Chronic ear problems

[suzyb991]

Hi everybody
Have been searching for a solution for my 8 yr old airedale, who has chronic ear problems. Initially put on steroids but he is off them after a short time. Have tried Epi Otic, Surlan and nothing seems to make a difference. Anyone had any luck with homeopathic remedies? Vet says dogs are more susceptible when their ears lie flat without air circulation. He's such a great dog but we can't seem to clear this up. I clean his ears every day and the moment he sees me reach for the bottle, he disappears.

[rainbow]

Did your vet ever do a culture of the gunk in his ears?

Also, what are you feeding him?

[erykah1310]

knowing exactly what it is that is bothering the ears is the first step.
If it is a yeast, I would immediately look at what you are feeding ( for alot of us here and alot of newbies who have just stopped in briefly food was the culprit in ear problems... one of my gurls was one who always had ear issues)

As for homeopathic, again it helps a tonne to know what the culprit is.

[scol]

Hi suzyb991

I've had the same problem with chronic ear problems with my dog. Pendulous ears, and with the cocker breed the canal is not straight too. He had an ear culture done and it's a yeast infection he's prone too. My vet could do this and get the results immediately, and the cost was negligible. One thing you can try with no risk is cut out corn, soy and particularly wheat from his diet, to see if it makes a difference. It's commonly the problem. Could be sensitivity to something else too but those are really common.

Just to reinforce this, he got into half a loaf of whole wheat bread while I was out, (moldy too, blech was supposed to go in the compost). This morning he had an itching episode and when I came home for lunch he was so inflamed that his head was tilted and his ears are still really sore to the touch. (I've made an appointment to check him)
What are you using to clean them, sometimes too much cleaning can cause problems too I found, as the skin might get irritated and then susceptible to bacterial infection. Diluted vinegar is a good cleaner for not disrupting the natural balance of the ear.
As the others said pinpointing the type of infection is key.

[kiara]

I bought this book a while ago and it has many good remedies in it. The Doctors Book of "Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats", by the Editors of PREVENTION MAGAZINE HEATH BOOKS. I quote from the book, keep his ears clean. Ear infections are a common cause of bad odors, says Lisa Degen, D.M.V., a veterinarian in private practice in Florida. While ear infections require a veterinarian's care, you can help prevent them by washing your dog's ears. Dogs prone to problems may need to have their ears scrubbed as often as once a week. Dr. Degen recommends mixing one part white vinegar with two parts water, then gently flushing the ear with a bulb syringe. Rub the ear gently to distribute the liquid, then wipe with a cotton ball. (My comment), washing the ears daily probably has made it worse and steroids are dangerous. Make it a "fun" experience for your dog by giving him his favorite treats and perhaps you need a second person to help.

[grissom]

My chow dog use to have chronic ear infections. I, like you would clean them with an ear wash that was given by the vet. The ear wash has aloe in it to prevent drying. However, I changed his food to IAMS healthy naturals and his ear problems have all but vanished. He has had one ear infection in the past year. He use to eat kibbles and bits all (was all he would eat). I introduced IAMS to him gradually and now that is all he will eat. Try a small bag and within a week or so it may do the trick but first of all-get the current infection cleared up. Good luck.

[Tundra_Queen]

Hi

Wouldn't washing the dogs ears with vinegar sting his ears?

My husband was told to clean his guide dog's ears with witch hazel.

[suzyb991]

it definitely is a yeast infection; we've had the all the tests. The last time I was at the vets office, he said the next step to consider is closing the ear, which is totally unacceptable to me.

I have tried various kibble and currently on the IAMS natural, but suspect even that isn't pure enough. His treats are all holistic in nature, keeping wheat to a minimum. I do think its food related and currently looking at using a Wellness kibble, anyone tried it?

[rainbow]

Wellness is a good food but I personally prefer Orijen. If you do go with Wellness get Wellness CORE.....it is grain free like Orijen and I would recommend grain free for allergies.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Originally Posted by Tundra_Queen

Hi

Wouldn't washing the dogs ears with vinegar sting his ears?

My husband was told to clean his guide dog's ears with witch hazel.

One part vinegar to two parts water will stop the sting.

[punkyamberlea]

It could be food allergies. Most common food related to allergies is CHICKEN!!! MOST food contain it. A clean that might help is called T8 Keto Flush. The Keto is a steroid that helps. At the vet I work at it has Helped many dogs with cronic issues. Its worth giving a try. Amber