Updated on August 27, 2017
Are You Smarter Than a Vet Student About Ear Infections?
Ear infections are so darn common, particularly amongst dogs, and can be the cause of multiple veterinary hospital visits. If you care for a dog or cat with recurrent or chronic ear infections, it behooves you to become as informed about this issue as possible. Here’s an opportunity to test your knowledge about this common malady.
Submit your responses and your name will be entered into a drawing for a copy of Speaking for Spot or Your Dog’s Best Health (winner’s choice). The correct responses will appear in my next post. Good luck!
- Ear infections can be caused by:
- Allergies
- Water in the ear canals
- Hormonal imbalances
- All of the above
- Which of the following is not a cause of ear infections?
- Yeast
- Foreign bodies
- Viruses
- Tumors
- Ear mites are common in
- Adult dogs
- Adult cats
- Kittens and puppies
- Feral cats
- The cause of an ear infection can be reliably determined by
- The appearance of the discharge
- The odor of the discharge
- An otoscopic exam (looking in the ear canal with an otoscope)
- None of the above
- Infection-associated tears in the eardrum (tympanic membrane)
- Are very uncommon
- Dictate a change in treatment strategy
- Cause deafness
- Are typically very slow to heal
- Patients with recurrent or chronic ear infections are sometimes referred to:
- A veterinarian who specializes in dermatology
- A veterinarian who specializes in neurology
- A veterinarian who specializes in surgery
- Any of the above
- Which of the following is not a potential strategy for preventing ear infections?
- Regular ear cleaning
- Regular swimming to help flush out the ear canals
- Ear canal surgery
- Feeding a special diet
- Which one of the following statements is true?
- The treatment for ear infections is typically the same regardless of cause.
- Most ear infections are contagious from one ear to the other.
- Most ear infections arise because of some other underlying issue.
- Ear infections invariably cause scratching at the ears and/or head shaking.
Best wishes,
Nancy Kay, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Author of Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life
Author of Your Dog’s Best Health: A Dozen Reasonable Things to Expect From Your Vet
Recipient, Leo K. Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award
Recipient, American Animal Hospital Association Animal Welfare and Humane Ethics Award
Recipient, Dog Writers Association of America Award for Best Blog
Recipient, Eukanuba Canine Health Award
Recipient, AKC Club Publication Excellence Award
Become a Fan of Speaking for Spot on Facebook
Please visit http://www.speakingforspot.com to read excerpts from Speaking for Spot and Your Dog’s Best Health. There you will also find “Advocacy Aids”- helpful health forms you can download and use for your own dog, and a collection of published articles on advocating for your pet’s health. Speaking for Spot and Your Dog’s Best Health are available at http://www.speakingforspot.com, Amazon.com, local bookstores, and your favorite online book seller.
1. 4
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 3
6. 1
7. 2
8. 4
1. 4
2. 3
3. 3
4. 4
5. 3
6. 1
7. 2
8. 3
Responses Submitted for Drawing:
D
C
D
D
C
A
B
D
1-d, 2-d, 3-a, 4-d, 5-b, 6-a, 7-b, 8-d
Thank you
Some tricky questions. Hope I did okay!
1.4, 2.4, 3.2, 4.4, 5.4, 6.4, 7.2, 8.3
1. 4
2. 2
3. 4
4. 4
5. 4
6. 4
7. 2
8. 1
1. d
2. c
3. c
4. c
5. a
6. a
7. b
8. d
Answers:
1-4
2-4
3-4
4-3
5-3
6-4
7-2
8-4
I love this series. Here is my attempt.
1. 4
2. 3
3. 3
4. 4
5. 1
6. 1
7. 2
8. 3
Responses to the quiz: 1 d, 2 d, 3 c, 4 c, 5 a, 6 d, 7 b, 8 d
Ear infections can be caused by:
Allergies
Water in the ear canals
Hormonal imbalances
** All of the above
Which of the following is not a cause of ear infections?
Yeast
Foreign bodies
Viruses
**Tumors
Ear mites are common in
Adult dogs
Adult cats
**Kittens and puppies
**Feral cats
The cause of an ear infection can be reliably determined by
The appearance of the discharge
**The odor of the discharge
**An otoscopic exam (looking in the ear canal with an otoscope)
None of the above
Infection-associated tears in the eardrum (tympanic membrane)
**Are very uncommon
Dictate a change in treatment strategy
Cause deafness
Are typically very slow to heal
Patients with recurrent or chronic ear infections are sometimes referred to:
**A veterinarian who specializes in dermatology
A veterinarian who specializes in neurology
A veterinarian who specializes in surgery
Any of the above
Which of the following is not a potential strategy for preventing ear infections?
Regular ear cleaning
** Regular swimming to help flush out the ear canals
Ear canal surgery
Feeding a special diet
Which one of the following statements is true?
The treatment for ear infections is typically the same regardless of cause.
**Most ear infections are contagious from one ear to the other.
Most ear infections arise because of some other underlying issue.
**Ear infections invariably cause scratching at the ears and/or head shaking.
Best wishes