Statistics extracted from data collected from the medical records of nearly 2.3 million dogs and 470,000 cats presented to more than 850 Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2013.
In each issue of Today’s Veterinary Practice, Pet Health by the Numbers correlates article topics with statistics provided by Banfield Pet Hospital (banfield.com). These statistics are extracted from data collected from the medical records of nearly 2.3 million dogs and 470,000 cats presented to more than 850 Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2013. Learn more about data collection by reading Welcome to Pet Health by the Numbers(January/February 2014 issue) and Key Findings from the State of Pet Health Report 2014 (May/June 2014 issue), both available at tvpjournal.com.
Article:Â OTITIS EXTERNA SERIES: PART 2 TOPICAL THERAPY FOR OTITIS EXTERNAÂ The following tables outline the prevalence of otitis externa and potentially related diagnoses in dogs and cats presented to Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2013.
|
PREVALENCE OF OTITIS EXTERNA BY AGE* (2013) |
|||||
| Total | Juvenile (< 1 year) |
Young Adult (1—3 years) |
Mature Adult (3—10 years) |
Geriatric (> 10 years) |
|
| Canine | |||||
| TOTAL NUMBER PRESENTED | 2,281,562 | 540,338 | 573,769 | 1,096,153 |
249,751 |
| Number of otitis externa | 328,613 | 61,683 | 70,613 | 165,898 | 36,081 |
| Percentage diagnosed | 14.4% | 11.4% | 12.3% | 15.1% | 14.4% |
| Feline | |||||
| TOTAL NUMBER PRESENTED | 465,096 | 113,114 | 102,153 | 181,827 |
91,728 |
| Number with otitis externa | 31,719 | 9051 | 5680 | 10,733 | 6592 |
| Percentage diagnosed | 6.8% | 8% | 5.6% | 5.9% | 7.2% |
|
PREVALENCE OF CANINE OTITIS EXTERNA BY BODY SIZE (2013) |
|||||
| Total | Toy/Small (< 20 lb) |
Medium (20 to < 50 lb) |
Large (50 to < 90 lb) |
Giant (≥ 90 lb) |
|
| TOTAL NUMBER PRESENTED | 2,281,562 | 1,155,474 | 611,618 | 470,189 |
44,281 |
| Number of otitis externa | 328,613 | 138,747 | 94,795 | 864,435 | 8636 |
| Percentage diagnosed | 14.4% | 12% | 15.5% | 18.4% | 19.5% |
|
PREVALENCE OF OTHER EAR DIAGNOSES BY AGE |
|||||
| DIAGNOSES | Canines | Felines | |||
| < 3 years | ≥ 3 years | < years |
≥ 3 years |
||
| Otitis extema requiring surgical intervention | 0.01% | 0.05% | 1% | 0.01% | |
| Ear mites | 0.25% | 0.01% | 3.63% | 0.46% | |
| Aural hematomas | 0.07% | 0.41% | 0.06% | 0.23% | |
| Deafness | 0.06% | 0.14% | 0.03% | 0.05% | |
| *Â NOTE: Age group totals will not match overall totals. Age groups are derived from visit age in 2013; some pets may have been counted in multiple age categories (eg, a pet that visited as a juvenile and then as a young adult in 2013). | |||||
Path to Pet Wellness: The prevalence of canine otitis externa reported in this dataset is similar to that reported in the literature (10.2%—13%),1,2 but the prevalence of feline otitis externa is higher than previously reported (2.3%, not including cats with Otodectes cynotisinfestation).2 However, in one study focused on pets presented for dermatologic conditions, otitis externa was diagnosed in 22% of dogs and 19% of cats,3 suggesting that the actual prevalence of otitis externa in primary care practice may be even higher than reported here (particularly for cats).
This dataset supports Otodectes cynotis infestation as an important cause of feline otitis. The prevalence of Otodectes infestation may vary substantially by population, with higher prevalence (37%—53.3%) in stray cats.4,5
Otitis externa is a common manifestation of generalized dermatologic disease; otoscopic examinations and cytologic assessment of ear swabs should be performed routinely in dogs and cats, and workup for primary causes of inflammation should be undertaken in patients with recurrent otitis externa.
—Christine L. Cain, DVM, Diplomate ACVD
References
- O’Neill DG, Church DB, McGreevy PD, et al. Prevalence of disorders recorded in dogs attending veterinary practices in England. PLoS One 2014; 9(3):e90501.
- Lund EM, Armstrong PJ, Kirk CA, et al. Health status and population characteristics of dogs and cats examined in private veterinary practices in the United States. JAVMA 1999; 214:1336-1341.
- Hill PB, Lo A, Eden AN, et al. Survey of the prevalence, diagnosis and treatment of dermatologic conditions in small animals in general practice. Vet Rec 2006; 158:533-539.
- Akucewich LH, Philman K, Clark A, et al. Prevalence of ectoparasites in a population of feral cats from north central Florida during the summer. Vet Parasitol 2002; 109:129-139.
- Perego R, Proverbio D, De Giorgi GB, et al. Prevalence of otitis externa in stray cats in northern Italy. J Feline Med Surg 2014; 16:483-490.