PSOM Question- please read!

Hi all, I was emailing someone in breed rescue, and she told me her dog had similar symptoms to Casey but that it turned out to be PSOM, which of course I HOPE is what she has ILO SM. But she DID NOT have an MRI. The vet put her under, and used a special scope to look all the way into her ear and saw the drum was bulging. Then did the surgery and removed a 6" piece of goo. I thought PSOM was only diagnosable with an MRI? ANyone know about these other ways of diagnosing?

I have a link to a whole backgrounder on PSOM on the SM website. It doesn't necessarily need an MRI to spot. Some dogs with similar symptoms have been helped by the surgery for PSOM; including some that also have SM. I list it clearly as an alternative diagnosis.

One differentiating symptom is air scratching and bunny hopping -- these do not seem to ever appear with PSOM. A huge number of cavaliers have PSOM -- three of my four -- s removing the plug doesn;t necessarily solve anything -- as with SM some dogs are bothered by it and others are not. Some just gradually go deaf. The surgery often has to be repeated three or four times and does have risks -- I know of a cavalier that died due to complications after a PSOM surgery. I was advised not to have it unless it seems to be seriously bothering the dogs.

If PSOM is so extreme that the tympanum is bulging and can be seen by a vet then it may well be causing problems. The vet cannot see PSOM on any of my three that have it by looking in their ears. Putting the dog under and scoping the dog can sometimes spot it if it is extreme.

chloe92us said:

I thought PSOM was only diagnosable with an MRI? ANyone know about these other ways of diagnosing?

Click to expand...

This is from http://cavalierhealth.org/psom.htm

"PSOM may be detected by veterinary neurology or dermatology specialists from either magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or a computed tomography (CT) scan. Both require that the dog be under general anesthesia. It also may be observed using an operating microscope with good lighting and at a suitable magnification. If the case is severe enough that the dog's tympanic membrane is bulging, the condition may be visible on x-rays and diagnosed with an otoscope. In extreme cases, the tympanic membrane may have ruptured and the mucus plug clearly seen.

"Possible alternative instruments for diagnosis of PSOM include impedance audiometry, pneumotoscopy, tympanic bulla ultrasonography, and the brain-stem auditory evoked response test (BAER)."

Rod Russell
Orlando, Florida USA