My larger (150#) dog has had chronic LEFT ear (only) problems. She's been diagnosed with allergies and yeast infections, and I've posted about it before.

On December 30 her left ear (always only her left) was very inflammed and painful and I took her to the Vet. The ear flared up again on January 6 and back we went. Each time the ear was cleaned and she was given an injection of antibiotics and we were given ear cleaner.

I won't put her on steroids because the last round changed her personality - and not for the better.

Yesterday the same thing BUT the Vet now wants to put her "under" and scope her ear. If he finds nothing he will do a thorough cleaning and pack her ear. He isn't ruling out a tumor or growth, some sort of deformity (perhaps caused by chronic infection) - or just about anything else.

I do notice if she's sleeping on her right side, blocking her right ear, I can approach her and she doesn't hear me. No question she is or has developed a hearing problem - again, on the left side.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience in an ear surgery which involves widening the ear canal if that's the problem? I had a Lab many years ago with a similar problem but he was a young dog and I don't recall that the surgery was complicated or difficult or that there was a lengthy recovery period.

This time there's an 8 week recovery and she will be on pain patches. The Vet visits are in the $150-$200 range (and you can see how frequently she's been treated). Surgery is "about" $1,500, depending on how complicated it is, plus the patches and follow up visits. This isn't about the money - it really isn't - but I am afraid of the anesthetic for such a big dog. She just turned 7, by the way.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I can't help you with advice on the actual surgery (hopefully Paleo or Sariss can give you the inside scoop) but my mother has a dog who used to have constant ear infections and now her ear has actually closed over due to the damage done.

If there is a way to stop it from happening I would go for it. At 7 years she should be okay to go under anesthetic providing she is otherwise in good health.

Thanks, Shaz - I'll wait to see who else chimes in but, yes, I'm very worried about the hearing loss.

And, yes, she's in very good health. She's also a very active dog, good natured, protective of me - exactly why I like the breed.

I don't know a lot about the surgery itself, but if it's anesthesia you're worried about - I wouldn't. I mean granted there is always a risk with anesthesia and the older a pet is the greater that risk becomes, but unless there are some serious underlying conditions going on the risk is still very low. The pets are hooked up to pretty much every machine under the sun, that will catch something happening well before it becomes a major problem.

Anesthetic deaths do happen, obviously. I have been a technician since 2007, and an assistant since 2004. I've only seen one anesthetic death since 04 and it was a badly compromised dog that the owner was warned may not survive.

My borzoi had to go under for paw surgery, everything turned out well, he was 10 at the time. The surgery was for an infected toe, the downside was th borzoi have a different metabolism then any other breed. He sailed through it, all depends on the expertise of the vet.

You asked for thoughts on your situation, so here it is.

To put things into perspective - the following is a list of animals who I have monitored for surgery and have been fine.

A 6 week old kitten
A 2kg, 17 year old mini Poodle
A 225lb English Mastiff that was 7
A 22 (yes 22) year old Cocker Spaniel mix

Among others but those were the highlights...

I am not sure about a surgery to widen the ear canal, doesn't mean it doesn't exist I just have never helped with one. I have assisted with quite a few TECAs which have all turned out very well. Total Ear Canal Eblation, where the ear canal itself is taken out. Are you sure this isn't what they were suggesting? I do remember one Cocker in particular that had to have both ears done. He had spent his entire life biting at us and generally giving us a fit. We always just thought it was his personality. After years of infections and thickening tissue in the canals there was no choice but to relieve his discomfort with the surgery. After the heal time he was a different dog no more struggling with us, a real sweetheart. Never would have thought this would be the outcome but we were pleasantly surprised.
Don't stress so much about the anesthesia, while there are risks, it is relatively safe and monitering has come a looong way over the years.
I would suggest though that if your vet offers preoperative bloodwork, take advantage of it, if they don't mention it I would ask.
An otherwise healthy dog should go through the surgery just fine. I know, hard not to be a little anxious about it, my little dog just had her teeth cleaned and I was slightly worried myself.

Thanks to everyone - I'm going to do some research and then I'll be back.

Let me know what you find out Judy. My Newfie is having a terrible time with yeast and infections in his right ear, no amount of cleaning or antibiotics really helps for very long.

I suspect that the 'whatever it is' affecting her ear for all this time has caused a loss of the ear drum and possibly damage to the structures of the middle ear, if not deeper.

The usual manner of treatment is to "throw medicines at it", without particular regard for the underlying cause. Not a particular condemnation of the vet, because chasing down all the causes can involve several office visits and numerous tests. Without doing this, the potential for setting up a persistent problem grows. Erroneous treatment regimes are easy to come by and promote extension of the damage to the ear and persistence of the problem. Once the ear drum is ruptured the problem has an entirely different field in which to play.

While there are usually bacterial and yeast infections involved with this sort of problem, unfortunately they are not usually the basic cause of the problem. Until the basic one is discovered and treated(if possible) I don't think I would recommend surgical treatment. Surgical treatments usually start with some type of approach to the middle or inner ear to deliver some sort of treatment to those spaces. The (hopefully) last ear surgery is TECA, or Total Ear Canal Ablation (elimination or closure. Hopefully, there is no infection anywhere. These surgeries are not quite as easy as may appear, so prior experience with them is certainly a benefit. Ask.

I don't know much about the surgery either, but I just wanted to chime in about not worrying about the anesthesia. I have big dogs, and I don't think it's mich of a problem. I just wanted to send my well wishes to your babs.

She has been on and off medication for the entire 7 years of her life. Yes, the Vet DID say he wants to see if her eardrum is ruptured.

I have an appointment to meet with the Vet a week from tomorrow to discuss options and procedures.

She woke up yesterday with a very droopy eye - Vet thinks it could be a lesion/tumor/growth on a nerve OR Horners Syndrome.

Can't get in to see Ophthalmologist until next week.

Sigh - and I'm very worried.

By no means am I suggesting that this info should replace your Vets expertise but here is something on Horner's Syndrome. Really good site. I had a beagle with horner's syndrome who did quite well. I can surely understand your worry, it's even touger when you don't know exactly what is going on.
http://marvistavet.com/html/horner_s_syndrome.html

Ladysam, your experience would be wonderful! Things like how long it "lasted," what caused it, anything - I can't find anyone who knows.

I've printed out 3 sites and I'm off to check "yours."

As far as my experience with Horners it's been a little while but here goes. My Sam (gone but not forgotten) came to us as an adult with a multitude of problems, skin, heartworms,testicles, you name it. After we had him a while and had his issues resolved, I woke up one morning to the droopy eye and a bit of a droopy upper lip. Of course he went straight to work with me to be checked, scared to death that he may have had some sort of serious cardiac or circulatory mishap. His Vet concluded that it was in fact Horners and attributed it to chronic ear issues. I didn't really get that, but I had always had a problem with his ears, while they were never infected (no yeast or bacteria, ever) I did always have problems keeping them clean. Just constantly cleaning thick, black gunk out of them and never a little bit, a lot of stuff. I don't remember it ever affecting his sight, appetite or attitude and resolved on its own after a couple months. It would recur a couple times throughout the rest of his life. That is just my experience with Horners I pray that your dogs situation is no more serious than this, but I think testing for the particular cause has come quite a ways in the last few years. Hopefully your girl will get a definative answer so that you can make informed decisions for her. In any event I wish you the best in trying to resolve her recent health issue.

At least you've given me some hope - the Vet came down heavily in "tumor" and then said it could be unknown OR connected to her ear.

Scary, scary stuff.

I had a lab named Sam, gone many years, still missed.

My 14 year old female German Shorthaired pointer just recently went under the knife for a tumor removal. It was about 3lbs. She was also spayed at the same time.

Weight doesn't necessiary effect anesthesia. If she was a greyhound, or any type of hound breed, then the risk is much higher. Anesthetics have improved so much over the years.. and even though there is still a risk (all surgeries have risk), the new and improved anesthetics decrease the danger of putting dogs under quite a bit.

I think If I was in your shoes.. I would have the animal scoped to see what is in there and why. From there I would go with quality of life. Is she absolutely miserable with chronic ear infections? Does she not seem to mind.. Does the vet suspect her in pain or any discomfort, if so, is it controllable? Would doing ear surgery make her hearing return? Or will she remain deaf in that ear?

And 7 years old isn't an old dog either. Of course she is not a young pup, but 7 is still a pretty young dog. As long as her blood work comes back good, she should be able to handle the anesthetics pretty good.

Back to the ear specialist today - her ear is clearing up. We are no longer discussing surgery (after scaring me half to death) but she has to have her ear cleaned by the Vet once a month. If the problem returns, then she'll be scoped and then I'll decide what to do.

Her eye is no better. "Doggie Opthamologist" tomorrow AM. I'm worried, of course, but only one more day!

She's not the least bit uncomfortable because of her eye - not the least. I keep hoping Horners, but I'll see.

YES! It's Horners Syndrome.

Not wonderful news but a BIG sign of relief.