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Page 1

Advanced formula Epi-Otic is...

When do I use
Epi-Otic?

Cleansing and Drying

Salicylic acid (found in many high quality skin creams)
removes dirt, dead skin cells and excess wax.
Docusate sodium dries the ear effectively and gently

Epi-Otic can be used for routine ear

cleaning maintenance or as an addition
to ear treatment.

It is ideal for use in combination with

any treatment for an ear infection; in this
case, Epi-Otic should be used - 1 hour
before the treatment, this ensures that
the ear canal is clear from wax and pus
and the ear treatment will not be diluted
by the ear cleaner. For pre-treatment
cleaning Epi-Otic can be used daily.

Soothing and Gentle

Classified as non irritant to European
Cosmetic Standards

Epi-Otic can be used after ear treatment

is complete to help reduce the
recurrence of ear infections and to
maintain a healthy clean ear. You should
aim to use it once or twice a week.

Anti Adhesive
Glycotechnology prevents bacteria from sticking
to the skin cells
Antibacterial and Antifungal
PCMX has an antibacterial effect
EDTA enhances the action of PCMX
Non Acidic
Physiological pH (~Neutral)
Doesn't over dry or irritate the skin

How do I use Epi-Otic?

1.

2.

3.

1. Place the nozzle in the

entrance of the ear canal
and squeeze a couple of
millilitres in to the ear canal.

2. Gently massage your dogs

ear, making sure that you
keep a firm grip of the dog
while you are doing this.

3. Use a cotton ball or soft

tissue to wipe any excess ear
cleaner and dirt from the
outside of the ear that has
been dislodged by the EpiOtic. Under no circumstances
should you use a cotton bud
to clean your dogs ear.

Be aware that once you have finished cleaning the ear, your dog will
naturally want to shake its head, which may release a small spray of
ear cleaner into the surrounding area.

Information brought to you by Virbac, makers of Epi-Otic the advanced ear cleaner
and EasOtic
Easotic the easy solution to ear disease.
1. Swinney, A., Fazakerley, J., McEwan, N. and Nuttall, T (2008) Comparative in vitro antimicrobial
efficacy of commercial ear cleaners. Veterinary Dermatology, Vol 19(suppl 1):49.
2. McEwan, N., Reme, C. A., Gatto, H. and Nuttall, T. J. (2008) Monosaccharide inhibition of
adherence by Pseudomonas aeruginosa to canine corneocytes. ESVD and ACVD. 19; 221-225.

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What is Otitis externa?

How does OE start?

How do I prevent OE?

Otitis externa (OE) literally means

inflammation of the ear canal and can
affect any breed of dog at any age.

OE starts from an irritation to the skin

lining the ear canal; this usually occurs
from getting bacteria in the ear from
swimming or inflammation of the skin
in the ear canal due to an allergy or a
foreign body e.g. grass seed.

Prevention is always better than cure and

the easiest way to help stop ear
problems occurring in the first place is to
check your dogs ears regularly and if
your dog is a swimmer, use an ear
cleaner to flush the ear after the dog has
been swimming.

Unlike our ears, dogs have very long ear

canals and to make things worse there is
a bend in them that means keeping
them clean is even more difficult.
Ear disease can happen for many
reasons, some dogs are born with narrow
ear canals. Others have long floppy ears
so the ear canal gets too warm and
without enough airflow the ear can
become moist, providing a breeding
ground for bacteria and yeasts.
Dogs that swim are more likely to
get ear disease and sometimes it is a
complication of an underlying allergic
skin disease.

Schematic diagram of normal healthy ear

1. Pinna
2. Vertical ear canal
3. Horizontal ear canal
4. Tympanic Membrane/ear drum
5. Tympanic Bulla/middle ear
6. Eustachian tube
7. Cochlea
8. Ossicles (ear bones)

24/3/09

This irritation is uncomfortable so the dog

scratches its ears, which can introduce
more bacteria and further irritate the skin
in the ear canal causing it to become
even more inflamed, itchy and sore.
This inflammation narrows the ear canal
creating an environment that is warmer
and more humid than normal.

It is a good idea to have a routine to

check your dogs ears once or twice a
week. If your dog is prone to having dirty
ears, you may need to incorporate an ear
cleaner into this routine your vet or vet
nurse can advise you.
The most important thing is that you
contact your vet as soon as possible if
your dog is showing signs of ear
discomfort or the ear is not looking or
smelling normal to you. The earlier that
you treat OE, the better the outcome.

Bacteria and yeasts like to grow in warm

moist conditions with little airflow, so the
inflammation coupled with the dogs
scratching creates just the right
environment for the bacteria and yeasts
to grow and multiply.

How is OE treated?
However, some dogs do not show many
signs at the beginning of OE. This is why
it is a good idea to check and clean your
dogs ears regularly. Also, if your dog likes
to swim, has been diagnosed with an
allergy, or is prone to dirty and/or smelly
ears, it is a good idea to use a quality,
anti-bacterial, non-acidic ear cleaner,
such as Epi-Otic.

Your dogs OE may be treated in a

number of ways. If you have noticed it
early, you may be advised to increase the
frequency of ear cleaning with a
combination of steroid treatment, and
that might be sufficient.
If the OE has progressed the most
common treatment prescribed is a
preparation containing an antibiotic, a
steroid and an anti yeast agent.
Traditional products have sometimes
been difficult to use accurately especially
if the ear is particularly uncomfortable or
your dog is not too easy to handle.
However now there is a new treatment
specifically designed to help you. It is an
easy to use treatment, which only
requires once daily application, and a
consistent measured dose is
administered whatever the orientation
of the pack.

In some cases, especially in dogs

diagnosed with an underlying allergic skin
condition your vet may recommend
regular but infrequent use of an easy to
use spray-on topical steroid which can also
help keep inflammation under control.

For dogs that have uncomfortable ears,

the less time the ear is handled the
happier the dog will be.

What are the signs?

The general signs of OE are:
Head shaking
Scratching
Redness or swelling of
the skin in the ear
Pain around the ears
Unpleasant odour
Discharge
Changes in behaviour
Other dogs licking at
your dogs ears

It is always a good idea to clean your

dogs ear an hour or so before treating it,
ensuring the treatment can have
maximum effect in the ear. (Please see
page 5 for tips on cleaning your pets ear).

Important:

How can I prevent OE

from recurring?

If your dog has more than two

episodes of OE per year, you must
draw this to your vets attention,
as repeated bouts of OE can cause
long term thickening of the skin
in the ear, which over time can lead
to chronic problems. Recurrent OE
is often a sign of underlying skin
disease that requires regular
life-long management.

Once your dog has had OE it is

likely that it will recur. Regular,
continued (once or twice a week)
use of Epi-Otic will help maintain
the ear in a healthy condition.

How does
Epi-Otic help?
Epi-Otic ear cleaner is designed to
be gentle to the skin in the ear but
effective, when used routinely, at
keeping the ear clean and therefore
limiting the chance of infection. The
special formulation also has a drying
effect in the ear, so is ideal to use
after your dog has been playing in
water or swimming.
Epi-Otic is a non-acidic, antibacterial and
anti-yeast ear cleaner. Studies have
shown Epi-Otic to be effective against the
main pathogens1 (bacteria and yeasts)
that commonly infect the ear canal.
In addition, Epi-Otic is unique in having
anti-adhesive glycotechnology, which
means that it also prevents any bacteria
from sticking to the skin cells in the ear
canal2. In order to multiply and cause
problems, bacteria need to adhere (stick)
to skin cells. Epi-Otic contains ingredients
called monosaccharides (special sugars)
that the bacteria prefer to stick to, so they
dont get chance to multiply to cause a
problem. Instead, any bacteria get
flushed out of the ear by the other
ingredients in Epi-Otic.