# Serious ear infections & broken drum?



## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

Ellie suddenly began crying when you touched her ears, or even when something brushed against them. It was sudden and very severe. She almost couldn't sleep because she couldn't lay her head down.

Vet found lots of pus and goo, which I saw when she opened up the ear canal and showed it to me. It was on both sides although one was worse than the other.

Recommended anaesthesia and a cleaning out of as much of the pus as they could, followed by ear drops, two different kinds for 14 days and an NSAID for 10 days.

When I came to pick her up Vet said ONE EARDRUM WAS BROKEN because of the infection. Could this happen? How could it happen so suddenly?

Ellie is 6 months old. Vet said eardrum might heal because she is a puppy.

Any and all information greatly appreciated - this is very upsetting. I thought I was taking such good care of her and I never knew she had such a mess of an infection.

Louise


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## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

Louise, I'm very sorry to hear about Ellie. I hope she heals up quickly. I don't have much to offer although the vet recently told me there can be eardrum damage due to infection.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Oh, poor Ellie! Poor you! I know you'll be feeling so bad for her! I have no advice or ideas...hopefully someone else will pipe in with some knowledge about it!

I know it can seem to suddenly happen with children...I think maybe they have a higher pain tolerance, and don't show they are sick until it's bad.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Louise, I am so sorry to hear about Ellie. I do not have any experience but just want to say don't be too hard on yourself. These things happen. and you took her to the vet right away, what more could your do? Hopefully the ear drum will heal. 

We've all had things happen to our pups that make us feel like bad parents... but just like kids they get into things, and get sick all on their own. 

Please keep us posted on sweet Ellie.


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Louise, I'm sorry to read about your pup's terrible ear infection. Ear drums do break when pus gets 'trapped' behind them and can't evacuate through the narrow canal that connects the inner ear with the oral cavity called Tuba auditiva, Eustachian or Otopharyngeal tube. In humans, i.e. young children, that have recurrent ear infections (oftentimes due to enlarged adenoids) with fluid build-up in the ear, we put a tiny little tube in the ear drum so that the fluid can 'discharge' through the ear canal out. In Ellie's case, mother nature pierced a whole through that drum for that matter.
Did Ellie have any other symptoms beforehand, like scratching of the ears, rubbing her head, diarrhea, etc.? I wonder if it is a lingering ear infection that she's been carrying all along from the pet store? 
I hope that the meds will quickly help and the infection clears up. Poor puppet. Please don't beat yourself up, there's only so much we can do and sometimes we just aren't aware of potential symptoms. We live and we learn!


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

The strange thing is that Ellie showed no symptoms until she was clearly in misery and her ears couldn't be touched - which was a day ago. Prior to that, occasional scratching of her ears was no more common than occasional scracting of other parts of her body

The vet felt sure that she had the infection for quite some time for it to have gotten this bad. Perhaps she did have it ever since the pet store.

I should have brought her to the vet and asked for a thorough examination of every part of her body but since she seemed healthy (other than tear stains), I thought it would seem sort of silly. Now, of course, I wish I had.

I discussed this with the vet and in the future I will bring her in ever 3 or 4 months for a general overall checkup while she's till a puppy - and then once a year.


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Oh I'm so sorry she has that terrible ear infection. Poor baby. Don't beat yourself up over it. You are obviously a great mommy and she is lucky to have you.

Maryam, I didn't realize that something like diarrhea could indicate something like an ear infection. Is that because they are stressed and the stress can cause the diarrhea?

Carole


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## karlabythec (Nov 9, 2008)

Don't beat yourself up, you didn't know. 
Hope everything heals quickly...is she on antibiotics too?


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Poor little Ellie, I hope she gets better soon. Don't be too hard on yourself, these things do happen. 

Speedy recovery,


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Louise,

Sorry to hear about poor Ellie . I'm surprised there was no smell to her ears before yesterday? Whenever you read or hear about dogs ear infections, it always seems to alert the owners with a nasty smell.. 

When you brought her home from the store, did you not take her to a vet for a check?

Ryan


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Louise-it could be that she had it for so long she became used to the feeling of pain in her ears. I know my youngest son did that, his ears were so bad he didn't even cry anymore and the doctor said that to him that was all he knew. The day he got tubes he was like a different child because he finally felt well. Maybe that's how she was feeling?

Don't worry about it now, she's on the mend and you're taking good care of her so that's what matters! Don't you wish they could talk to tell us what's wrong???


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

She's on an NSAID and on two different otic ear drops - both seem to be antibiotics and one has dmso in it, which I know helps absorption in people.

My biggest concern is how to hold her still to put a total of 6 to 8 drops in each ear twice daily. I will have someone else with me sometimes, but probably less than 1/2 the time.

Any special tricks?

Louise


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

Yes I did but I was very naive. The store came with a good "reputation" from 2 friends. The store required (to validate their one year guarantee against genetic defects), that you bring the dog to their vet and so, this is what I did.

Now that I found out she came from a puppy mill etc., it's clear to me that the store's vet never ever would have found anything!

My own vet is also at fault because the first time I brought her it was for what turned out to be an extra rib - no big deal, I gather. BUT no one told me this is a little puppy and you should have her checked out, you should bring her in every 3 months for a general checkup when she's little, etc.

Funny - she was spayed 2/11 and the infection wasn't seen. I think it may have come on more suddenly than would be common for this level of infection.

Louise


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

Poor Ellie. I hope she feels better soon and that her ear drum can heal. You did the best you could and took her to the vet when you saw something was wrong. Don't be so hard on yourself. You couldn't have known, and that's always the hard part with dogs not being able to tell us.:hug:
Gina


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## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

Louise, Tess gets ear infections all of the time (and I've never noticed any smell). The doctors think there may be damage to her ear drums also (I'm having her checked out by a specialist next month). To put the drops in her ears I hold her body close to mine with one arm - holding her head against my body with that hand and then put the drops in with the other. She doesn't wiggle (as much) if I'm holding her close like that.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Poor little thing. I have punctured an ear drum as an adult so I realize how painful it can be. I have also been told growing up with Golden's once they get ear infections, they are likely to battle them their entire lives (maybe it is the structure of the ear that makes some people and some dogs more likely to have infections?) so it is definitely something I would get her used to going over and you get used to the warning signs and cleaning. I hope she recovers quickly. You also might want to sometimes pick her up just look at her ears and cookie so that way she isn't always associating you touching her ears with pain and medicine.

Amanda


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

People can develop middle ear infections (like kids get with a cold) that cause fluid buildup inside the ear and can rupture the eardrum. They can also develop infections in the outer ear canal (like swimmer's ear). Maybe it's the same in dogs? 

I hope Ellie feels better quickly!


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

Louise, how is Ellie feeling?


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

mellowbo said:


> Oh I'm so sorry she has that terrible ear infection. Poor baby. Don't beat yourself up over it. You are obviously a great mommy and she is lucky to have you.
> 
> Maryam, I didn't realize that something like diarrhea could indicate something like an ear infection. Is that because they are stressed and the stress can cause the diarrhea?
> 
> Carole


Carole, from what I've heard so far, loose stools can also be due to fever, infection, stress, heat, etc.


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

She is feeling much better and I am seeing, in retrospect, that her sensitivity to sounds seems more sensitive. I thought she was just getting older, becoming accustomed to the sounds of the house, and therefore, not barking - I'm now thinking she wasn't hearing them as acutely.

She hates the drops, 2 different drops twice a day, but my dogwalker has been wonderfully helpful and we've been pretty successful.

She is still receiving an anti-inflammatory, but with that, she pretty well seems to be out of all pain and that is wonderful. I have to take her for a checkup in 1 1/2 weeks at which point it is possible they will flush her ears again although this time, hopefully without anymore anesthesia.

Thank you very much for your concern and helpful suggestions, good thoughts, etc.

Louise


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

I check my guys ears every couple of weeks just to make sure nothing funky is going on. I've always heard about long haired dogs getting ear infections. I also make sure most of the ear hair is plucked but not all. A little is good to catch some of the dirt that flies around.


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## TobyBaby (Mar 8, 2008)

Poor baby. She's on the mend now, though, that is the most important thing.


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## Lunastar (Feb 9, 2009)

Poor little Ellie, Louise I'm sure you had no way of knowing. Dogs can be very stoic until things are very bad.


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

What do you look for? What would a "normal" infection look like?

By the time I saw this infection it was all black and full of pus - but I wish I'd seen it a lot sooner. So what does a mild ear infection look like?

Thanks.

Louise


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