06/08/2026
This we wanted to highlight Cusco. We saw this beautiful boy in April for an ear infection -- one of the most common reasons we see our patients in-between their annual wellness visits. Because we see so many ear infections (and because we had such a great model available!), we thought we'd go ahead and walk you through what a typical ear infection appointment looks like.
First things first - Cusco got a treat. Then, Cusco's owner told one of our Veterinary Assistants (VAs) about the symptoms they were seeing that made them suspect an ear infection. Common symptoms we hear from owners include head-shaking, itching / pawing at the ears, ear discharge ("gunk") and a bad smell.
From there, our VA reported the symptoms to the veterinarian Cusco was booked to see. They also spoke to Cusco's owner, looked in Cusco's ears and took two swabs (see image 2!).
Those swabs were then handed over to one of our talented registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) who applied a sample to a glass slide and then stained using multiple specialized dyes. Once the slide was dry enough, she then examined it under a microscope looking for yeast, bacteria and/or the presence of white blood cells (which would indicate inflammation). This process is called cytology.
In this case, a mixed bacterial and yeast infection was discovered. These results were shared with Cusco's veterinarian who then discussed treatment options with Cusco's owner. Treatment will always vary depending on what is found during the cytology process, which is why each step is critical in the diagnostic process.
The final step was for Cusco to come in for a recheck appointment about 10 days later. These recheck appointments are very important for us to ensure that treatment was effective and that the ear infection is fully resolved.
We hope this was a helpful look under the ear flap, so to speak. Do you have any questions about your pet's ear health? Let us know!
