[kalina82]

I'm sorry i didn't see this sooner. If a TECA was recommended then I highly recommend you get it done as soon as possible. You and Maggie will be so happy you had it done. She will be pain free the rest of her live after that surgery. TECAs are recommended for dogs and cats that have had horrible ear problems their whole life. The dog is in terrible pain from the constant ear infections. Make sure you have an excellent board certified surgeon to do this surgery. I would never let my regular vet do this. It can be a very complicated surgery and things can go wrong if the vet isn't 100% sure of what they are doing. I say this not to scare you but to let you know the seriousness of this procedure.

The surgery is unfortunately very painful. Maggie should stay in hospital overnight hooked up to a pain drip IV, along with having a fentanyl patch, and oral pain meds to go home with. They can typically go home the next day, however i the vet recommends an extra day in hospital then i would agree to it. They are only trying to make the dog more comfortable with pain meds. Also there will be a drain placed next to the ear for excess fluid to leave the cavity. The drain will be leaking for a few days, moreso for the first two days. If there is alot of drainage its just easier to stay in hospital so the drainage doesn't get all over the house. The drain stays in for 3 days, sutures stay in for 10-14 days. When the dog goes home the ear is still extremely sensitive. The drain and incision area will need to be kept clean so you will need to gently wipe the area with warm water a few times a day. Do not let the drain area clog up. so clean around the drain directly to keep the area open and blood/clot/bacteria free. the incision may drain a bit too so keep that area clean as well. I say to clean gently because this is a sensitive area and your dog may bite you if you cause them pain, despite the fact that they have never ever attempted to bite you in the past.

So for at least a week the ear will be sensitive. By the time the dog goes to get all the sutures removed they are usually not in any pain. I've removed sutures with absolutely no probablems with pain. After this point the dog is as happy as can be. They are pain free and will remain that way in that ear for the rest of their life.

There are other complications with this surgery so make sure the vet explains them to you in detail. The surgery can cause paresis of the facial nerve causing decreased to no blink reflex and lip droop. It can also cause a head tilt, and would infection. Personally with the surgeons I worked with, I have never seen any permanent complications with this surgery unless the dog's ear was so bad the dog was already showing complication signs prior to surgery. Sometimes after surgery the blink reflex is slow so we apply artificial tears to lubricate the eye and after a day or two they are back to normal.

As far as hearing goes they usually aren't hearing so well before surgery because of the infections so after surgery they hear about the same. They do not become totally deaf, though they may try to play it off like they are. LOL

If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.