Antimicrobial activity of ear cleanser products against biofilm and planktonic phases of Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. isolated from canine skin and ear infections.

Background: Staphylococcus spp., and Pseudomonas spp., including multidrug resistant staphylococci are frequent isolates from canine otitis externa and atopic dermatitis. The ability of these bacteria to form biofilms significantly contributes to the chronic nature of otitis. To manage microbial overgrowth, ear cleanser products are commonly used. It is important therefore, to measure their antibiofilm effects. In this study, six ear cleansers (Epiotic SIS, Epiotic Advanced, Cleanaural, Otifree, Peptivet and Sonotix) were evaluated against clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin resistant and sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Antibiofilm activity was measured using a colorimetric assay that detects viable cells through the reduction of thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT). Additionally, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Epiotic SIS and Epiotic Advanced were determined using a broth micro-dilution assay to assess their ability to inhibit bacteria in the planktonic state.

Results: Epiotic (SIS and Advanced), Cleanaural and Peptivet showed high antibiofilm activity, with Otifree and Sonotix showing moderate to low antibiofilm activity. Notably, Otifree was significantly less effective at inhibiting methicillin-resistant S. aureus compared to methicillin-sensitive strains. P. aeruginosa biofilms were less effectively disrupted by some ear cleansers, and the MIC results indicated that less diluted solutions were required to inhibit this isolate compared to the staphylococcal species. Differences in the antibacterial effects between Epiotic SIS and Epiotic Advanced solutions could also be detected from the MIC assays suggesting differences in formulations can affect antimicrobial efficacy.

Conclusions: Commonly used canine ear cleanser products showed variable activity against multidrug resistant and sensitive Staphylococcus spp. and P. aeruginosa isolates in both biofilm and planktonic phases. The observed differences between bacterial strains and cleanser formulations highlight the importance of selecting appropriate products for targeted microbial control, which can lead to more effective management of chronic otitis externa and atopic dermatitis in dogs.