Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Comparative study of the microbial profile from bilateral canine otitis externa.
- Journal:
- The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
- Year:
- 2008
- Authors:
- Oliveira, Lis C et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine · Brazil
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a study of 50 dogs with ear infections in both ears, researchers looked at the germs present in the ear discharge over 10 months. They found that all samples had a mix of bacteria and fungi, with the most common being Staphylococcus intermedius and Malassezia pachydermatis. Interestingly, the types of germs found in the right and left ears were different in about 68% of the dogs. The study also revealed that many strains of Staphylococcus intermedius were resistant to several common antibiotics. This suggests that when treating ear infections in both ears, each ear should be tested separately for the best results.
Abstract
Fifty dogs with bilateral otitis externa were studied over a 10-month period. The exudates of both external ears were obtained, using sterile swabs, and microorganisms were isolated according to standard microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Staphylococcus intermedius was done by the agar diffusion method. There was bacterial and/or fungal growth in all of the samples. These were all polymicrobial infections. Anaerobic bacteria were not isolated in any sample. The most common pathogens isolated were S. intermedius and Malassezia pachydermatis. A statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed in the isolation pattern between the right and left ears in 34 of the 50 animals (68%). High resistance rates of S. intermedius strains to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, and clindamycin were found. The results suggest that in bilateral canine otitis externa, each ear should be cultured separately and considered as separate units.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18978972/