7/6 OT Sootie’s Tribe: anyone familiar with otipak ear treatments?

[HWright]

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...s-tribe-happy-mothers-day-and-updates.195538/

Hello all and belated 4th of July greetings.

On June 28, Spunky had a two-in-one surgery by our board-certified dental surgeon: cleaned the polyp ear and removed as much as he could of a pea-sized and deeply rooted polyp (surgeon noted afterwards that much of Spunky's ear drum was eroded) ; extraction of lower right canine that was fractured.
Also tons of lab work including repeat of CBC done a month ago; gi panel, liver and pancreas function (re vomiting, stinky poops, weight loss), lab fecal analysis, U/A, ear pus culture, ear polyp biopsy. The biopsy results, gi panel and pancreas and liver function results not in yet. I haven’t received a copy yet of the other results).

Spunky’s recovery has been darned good all things considered; she resumed good appetite, normal poops and only one vomit since home from surgery. She’s cheerful and happy girl. There’s no discharge from her ear or signs of oral infection.

My immediate question that I’m hoping for guidance about is “otipak” that the regular vet (not surgeon) is recommending:
the tech at the practice called to say that the ear culture results were in and showed three kinds of bacteria and that they’ve ordered a compounded “otipak” to be administered once weekly.

The surgeon hasn’t done a post-op follow up yet. It’s the other vet who has prescribed this. I googled otipak and one of the side effects is permanent deafness, from the kinds of ingredients. And that it gets packed in, solidifies and sometimes can’t even be thoroughly cleaned/flushed out. This is the second time this other vet has prescribed something that has cautions about transitory or permanent hearing loss or do-not-use-if-ear-canal-not-intact.

Very unsettling and Spunky is doing so well right now.

Anyone familiar with or had experience with this otipak treatment ? I’m freaking out on this and, even though the vet practice is closed on most weekends, I plan to email them so that we can discuss my concerns before proceeding further.

Thanks much and hugs and vines to all in need,
Sina

PS. Here’s some info I’ve found so far:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3490132/#!po=46.2617

https://www.roadrunnerpharmacy.com/img/SpringNewsletter2014PD Gel EDITED.pdf

https://www.trademarkia.com/otipack-85699645.html

 

[LizzieInTexas]

I am glad Spunky is doing so well. I don't have any knowledge on the treatment. @carfurby I know that Furball has an ear polyp but not sure how she is treating it.

Hope you get some answers

 

[carfurby (GA)]

I'm glad Spunky is doing pretty well after her surgery. I've never heard of an otipak, but the risks don't sound worth it to me.

 

[Ella & Rusty & Stu(GA)]

Hi Sina, I think that with those kinds of "side" effects, I would not do otipak.
I hope Spunky will keep on doing well. She is well named!

Hugs and scritches

 

[Sandi and Toby]

Whispy did great with the otipak. When we adopted him almost 3 years ago, he had bacteria and yeast in his ears that smelled SO bad, but the vet didn't want to use any kind of steroids so she suggested the otipak.

It knocked all of it out in a week or so with no repacking, it was just the one dose worth, and no further drops/pills either. It was really greasy fur around his ears/face, but it basically all just kind of melted away. Nothing was left behind long term, they used a scope to check. And his hearing is aces. I am glad that we went that route and would do it again for ears THAT bad -- while recognizing that we certainly might have just gotten "lucky" to have no adverse effects. Also, my vet (of 32 years) knows how cautious I am, and she doesn't recommend things lightly, FWIW.

Good luck,
Sandi&Whisper.

 

[HWright]

I am glad Spunky is doing so well. I don't have any knowledge on the treatment. @carfurby I know that Furball has an ear polyp but not sure how she is treating it.

Hope you get some answers

Thank you, Lizzie. Spunky was a trooper and was very happy to be back home afterwards, too. Hope you and Gizmo have a good weekend with him feeling good and you enjoying holiday vacation.

I'm glad Spunky is doing pretty well after her surgery. I've never heard of an otipak, but the risks don't sound worth it to me.

Thank you, Carla. She's been doing well and the post-op remedies to clear the anesthesia and then to manage pain when the 3-day bupe began to wear off helped, too. She's enjoying life and I'd just as soon not add anything to the mix that might set her back.
I was happy to read that Furball has been finding some greens. Vines for FB to settle in with them. And vines for magnificent stalwart Simba, who continues to resonate with her remedies, is eating, purring and comfortable throughout the challenges.

Whispy did great with the otipak. When we adopted him almost 3 years ago, he had bacteria and yeast in his ears that smelled SO bad, but the vet didn't want to use any kind of steroids so she suggested the otipak.

It knocked all of it out in a week or so with no repacking, it was just the one dose worth, and no further drops/pills either. It was really greasy fur around his ears/face, but it basically all just kind of melted away. Nothing was left behind long term, they used a scope to check. And his hearing is aces. I am glad that we went that route and would do it again for ears THAT bad -- while recognizing that we certainly might have just gotten "lucky" to have no adverse effects. Also, my vet (of 32 years) knows how cautious I am, and she doesn't recommend things lightly, FWIW.

Good luck,
Sandi&Whisper.

Thank you, Sandi. Really helps to hear about your first-hand experience and that your vet who suggested it for your Whisper doesn't recommend things lightly. Your experience is reassuring and good to know. In Spunky's case, I'm really not sure why it's being recommended because it's based on a culture that was tested from a sample taken just before surgery. Then the ear was thoroughly cleaned out/flushed and prepped in order to get a good look in there and then to pull the polyp or as much of it as the surgeon could. It was then they he saw that the timpanic membrane (ear drum) was pretty much eroded. I'm not much of an anatomist and I'm trying to think my way through this: but to me that means that the absence of vexing polyp blockage as well as essentially no ear drum now exposes the middle ear etc, which can be a plus in one way (drainage) and a minus in others (exposure to infection and difficulty in removing anything that gets stuck further in). And since she's been asymptomic of infection since the surgery and post-op (no pus,no bleeding, no odor, no over grooming the ear area), I'm wondering why at this juncture is the emphasis to do it without even a post-op exam yet.
So, I'm not going to panic about it....yet! Clearly the logical path is post-op exam first. If no infection, we're golden. If infection still present or if there is other compelling reason for the otipak, then will have to hear it from and have the discussion with the surgeon and the vet.
Thank you all for helping me to think this through.

 

[HWright]

Hi Sina, I think that with those kinds of "side" effects, I would not do otipak.
I hope Spunky will keep on doing well. She is well named!

Hugs and scritches

Thank you, Ella She is indeed well named! For a time I thought about changing her name to something that might resonate zen....calm in her new life here. But she didn't go for it., lol.
I was happy to read that Rusty came through this nasty heat wave and is feeling better. He is a very special fellow, of the stalwarts. Weather here has been awful too, until this morning...a nice cool summer breeze. Hugs and scritches

 

[Squalliesmom]

because it's based on a culture that was tested from a sample taken just before surgery.

Sina, this, alone, would give me pause. I would not use anything based on the environment in the ear prior to surgery. Just my two-cent's worth! Prayers and vines for the intrepid and stouthearted Spunky!

 

[Bobbie And Bubba]

Hey Sina! I don't have any knowledge of that med. And I certainly understand you being tentative to use with those type of side effects. Glad that Sandy weighed in with her experience and hopefully it will help you to roll the dice.......All meds to come with side effects and concerns.......which makes it hard to know when to use and when to walk away.

Sending you "make the right decision for Spunky" vines.

 

[HWright]

Sina, this, alone, would give me pause. I would not use anything based on the environment in the ear prior to surgery. Just my two-cent's worth! Prayers and vines for the intrepid and stouthearted Spunky!

I hear ya, Lucy (pardon the pun). Idk why I didn’t listen to my inner alarm bells when the suggestion foisted.

 

[HWright]

Hey Sina! I don't have any knowledge of that med. And I certainly understand you being tentative to use with those type of side effects. Glad that Sandy weighed in with her experience and hopefully it will help you to roll the dice.......All meds to come with side effects and concerns.......which makes it hard to know when to use and when to walk away.

Sending you "make the right decision for Spunky" vines.

Hi, Bobbie. Internet service has been iffy lately (provider coming this week to fix an outside line problem); my apologies for not replying sooner.
Thank you. Yes, indeed about meds and this med certainly seems to be in the category of concern in spunky's situation. I have a call in this morning to the surgeon. Thank you for the wisdom vines. And vines back at ya for you and the clowder.