Cheshire Veterinary Dermatology

05/09/2026

04/09/2026

Meet Lottie.
Lottie was referred to us with a long history of ear disease, and we first met her back in August. During that visit she had a CBCT scan and video otoscopy so we could assess her ear canals fully. Thankfully her CT scan was clear, which meant we could focus on treating the pseudomonas infection found on cytology.
Pseudomonas can be a challenging organism to manage. It often shifts while under treatment, which is why repeat cytology checks are essential to make sure we stay on the right track.
In the attached video, the yellow discharge you can see being flushed out is the pseudomonas infection sitting deep in her canal. Clearing this allows medication to reach where it needs to go.
At her visit today, Lottie’s ears looked much improved. Now it’s all about keeping her moving in the right direction and maintaining that progress.

03/09/2026

Understanding otitis and what we found on cytology.
The attached photo shows Cooper's ear, which has a large amount of discharge. This level of debris is not normal for dogs. Healthy ears produce only a small amount of light wax. When we see this much material building up, it tells us the ear is struggling and that something is causing inflammation inside the canal.
Otitis simply means inflammation of the ear. When the ear becomes inflamed, it changes the environment inside the canal — making it warm, moist and ideal for organisms to overgrow. Dogs can develop otitis for many reasons, including allergies, moisture, underlying skin disease or even the shape of their ear canals.
In this case, the cytology sample we collected showed only Malassezia yeast. Malassezia is normally present in small numbers on the skin, but when the ear becomes inflamed it can multiply quickly. This leads to itching, head shaking, a strong smell and the discharge you can see in the photo.
Once we know exactly what organism is present, we can choose the right treatment to clear the infection and make your dog comfortable again. After the infection settles, the most important step is addressing the underlying trigger, so the problem doesn’t keep returning.
If your dog is shaking their head, scratching at their ears or you’ve noticed a change in smell or discharge, early assessment helps us get things back on track quickly.

02/09/2026

A busy week for Ingrid, who has been attending the European Congress for Veterinary Dermatology. She’s always keen to stay on top of new developments, and that commitment directly benefits the pets and owners we support every day. We’re excited to bring those insights back into the clinic.

01/09/2026

Intradermal allergy testing is one of the most useful ways for us to understand which environmental allergens your pet may be reacting to. The little grid you see in the photo is created by placing very small amounts of different allergens just under the skin and watching how the body responds.
To interpret the test properly, we always compare each reaction site with two important controls. The negative control should stay completely flat – this tells us what a normal, non reactive injection looks like. The positive control is histamine, and you can see it right at the start of the grid. It’s the biggest, reddest, most obvious reaction on the whole test.
Histamine is used as the positive control because it reliably triggers a strong, predictable response in the skin. It shows us what an “ideal” allergic reaction looks like, so we can judge the other allergens against it. If an allergen produces a wheal similar in size and appearance to histamine, it’s considered a meaningful positive. If it looks more like the negative control, it’s not significant.
By comparing every allergen to these two anchors, we can build a clear picture of which environmental triggers matter for your pet, and which don’t. This helps us design a personalised long term plan, including options like allergen specific immunotherapy when appropriate.

27/08/2026

The attached video shows one of our ear flush procedures here at Cheshire Veterinary Dermatology. This patient came in with ongoing otitis, and you can see just how much thick, yellow discharge is sitting deep inside the canal.
This discharge isn’t loose — it’s firmly adhered to the wall of the ear canal. It’s so stuck that we have to gently scrape it away using the catheter, taking great care not to damage the delicate tissue underneath. Until this material is removed, we simply can’t see the ear drum.
Because the ear drum isn’t visible at the start of the procedure, we can’t put any cleaning products into the canal. We must first clear the discharge, assess the drum properly, and make sure it’s healthy and intact before choosing any cleaners or medication. Once we can see the drum clearly, we can safely continue with targeted treatment.

25/08/2026

One of the most common predisposing factors we come across during an ear flush, is excessive hair inside the ear canal. It’s something we see time and time again, and it plays a surprisingly big role in ongoing otitis.
Hair in the canal traps moisture, wax and debris, creating the perfect environment for bacteria and yeast to thrive. It also reduces air flow, meaning the canal stays warm and humid — exactly what infections love. When inflammation starts, the hair can become matted with discharge, further blocking the canal and making it harder for treatments to reach where they need to go.
So, when we find excessive hair in ear canals during a flush, removing it is an important part of getting the ear healthy again. Once the infection is cleared, we’ll also look at what’s causing the inflammation in the first place, so we can prevent the cycle from repeating.

20/08/2026

Meet Rollo.
Rollo came to see us with a long history of ear disease that had been causing repeated flare ups and a lot of discomfort. On examination, his ear canal showed chronic inflammation with thick, waxy debris that had been building up over time.
Cytology confirmed that Malassezia was the main problem. Malassezia isn’t the root cause on its own – it’s a sign that something deeper is going on, and in chronic cases the yeast can become very persistent. When the canal stays inflamed, warm and moist, it creates the perfect environment for Malassezia to thrive.
We used video otoscopy to assess the deeper canal properly and check for any structural changes or hidden debris that might be contributing to his ongoing issues. One of the photos attached shows the amount of wax and hair removed from his ears during cleaning – this amount is not normal, and it’s a clear sign of long standing disease within the canal.
Rollo was such a gentle boy throughout his visit, and he’s now on a tailored plan to clear the Malassezia and get his canals comfortable again. We’ll be monitoring him closely and will keep you updated on his progress.