A similar product to KC OtoPack has been released by a large pharmaceutical company which contains different antifungal and anti-inflammatory ingredients plus an antibiotic. The addition of this antibiotic, in my humble opinion, is not necessary, and likely harmful, in treating up to 90% of all presenting ear cases. It has been estimated that 90% of otitis externa cases are caused by Malassezia; the addition of an antibiotic to treat Malassezia is not necessary for many reasons including the fact that, most of the time, no bacteria is necessary to be treated; that if a bacteria is to be treated it is not Staph to which this is effective; that no culture has been done IF there is a bacteria to be treated and that, at the least, the use of any antibiotic in a slow release vehicle such as this will certainly cause plasmid formation and antibiotic resistance. Further, they do not suggest cleaning for a repeated application. While it is agreed that this is not necessary and inconvenient with both their product and KC OtoPack, in repeat swimming, hunting or recurrent atopic pets, it certainly is not harmful to clean prior to use.
Although much will be said about this new product due to Big Pharma promotions, Malassezia remains the target organism in up to 90% of presenting otitis externa dogs. While this new product presented by Big Pharma contains adequate Active Ingredients to handle this organism, the addition of the unnecessary antibiotic surely makes it inferior to KC OtoPack, a product that just contains an anti-inflammatory and antifungal.
As it relates to the compound pharmacy product often called B-N-T, both KC OtoPack and the new Pharma product are safer for many reasons, not the least of which is they are designed to be fully metabolized and do not contain lanolin. Lanolin, which is present in B-N-T. may cause a foreign body reaction due to the fact that the body has difficulty ridding itself of it and the foreign body reaction is secondary to macrophages attempting to remove it.
Alan Garett DVM
Everhardt Animal Hospital
Corpus Christi, TX