Dig into these instant otitis tips from Instagram

Catch a few ideas floating between your veterinary colleagues' ears on managing otitis in dogs and cats.

We did a quick dive into all of our dvm360 Instagram followers and asked for some tips on managing otitis. Lend your ears-or your patients' ears-to these nuggets of advice from your veterinary colleagues.

Tip 1: "I place a small amount of cotton in both ears before bathing to help prevent water from accumulating in the horizontal ear canal. After the bath, I remove the cotton and follow up with an ear cleanser that contains a drying agent."

Tip 2: "I use cytologic examination to determine whether the infection is primarily yeast or bacteria, and treat accordingly. For example, I prescribe either an antifungal or antibacterial otic flush once a day for seven days, instruct owners to let the ears dry thoroughly for 30 minutes, then apply a combination antifungal/antibacterial/corticosteroid otic suspension twice a day for 10 days."

Tip 3: "We prescribe a ceruminolytic flush every other day, and we also combine 15 ml of the flush with 15 ml of a combination antibiotic/antifungal/anti-inflammatory ointment and tell owners to place a small amount in both ears once a day for 10 days."

Itching for more? Check out our Veterinary Medicine Essential on otitis.