My dog has a facial abscess & ear infection. Can I avoid surgery?

Unfortunately this sounds like an abscess and needs to be drained by your vet followed by oral antibiotics to successfully treat this area. When an abscess is present the body has walled off the area of infection with a thick layer of skin, and although this is beneficial for the pet because it prevents the infection from spreading to the rest of the body, it also doesn't allow topical medication to penetrate the area either. Which is why oral antibiotics prescribed by your vet are ultimately needed here.

Hello, The surgical procedure to cure chronic ear infections in dogs is called a TECABO, which is a bit different than the tube placements they use in people. If you're interested in pursuing this, a consult with a soft tissue veterinary surgeon would be the next step. Here is a link to learn more: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952082 I hope this helps! Thanks for using PetCoach.

I have done long term antibiotic therapy in select cases of dental disease. It can be effective. However I have also seen patients Marquis's age handle anesthesia and tooth extraction well too. If possible sometimes a referral to a veterinarian experienced with geriatric dental disease is helpful as they may be able to address the tooth itself safely and then antibiotics are not needed long term.

Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications can be given orally as well, but they will be indeed less effective and take longer to work. Please discuss with your local veterinarian this treatment option (as it has to be prescribed anyway). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Bronte has such a bad ear infection. If her ear is as inflamed as the vet says it is, then an ear canal ablation sounds like it would be the most appropriate next step. I am surprised to hear that it is $5000. That seems quite high for this type of surgery. I would call around and ask for prices on a total ear canal ablation and see what you can come up with. I generally end up charging about $1600-2000 at our clinic. If the ear is not bad enough to the point where the ear canal is calcified, a lateral ear resection may be appropriate and should be a cheaper surgery than completely removing the ear canal. As far as medications are concerned, I would probably use pain medications, antibiotics, anti inflammatories and antifungal drugs along with topical therapy. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chronic ear infections are likely allergy related. I recommend changing Sampson's diet. Chicken is the most common allergic protein. I would try a venison, beef, or all fish diet. You need to give the diet 2-3 months and he can not get any other foods: No table food, no milk bones, non raw hides, etc. The only treats he can get would be ones that have the new protein in it. Your Vet is the only place you can get antibiotics sadly. You can try calling them and seeing if they will prescribe something if they have seen him recently. Otherwise if you can't get him in the car I would find a mobile Vet to come to your house. I hope this helps and I wish Sampson the best!

Did your veterinarian send you home with antibiotics? Occasionally they will resolve with an antibiotic without lancing and draining. I would warm compress the area several times a day with warm water and Epsom salts and sometimes they will drain on their own. My concern with abscesses in dogs is that often there is a thorn or something similar in the tissue that is causing the problem. If that is not found and removed then it tends to migrate and have a recurring problem. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.