Ear Necrosis

I wanted to share my recent experience in dealing with an ear issue. I wasn't aware until this happened that this type of ear issue can be a manifestation of a general or systemic infection. In hind sight, I wish I would have gotten Loki on antibiotics as soon as I noticed the inflammation.  

Loki's ear issue started about a month ago. At first I thought it was an injury - it was red and inflamed and was obviously being groomed. I kept a close watch and applied some Vetericyn sporadically. After about a week to 10-days the ear became black, necrotic, at the tip as seen in these pictures:

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Off to the vet we went! The ear was debrided and a section sent out for histopathology. He went home on 2 antibiotics (Cefpodoxime & Baytril) and an anti-inflammatory (Metacam). We just finished the 14-day treatment and this is how the ear looks now:

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The pathology report indicates that many of the little blood vessels in Loki's ear had tiny blood clots.  The pathologist said that an infection is the most likely cause of this but that an immune-mediated vasculitis was also a possibility. Since the ear is a healthy pink I will continue to watch him closely, but am hopeful the antibiotics cleared up the underlying infection.

Here is the path report:

Quote :

HISTORY:  This approximately 5-year-old, male/neutered sugar glider has an approximately 10-day history of reddening and necrosis of the right ear.

CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS:  Septic dermal necrosis, vasculitis, open.

GROSS:  Received in formalin are three tissues to 1 cm. in greatest dimension representing one biopsy source, and the tissues are processed in one block.

HISTOPATHOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS:            Ischemic necrosis with thrombosis, ear tip.

COMMENT:  Histologic findings are consistent with ischemic insult, and many small blood vessels have thrombi beneath the ischemic regions of the pinna.  The cause for the thrombosis is not apparent but most often is associated with endotoxemia or other infectious events, and the patient should be closely monitored for vegetative endocarditis or other foci of infection.  Immune-mediated vasculitis should also be considered possible, although convincing evidence of true inflammation in vessel walls is not present in the examined sections.

Wow - very interesting! SO glad that all turned out well! Thanks for sharing this info!