Survey of otitis externa in American Cocker Spaniels in Finland

Table 1 The most relevant questions concerning ears in the American Cocker Spaniel owner questionnaire

Question	Responses								Response rate without I don´t know responses (%)
1. Has your dog suffered from ear or skin problems?	No	Only ear problems	Only skin problems	Both ear and skin problems					100
2. At what age did your dog experience the first signs of otitis?	Less than 3 months	3 months to less than 6 months	6 months to less than 12 months	1 year to less than 3 years	More than 3 years	I don’t know			85
3. What were the most common signs of ear disease?	Scratching of the ears	Redness of the ears (erythema)	Foul smelling ears	Increased ear secretion	Head shaking	Head tilting	Ear soreness	Rash on pinnae	100
4. How many times has your dog been treated for otitis?	Never	Once	Twice	3 times	4–5 times	At least 6 times			100
5. List the medications which you have used to treat your dog´s otitis									91
6. For how long did the signs of otitis subside following treatment?	Less than 1 week	1 week to less than 2 weeks	2 weeks to less than 4 weeks	1–3 months	Signs continued despite treatment	I don’t know			63–75
7. Did you bring your dog for a veterinary re-check after treatment?	Yes, every time	Yes, sometimes after treatment	No						99
8. Has surgery been performed to treat your dog’s ears?	No	Yes, Zepp^a	Yes, TECABO^a						87

^a Zepp ear surgery where only part of the ear canal is removed, TECABO ear surgery where the entire ear canal is removed and the bony bulla is opened

ISSN: 1751-0147