Uses and indications for video-otoscopy in small animal practice.

Acute and chronic otitis externa and otitis media are common disorders in dogs and cats. In combination with other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, the video-otoscope is a useful and effective tool in the management of clinical cases. The enhanced illumination and magnification provide the practitioner with more detailed information for diagnosis and prognosis, and the configuration of the working channel facilitates sampling, improves efficacy of cleaning procedures, and decreases risks of iatrogenic injury to structures of the middle and inner ear. Photographic documentation of clinical cases enhances the medical record, communication with colleagues, and client education. Although video-otoscopy facilitates diagnosis and therapy, it does not replace other important diagnostic tests such as evaluation for atopy, adverse food reactions, and immune-compromising disease. Failure to identify the underlying primary cause usually results in treatment failure regardless of the technology employed.