear canal ablation which will clear up her infection and hopefully get the tumor of so it don't spread to any of her lymph nodes. Hopefully the cancer has not spread. I have been doing all kinds of research on this and have found many useful sites. I will send u the links. There is also one link I would love for you to see. It's a story about this girl whose cocker (TYBEE) had the operation and is doing fine now. Most of the sites I have visited are very disturbing because you read all the post op complications. such as nerve damage which can sometimes be permanent but most times it goes away within a few weeks or months. I hope this email was useful to you. I know reading tybees story and also emailing her owner has helped me.We have deceided to go ahead with the surgery, Maxine will have it done on this Sat. Because there is no other option for us. If we don't do it it will spread.

http://www.ourcockerclub.com/tybees_story.htm- Please read this first.


http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/ear_ablation.htm


http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/eartrouble.html

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/cancer1.html


Hope this is helpful to you I know what you are going through and if you need to talk or ask any other questions please don't hesitate to email me. Good Luck and God Bless
Marie