Ear infections in dogs

[bcody]

I have a one year old standard poodle, great dog! Recently I have been having problems with a yeast infection in his ears. When i get rid of it, any solutions for floppy eared dogs? He is the first dog I have owned with floppy ears. I keep the hair pulled out of his ears, clean them on a regular basis (once or twice a week)

Are there any natural solutions?

 

[MountainMeadows]

Diet is a big instigator of ear infections. Most vets will prescribe & treat the infection, and it will clear up temporarily - which is important, and generally goes hand in hand with actually finding the source of the infection - which is often more of an allergy. You might check with one of your local high end pet stores (or even PetSmart) about getting some dog food that is organic and see if that does the trick - there are several manufacturers out there and they make blends for all kinds of problems -- seems weird, but I have had the same problem and cleared it up with changing the food.

Good luck - it is such an annoying problem and no doubt very uncomfortable for the dog.

Stacy

 

[Wee Mite Miniatures]

Diet is a big instigator of ear infections. Stacy

Stacy, I could not agree more.

I used to have a dog that had one ear infection after the other. She did not have floppy ears. I had her to an ear specialist and still they could find not reason for the infections.

After talking to a dog groomer I decided to change her diet. We changed her diet to Wellness, fish and sweet potatoes if I remember right. Instead of an ear infection every other week it was only once or twice a year. She also used to have redness between her toes. That went away too.

After hundreds and hundreds of dollars spent on vets it was a groomer who gave me the solution.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

There is a purple solution you can make at home tht I have been using on my lab and it has worked great!!!! I agree though a change i diet may help too...

here it is...

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/ears.html

Angie

 

[luv2ridesaddleseat]

The purple solution is my lifesaver! I am a dog groomer and recomend it to many!! It is the best stuff ever invented! I also 100% agree, these ear problems are so much diet realated it's amazing! Don't feed the cheap, crappy dog foods! Read labels, it pays off in so many ways! Your dog will thank you for it.

 

[bcody]

Thanks, I will try the purple stuff! I have three dogs, and I only feed grain free organic food, we have a wonderful pet store that specializes in organic foods (PetsWest). I agree diet is very important to good health.

Thanks again, I can not wait to try the purple stuff!

 

[Sonya]

I've heard to wipe the inside of the ear with vinegar and water solution.

My lab swims 3 days a week in the summer, he doesn't just swim, he dives and stays totally under water, looking for rocks, fish. After he swims I put 2 drops of rubbing alcohol in each ear to help dry them up (vet's recommendation). He has not had an ear infection since. I personal would think that cleaning a healthy ear weekly is too much. I only clean my dogs (both floppy eared) about 4 times a year and they are fine, healthy. They do need some earwax/oils in there for protection. Sometimes sqweeky clean is not better. I'm sure you'll get all kinds of opinions on that...kinda just like sheath cleaning.

I also do not bath my dogs on a regular basis...unless they have rolled in something. They probably get a bath for the heck of it maybe once/twice a year. It's been a lllooong time since they've had a bath, they smell good and are shiny soft. Of course I do not show or anything either though.

Good luck, hope it clears up.

 

[ForMyACDs]

Ear infections are caused #1 by moisture in the ears. Poodles are a breed that tend to grow a lot of hair INSIDE the ear which tends to hold moisture. If you groomer isn't plucking the hair out of the insides of the ears then you need to speak with them. If they don't do it then you'll need to talk to your vet about plucking the hair OR learn to do it yourself. It's not difficult, it's just uncomfortable for the dog for a few seconds. ALSO, when your groomer grooms make sure you ask them to shave the hair on the underside of the ear and if possible it's not a bad idea to keep the ear hair trimmed short in general (if you're not showing your dog).

Next, you can take a dry gauze pad and wipe out the insides of the ears occasionally to keep them free of debris and dry. You'd be surprised how far down you can get your finger and how much gunk comes out. Before you start your own regular cleaning like this however I would recommend that you have the vet clean those ears out well for you so you have a good start. If you have a great vet they'll even show you how to do it yourself!! There are solutions out there that actually help to dry out moisture in the ear canal, but in order to be sure you have one that will do this talk to your vet. Be very careful about putting any home remedy solutions in the ear. Not all of them assist in keeping the ear dry and that can sometimes exacerbate the condition.

Also, ask your groomer to be VERY careful about getting water down in those ears when bathing.

Some dogs are more prone to infections than others, and there are lots of things that can increase the number of infections (even allergies can cause increased infections).

Good luck!

 

[liltnt]

I have a pug that used to get them all the time. The vet gave me a liquid to clean her ears out with maybe once a week. after doing this for a month the I was able to extend th time in between treatments Now we do it maybe once a month and she hasnt had any since. I just put the drops in her ears massage them a bit and away she goes. Right now I am using malacetic Otic I am able to catch it very quickly as she shakes her head as soon as it starts.

 

[Ashley]

As a person who is owned by a cocker spaniel I know what that is like. She is a walking ear infection all the time.

I treat constantly. I shave the inside of her ears down at a surgical length, and shave the outsides down with a 15. I do my own grooming on her so it is kept up for the most part.

Is has been on food from expensive to cheap it doesnt matter.

 

[bcody]

Thanks everyone. I groom him myself, and his ears are clean of hair, he is very good about letting me pull the hair. I do keep the top and bottom of his ears shaved, though I could probably shave the bottom shorter like you do Ashley, I will try. He is a year old, has had no problems until the last couple of months. I have not changed anything, and there are no mites.

Thanks for all the solutions. I will let you know how it goes!