Lateral ear canal resection and bulla osteotomy with marsupialization to treat otitis media in rabbits: forty‐eight procedures

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Abstract
Objective: Describe lateral ear canal resection and bulla osteotomy with marsupialization (LECARBOM) in rabbits with otitis media (OM), and report outcomes, complications, bacteria cultured from middle ears, and their antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results.Study design: Retrospective clinical case series; single referral hospital.Animals: Forty‐two rabbits with naturally occurring OM.Methods: Medical records (2011–2021) of rabbits with CT‐confirmed OM undergoing surgery were reviewed for outcomes, complications, bacteria cultured from middle ears, and AST.Results: Surgery was performed on 48 ears, and outcomes determined 21 days postoperatively. All rabbits survived the procedure. Otitis externa resolved in all lop‐eared rabbits. Of 29 ears with OM‐associated head tilt, eight (28%) resolved, nine (31%) improved, seven (24%) remained unchanged and five (17%) worsened. Outcome was not associated with head tilt duration nor OM severity. Postoperative complications occurred in 12 (25%) cases, seven of which had wound margin dehiscence that healed by 21 days. The most frequent bacteria isolated were Pasteurella multocida (16%), Bordetella bronchiseptica (14%) and Staphylococcus aureus (14%). Bacteria were sensitive to azithromycin, marbofloxacin or enrofloxacin and resistant to penicillin.Conclusion: LECARBOM is a well‐tolerated surgical procedure to treat OM. It also improved or stabilized 83% of cases with head tilt and resolved all cases with otitis externa.Clinical significance: LECARBOM with administration of an AST‐sensitive antibiotic, or azithromycin when no AST is performed, should be effective in rabbits with OM. Postsurgically, it resolves or alleviates most secondary conditions such as otitis externa, head tilt and facial nerve paralysis.

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