Malassezia otitis unresponsive to primary care: outcome in 59 dogs

Otitis externa (OE) is a common disorder in dogs. Infection by the commensal yeast, Malassezia pachydermatis, may result in chronic disease that does not respond to standard primary care. Chronic infectious OE may be associated with otitis media (OM).

To report medical management, clinical outcomes and frequency of middle ear involvement, in dogs with Malassezia otitis unresponsive to primary care.

Fifty-nine dogs from one referral veterinary hospital from January 2007 to September 2018.

Retrospective analysis of medical records of dogs referred with chronic otitis and treated for Malassezia otitis at a referral veterinary hospital.

Chronic Malassezia OE was treated successfully in 91% of ears, in 87% of these cases with one ear flush intervention. Median time-to-resolution was 27 days after ear flush intervention. Neither duration of otitis, presence of neutrophils in aural discharge nor administration of oral itraconazole affected clinical outcome. Malassezia OM occurred concurrently in 17% of ears.

These findings assist clinicians and carers of affected dogs in decision-making, by documenting that most cases of canine Malassezia otitis that have not resolved with standard primary care, can be treated successfully with a well-staged and intense medical treatment plan. Malassezia OM should be suspected to occur concurrently in around a fifth of affected ears.