strange things found down dogs ears

Re: strange things found down dogs ears

Derek Lyon — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:41:31 GMT

Since I posted the original post I have thought hard and long about it. At the time I decided that the client was indeed telling the truth. I questioned the client and was sure that all was correct. It reassures me now after hearing the posts about the horse and this latest dog that there must be some syndrome? Look forward to more posts

Derek

Re: strange things found down dogs ears

Sarah Mark — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:26:01 GMT

About a year ago, a client asked me to check her dog's ears, as she was worried there might be a moth or similar winged insect in there.....because she could hear a buzzing noise coming from the dog's ears. No, the dog is not scratching his ears; no, he's not shaking his head, it's just the buzzing noise....

Highly skeptical, I duly peered in with the otoscope, and saw nothing but textbook normal ear canals and TMs. The lady was not convinced and asked me what was causing the noise, then?

By now I was sure she was suffering herself from tinnitus (generous), off her rocker (not so generous), but I was persuaded to have a listen. Folding back the labrador's pinna and putting my own ear to the dog's, I could hear a high pitched whistle coming from its ear. I tried with a stethoscope, and it was even clearer, but the best effect was with my own ear, as I got the impression of air blowing in to my ear causing the noise. Very strange. Not coinciding with the dog's respirations( or my own). I also had no tinnitus!

I told the owner I had no idea what was going on and had never encountered such a thing nor heard of any such cases. She would not agree to any more work up as all she really wanted was to know if there was a moth in there, so I never got to find out what was behind it. It genuinely did have a whistling ear though!

Re: strange things found down dogs ears

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:29:19 GMT

There was a case reported something like twenty years ago. I cannot remember where or any of the details. It was a horse that quite genuinely had a whistle or high-pitched hum coming from one ear. I seem to remember that after elimination of any other cause it was assumed that somehow the hair cells in the cochlea were vibrating of their own accord and the vibrations were being amplified in the wrong direction. Just as (O level physics) a microphone and a loudspeaker are basically the same piece of apparatus.

Or maybe the West Highland's owners had a touch of tinnitus but could only hear it when sitting quietly with the dog on their knee.

Why two in a month? That's easy. It's the well known veterinary phenomenon of things coming in batches. As when recently I had three dislocated elbows in a week.

Re: strange things found down dogs ears

Ian Mostyn — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:29:22 GMT

Best I can do is the end of a cotton bud that had got wedged, leaving the owner holding just the plastic stick. Took a bit of getting out. Maybe not the most exciting but best I can do with an ear.

Ian

Re: strange things found down dogs ears

Robert Whiteford — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:17:12 GMT

Derek,

You dont say whether or not you heard the whistling sound too?!

I guess not. . . . the correct response a month later would have been " Ah, yes, the whistling Westie syndrome, I have seen a few of these recently blah, blah, blah. . . here are some pills and come back and see me when I'm not on duty. . . "

You dont say if the client was sweet on you and was perhaps suffering from Munchhausen's syndrome by proxy? God knows I've had a few!!

Re: strange things found down dogs ears

Derek Lyon — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:52:31 GMT

Interesting! This is true story...about 30 years ago client came in with a Westie and said she heard whistling noises from her dog's ears! Like a true guy I listened, examined and said uhm......

About 1 month later another client came in with a Westie with similar symtoms...have I/did I miss something and if so what? I did believe the client as they both seemed plausable

Look forward to input

Derek

Re: strange things found down dogs ears

Mike Martin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:35:08 GMT

Thats amazing.

But more amazing, the dog didn't get an unnecessary MRI for the 'seizures'.