Patient of the Year 2018 – Stella

Stella is a 9 year old Blue Heeler. In January 2018 she started scratching at her right ear and it was swollen and painful. A hematoma (fluid within the ear flap) had developed. The hematoma was drained, with Stella under sedation, and an anti-inflammatory medication was instilled.  Stella’s ear canals were also cleaned and treated for a yeast infection deep in the ear canals. Stella’s ears got better and the swelling in her right ear flap (pinna) subsided. Four months later her right pinna swelled up again. It was treated again and subsequently healed. A month after that her left pinna swelled with a hematoma. It was treated in the same manner as the right ear.  This swelling returned after a couple of months and had to be addressed yet again. Stella’s ear cytology, examined using the microscope demonstrated that yeast organisms were still present and treatment was continued for another week. Stella’s Dad now cleans Stella’s ears regularly with an ear cleaning solution to prevent future ear infections and associated hematomas of her pinnas. Due to Stella’s dedicated owner 2019 should be a year free of ear trouble for Stella.