Otomycosis in dogs: causes, symptoms, and treatment

Symptoms of pathology If you carefully monitor and take care of your pet, it is possible to recognize otomycosis in time. The clinical picture of the disease is as follows: discharge from the ears, accompanied by pus or blood streaks, redness of the skin near and inside the outer ear, severe scratching caused by constant itching, inflammation of the lymph nodes under the jaw (in an advanced stage), an unpleasant odor from the ears, discharge from the eyes, thickening of the skin near the ear canal. During the development of otomycosis, the dog's behavior changes. In addition to scratching, the pet begins to constantly shake its head, whine due to pain and itching. The animal becomes more irritable, sometimes aggressive. The dog may also refuse to eat, lose interest in games and walks. Diagnosis The final diagnosis is made by the veterinarian during the examination of the pet based on cytology. There are two terms: overgrowth of microflora and infection. In the first case, a large number of yeast fungi are detected in the smear, and there are no inflammatory processes. Then the doctor prescribes local medications. If a cytological smear shows an infection, then in addition to local remedies, systemic antimycotics should be taken.  Important! The presence of Candida fungi in the body is always accompanied by infection. Therefore, an integrated approach to treatment is required. Treatment of otomycosis in dogs Treatment for each animal is selected individually. It depends on the severity of the disease, the causes of the pathology and the presence of complications. Most often, the disease is eliminated with the help of medications. In rare cases, surgical intervention is required.