Diamond doubters
Dear Dr. Forsythe: Regarding one of your earlier columns, I wanted to say that I can’t believe what you wrote about the dog in Costa Rica with the diamond earring. Nobody would ever do that. I have read a lot of things in your report that were far fetched, but this one is by far the worst. Simply too strange to believe. I would need to see that to believe it. You tell a good story although I doubt it could be true. – Doubt you really saw that
Dear Doubter: I am sorry you have trouble believing all the wackos and boobies that are out in the world who LOVE their pets. Thank goodness I usually snap a quick picture of the interesting pets that I come across in my travels and at my practice. Here is a photo of little Dolce Gabana, the Chihuahua with the diamond-stud earring – taken shortly before she went all Cujo in the shop and chased me down the street in Jaco, Costa Rica. Have a little faith, readers!! – Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My dog, Waffles, had an ear problem and our vet looked down her ear and saw an infection. Then he said she needed to have special work done and we had to put medicine in both her ears for about a month. It was impossible to hold her still to get the medicine in, and Waffles does not let us put the bottle of cleaner in ever. How does a veterinarian get a look inside the dogs ear? What steps do you take? And what does it look like? – Casey, Santa Rosa
Dear Casey: I use a machine called an otoscope to view the dog’s vertical and horizontal canals and tympanic membrane (eardrum). First I have one of my assistants restrain the dog or cat gently but firmly by placing one arm around the neck so that the inner surface of the elbow is under the dog’s chin. Then I grasp the pinna (ear) with my thumb and forefinger with my right hand and gently pull upwards. My remaining fingers on that hand I use as a gentle brace against the dog’s head so that sudden movements are not likely to result in damage to the ear. I place the cone of the otocsope into the vertical canal then as I advance it, into the horizontal canal. I usually see normal wax and debris, which is tan or white in color. Usually the skin is pink if the ear is normal, but if the ear is infected it looks red or bright pink. The eardrum is pearl colored and translucent and somewhat concave. Down at the eardrum there is an attachment of the manubrium of the malleus to the eardrum which is visible as a white streak running upwards and towards the rear.
Often, when people bring in a sick pet that is shaking its head, there is so much infection in the ears that I can’t even look inside with my otoscope. If I place a small Q-tip into the ear I can pull out black or purple material, which I look at under the microscope and I often diagnose yeast infections in the dog or the cat. If there is pus in a pet’s ear, a culture of the pus often results in a diagnosis of a bacterial infection and the pet requires an antibiotic. One thing is for sure: sore infected ears are a huge problem for many pets, and being able to diagnose and treat them effectively is a big relief for many pet owners. Thanks for your great question, I hope I answered it okay. – Dr. F
