sugar

Can you ask the other dogs owner to pay for the vet bill??

For Hot Spots and Itching Boil 1½ cups of water, remove from heat. Add 2 teaspoons oatmeal, 1 teaspoon chamomile, 1 teaspoon calendula flowers and 1 regular tea bag (Lipton type); let steep until cool. Strain through doubled cheesecloth. If you do not have the herbs, use 1 cup of water. Spray the affected area as often as needed. - - - - - - Hot Spots Hot spots can lead to serious illness in dogs. They can be caused by allergies to chemicals, food, fleas and other substances, but fleas seem to be a primary source. This recipe has proven effective for many dogs suffering from Hot Spots. 3 capsules Sage ¼ teaspoon Epsom Salts 2 cups of Water Combine all ingredients and bring this all to a boil. Cool to room temperature and then strain out the powdered Sage. Store in a 2-cup spray bottle or jar in the refrigerator to keep fresh. Spray or wipe on hot spots, insect bites, or any other skin abrasions as many times a day as possible. It heals in about 3 days, and you should begin to see some hair regrowth in a little over a week. --------- Summer Skin Itch - Healing For promoting hair growth, healing sore skin, and as a Anti-Itch Solution. 1 teaspoon of apple cider (brown) 10ml of Colloidal Silver (anti-fungal/virus/bacteria) approx. 20 drops of calendula tincture Put into a empty 1 litre spray bottle, then fill with distilled water. Spray on affected areas 3 x daily. Use half the dosage mix if using a smaller spray bottle or bowl. ---------- Skin Allergies Are actually signs of zinc deficiencies. Buy the Chelated Zinc 10mg Tablets and crush the tablet & mix into daily meals. Elderly cats and dogs benefit this mineral in their daily regular meals, along with digestive enzyme tablet (crushed). Change diets to a all natural preservative free one. That means no more commercial dog biscuits or tin foods. The less toxic chemicals and drugs the healthier your pet will stay. Many Dogs are allergic to the foods (commercial) Also avoid pasta, rice, carrots, yeast, corn, wheat, beef, oats. These are some of the more common food allergens (all commercial foods have wheat, corn and preserves, poor quality artificial meat and flavourings ). ---------- Irritated Skin 500 ml Sorbolene, add 100 ml tea tree oil, mix well and apply as often as required. http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/skinremedies.htm

If KK was pushing RC down our throat (which she is NOT!) then what about Pedigree PAL? I see it on the TV, I see it at the shops, I see it at the Petrol station out the front, I see it just about everywhere! I see it at the front page of DOL supporting shows. YET, Most people on DOL think PAL is yuk! SO if you have a problem with advertising dog food, then why not stop PALs advertising!!

Dealing with Normal Puppy Behavior: Chewing Puppies may be just as much work as human babies - maybe more so because puppies can't wear diapers and they have very sharp teeth! It's definitely true that, similar to infants and toddlers, puppies explore their world by putting things in their mouths. In addition, puppies are teething until they’re about six months old, which usually creates some discomfort. Chewing not only facilitates teething, but also makes sore gums feel better. Although it's perfectly normal for a puppy to chew on furniture, shoes, shrubbery and such, these behaviors can be a problem for you. A puppy won’t magically "outgrow" these behaviors as he matures. Instead, you must shape your puppy's behaviors and teach him which ones are acceptable and which aren’t. Discouraging Unacceptable Behavior It’s virtually inevitable that your puppy will, at some point, chew up something you value. This is part of raising a puppy! You can, however, prevent most problems by taking the following precautions: Minimize chewing problems by puppy-proofing your house. Put the trash out of reach, inside a cabinet or outside on a porch, or buy containers with locking lids. Encourage children to pick up their toys and don’t leave socks, shoes, eyeglasses, briefcases or TV remote controls lying around within your puppy’s reach. If, and only if, you catch your puppy chewing on something he shouldn't, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, then offer him an acceptable chew toy instead and praise him lavishly when he takes the toy in his mouth. Make unacceptable chew items unpleasant to your puppy. Furniture and other items can be coated with "Bitter Apple" to make them unappealing. Don't give your puppy objects to play with such as old socks, old shoes or old children's toys that closely resemble items that are off-limits. Puppies can't tell the difference! Closely supervise your puppy. Don’t give him the chance to go off by himself and get into trouble. Use baby gates, close doors or tether him to you with a six-foot leash so you can keep an eye on him. When you must be gone from the house, confine your puppy to a small, safe area such as a laundry room. You may also begin to crate train (OR A PUPPY PEN) your puppy . Puppies under five months of age shouldn’t be crated for longer than four hours at a time, as they may not be able to control their bladder and bowels longer than that. Make sure your puppy is getting adequate physical activity. Puppies left alone in a yard don’t play by themselves. Take your puppy for walks and/or play a game of fetch with him as often as possible. Give your puppy plenty of "people time." He can only learn the rules of your house when he’s with you. Encouraging Acceptable Behavior Provide your puppy with lots of appropriate toys (see our handout "Dog Toys and How to Use Them"). Rotate your puppy’s toys. Puppies, like babies, are often more interested in unfamiliar or novel objects. Put out four or five toys for a few days, then pick those up and put out four or five different ones. Experiment with different kinds of toys. When you introduce a new toy to your puppy, watch him to make sure he won’t tear it up and ingest the pieces. Consider the various types of toys that can be stuffed with food. Putting tidbits of food inside chew toys focuses your puppy’s chewing activities on those toys instead of on unacceptable objects. If your puppy is teething, try freezing a wet washcloth for him to chew on. What Not To Do Never discipline or punish your puppy after the fact. If you discover a chewed item even minutes after he’s chewed it, you’re too late to administer a correction. Animals associate punishment with what they’re doing at the time they’re being punished. A puppy can’t reason that, "I tore up those shoes an hour ago and that's why I'm being scolded now." Some people believe this is what a puppy is thinking because he runs and hides or because he "looks guilty." "Guilty looks" are canine submissive postures that dogs show when they’re threatened. When you’re angry and upset, the puppy feels threatened by your tone of voice, body postures and/or facial expressions, so he may hide or show submissive postures. Punishment after-the-fact will not only fail to eliminate the undesirable behavior, but could provoke other undesirable behaviors, as well. Other Reasons For Destructive Behavior In most cases, destructive chewing by puppies is nothing more than normal puppy behavior. Adult dogs, however, can exhibit destructive behaviors for a variety of reasons, which can occasionally be the cause of chewing problems in puppies, as well. Examples include separation anxiety, fear-related behaviors and attention-getting behavior. (sent by breeder of my boy)

DEALING WITH NORMAL PUPPY BEHAVIOR: NIPPING AND ROUGH PLAY When puppies play with each other, they use their mouths. Therefore, puppies usually want to bite or "mouth" hands during play or when being petted. With puppies, this is rarely aggressive behavior in which the intent is to do harm. Because puppies are highly motivated to exhibit this type of behavior, attempts to suppress it or stop it are unlikely to be successful unless you give your puppy an alternative behavior. The goals of working with this normal puppy behavior are to redirect your puppy's desire to put something in her mouth onto acceptable chew toys and to teach her to be gentle when a hand is in her mouth. Encourage Acceptable Behavior Redirect your puppy’s chewing onto acceptable objects by offering her a small rawhide chew bone or other type of chew toy whenever you pet her. This technique can be especially effective when children want to pet her. As you or the child reach out to scratch her behind the ears (not over the head) with one hand, offer the chew bone with the other. This will not only help your puppy learn that people and petting are wonderful, but will also keep her mouth busy while she’s being petted. Alternate which hand does the petting and which one has the chew bone. At first, you may need to pet or scratch your puppy for short periods of time, since the longer she’s petted, the more likely she is to get excited and start to nip. Discourage Unacceptable Behavior • You must also teach your puppy to be gentle with hands, and that nipping results in unpleasant consequences for her. Teach your puppy that nipping "turns off" any attention and social interaction with you. After a nip, look your puppy right in the eye, and yell "OUCH" as though you’ve been mortally wounded, then ignore her. Leave the room if you must, but ignore her until she’s calm, then try the chew bone and petting method again. It’s even better if you can coax your puppy into a sitting position using food. It may take many repetitions for her to understand what’s expected. • Nipping and mouthing hands can also be discouraged by loosely holding your puppy's lower jaw between your thumb and forefinger after she’s taken your hand in her mouth. Don't hurt her by squeezing too hard, just gently hang on so that wherever her mouth goes, your hand hangs on. This will quickly become tiresome and she’ll eventually pull away. After several seconds, release her jaw, but continue to offer her your hand. If she licks or ignores it, praise, pet and offer a tidbit. If she closes her mouth on your hand again, repeat the procedure. • A third alternative is to wear cotton gloves coated with a substance with an unpleasant taste such as "Bitter Apple." In this way, your puppy will learn that "hands in mouth taste bad." For this method to work, every time she nips your hand she must experience this bad taste. The possible disadvantage to this method is that your puppy may learn "hands with gloves taste bad and those without gloves don’t. • Remember that any of these three methods will probably not be effective unless you work hard to teach your puppy the right behavior by offering her an acceptable chew toy. Jumping Up When your puppy jumps up on you, she wants attention. Whether you push her away, knee her in the chest or step on her hind legs, she’s being rewarded for jumping up (even though it’s negative attention, she’s still getting what she wants). When Your PuppyJumps Up: • Fold your arms in front of you, turn away from her and say "off." • Continue to turn away from her until all four of her feet are on the ground, then quietly praise her and give her a treat. If she knows the "sit" command, give the command when all four of her feet are on the ground, then quietly praise her and give her a treat her while she’s in the sitting position. • When you begin to praise her, if she begins to jump up again, simply turn away and repeat step two, above. Remember to keep your praise low-key. • When your puppy realizes that she gets no attention from you while she’s jumping up, but does get attention when she stops jumping up and sits, she’ll stop jumping up. Remember, once you’ve taught her to come and sit quietly for attention, you must reward her behavior. Be careful not to ignore her when she comes and sits politely, waiting for your attention. What Not To Do Attempts to tap, slap or hit your puppy in the face for nipping or jumping up are almost guaranteed to backfire. Several things may happen, depending on your puppy's temperament and the severity of the correction: • She could become "hand-shy" and cringe or cower whenever a hand comes toward her face. • She could become afraid of you and refuse to come to you or approach you at all. • She could respond in a defensive manner and attempt to bite you to defend herself. • She could interpret a mild slap as an invitation to play, causing her to become more excited and even more likely to nip. Never play "tug-of-war" or wrestling games with your puppy if you’re having a nipping problem. These types of games encourage out-of-control behavior, grabbing, lunging and competion with you. These aren’t behaviors you want her to learn. A Note About Children And Puppies It’s very difficult for children under eight or nine years old to practice the kind of behavior modification outlined here. A child’s first reaction to being nipped or mouthed by a puppy is to push the puppy away with their hands and arms. This will be interpreted by the puppy as play and will probably cause the puppy to nip and mouth even more. Dogs should never be left alone with children under ten and parents should monitor closely all interactions between their children and dogs.

My daughters friends mum just bought the Dr Harry ones for $39

Common Foods That Are Harmful Or Even Fatal to Dogs Many common foods are actually harmful or even fatal to dogs. Some of these (listed below) will surprise you. Others are things you would never give your dog purposefully, but now you will be more careful to not let them be in your dog's reach. And some just need to be limited to small amounts. Avocados (fruit, pit, and plant) are toxic to dogs. They can cause difficulty breathing; fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart; or pancreatitis. Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia, weakness, and breathing difficulty. Even small amounts can cause cumulative damage over time. This includes onions or chives - raw, powdered, dehydrated, or cooked. Large amounts of garlic cause the same problems as onions. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill him. If the dog doesn't eat enough at one time to be fatal, he can be severely damaged by eating just a few grapes or raisins regularly. Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe. (All parts of the plant except the tomato itself are also poisonous to humans.) Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death. Caffeine (from coffee, coffee grounds, tea, or tea bags) stimulates the central nervous and cardiac systems, and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart palpitations, and even death within hours. Diet products containing the sweetener Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Unless treatment is given quickly, the dog could die. Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis. These symptoms are usually temporary. Walnuts are poisonous to dogs. Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. But any chocolate, in large enough amounts, can kill a dog. An ounce of chocolate can poison a 30-pound dog, and many dogs will happily consume more than this. The symptoms may not show up for several hours (and so might make you think all is well), with death following within twenty-four hours. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous. Apple seeds, cherry pits, and peach pits, pear pips, plums pits, peaches, and apricot pits contain cyanide, which is poisonous. Too much salt can cause kidney problems. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may then drink too much water and develop bloat, which is fatal unless emergency treatment is given very quickly. Too much fat or fried foods can cause pancreatitis. Ham and bacon contain too much fat and too much salt, and can cause pancreatitis. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may drink too much water and develop a life-threatening condition called bloat. This is where the stomach fills up with gas and within several hours may twist, causing death. Raw liver or too much cooked liver (three servings a week) can lead to vitamin A toxicity. This can cause deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss, and anorexia. Check the label of your canned dog food to be sure that it does not contain liver if you are giving your dog liver also. Wild mushrooms can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma, or death. Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can deplete your dog of biotin, one of the B vitamins. Biotin is essential to your dog’s growth and coat health. The lack of it can cause hair loss, weakness, growth retardation, or skeleton deformity. Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but rice is generally safe in small amounts. Cooked bones can splinter and tear a dog’s internal organs. Dogs can't digest most vegetables (carrots, green beans, lettuce, potatoes or yams) whole or in large pieces. Potato peels and green potatoes are dangerous. Dairy products are high in fat, which can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. A small amount of non-fat, plain yogurt is usually safe. Pennies made from the 1980s to today contain zinc, which can cause kidney failure and damage to red blood cells. A dog that consumes even one penny can become quite sick, or even die, if the penny is not removed.

For Hot Spots and Itching Boil 1½ cups of water, remove from heat. Add 2 teaspoons oatmeal, 1 teaspoon chamomile, 1 teaspoon calendula flowers and 1 regular tea bag (Lipton type); let steep until cool. Strain through doubled cheesecloth. If you do not have the herbs, use 1 cup of water. Spray the affected area as often as needed. - - - - - - Hot Spots Hot spots can lead to serious illness in dogs. They can be caused by allergies to chemicals, food, fleas and other substances, but fleas seem to be a primary source. This recipe has proven effective for many dogs suffering from Hot Spots. 3 capsules Sage ¼ teaspoon Epsom Salts 2 cups of Water Combine all ingredients and bring this all to a boil. Cool to room temperature and then strain out the powdered Sage. Store in a 2-cup spray bottle or jar in the refrigerator to keep fresh. Spray or wipe on hot spots, insect bites, or any other skin abrasions as many times a day as possible. It heals in about 3 days, and you should begin to see some hair regrowth in a little over a week. --------- Summer Skin Itch - Healing For promoting hair growth, healing sore skin, and as a Anti-Itch Solution. 1 teaspoon of apple cider (brown) 10ml of Colloidal Silver (anti-fungal/virus/bacteria) approx. 20 drops of calendula tincture Put into a empty 1 litre spray bottle, then fill with distilled water. Spray on affected areas 3 x daily. Use half the dosage mix if using a smaller spray bottle or bowl. ---------- Skin Allergies Are actually signs of zinc deficiencies. Buy the Chelated Zinc 10mg Tablets and crush the tablet & mix into daily meals. Elderly cats and dogs benefit this mineral in their daily regular meals, along with digestive enzyme tablet (crushed). Change diets to a all natural preservative free one. That means no more commercial dog biscuits or tin foods. The less toxic chemicals and drugs the healthier your pet will stay. Many Dogs are allergic to the foods (commercial) Also avoid pasta, rice, carrots, yeast, corn, wheat, beef, oats. These are some of the more common food allergens (all commercial foods have wheat, corn and preserves, poor quality artificial meat and flavourings ). ---------- Irritated Skin 500 ml Sorbolene, add 100 ml tea tree oil, mix well and apply as often as required. http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/skinremedies.htm

Supercoat has listed first ingredient as Meat not rice or cereal. For a budget dry food, I don't think you can bag the stuff. My dogs look great on it, and the dollar is not an issue. However they do get lots of raw bones, mince and vegies.

the ingredients in BLEPH_10 are BLEPH®-10 solution: Active: Sulfacetamide sodium 10% (100 mg/mL). Preservative: benzalkonium chloride (0.005%). Inactives: polyvinyl alcohol 1.4%; sodium thiosulfate; sodium phosphate dibasic; sodium phosphate monobasic; edetate disodium; polysorbate 80; hydrochloric acid and/or sodium hydroxide to adjust the pH; and purified water. I would take the list of ingredients to the vet or phone and ask

For Promoting Hair growth, healing sore skin, and anti-itch 1 teaspoon brown apple cider 10ml of Colloidal silver (Can buy here; http://greenpet.com.au/default.php?cPath=60&page=1&sort=4a) approx 20 drops calendula tincture put into 1 litre spray bottle and fill with water spray on affected areas 3 times a day. GREAT SITE: http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/skinremedies.htm

For Promoting Hair growth, healing sore skin, and anti-itch 1 teaspoon brown apple cider 10ml of Colloidal silver (Can buy here; http://greenpet.com.au/default.php?cPath=60&page=1&sort=4a) approx 20 drops calendula tincture put into 1 litre spray bottle and fill with water spray on affected areas 3 times a day. GREAT SITE: http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/skinremedies.htm

LOOK what I found when I googled Martha Gardiners Wool Wash; Hey, Martha Gardner's Eucalyptus Wool Mix is the best dog wash stuff ever!! ricey and Hobbes (yeah, "master", thats why I stink like a gum tree) Posted by: Jed 11th Mar 2004 - 09:19 AM Martha Gardiner's Wool Mix contains bleach, is not the correct PH for dogs. Plenty of people use it without problems - but some people find after a while the dog develops a skin condition - which is deep seated and difficult to clear - and often, people don't realise the cause. And - some vets recommend it. Mind you, a lot don't. Fidos, Aristopet, or any of the proprietary flea shampoos do the same job, without causing any problems to the dog. Sorry, but Wool Mix is right up there with "Maltese Terriers" for mine. Posted by: Steve 11th Mar 2004 - 10:45 AM Wool wash has caustic soda which strips the oil out of the wool and therefore the fur and the skin. Better to use homebrand baby shampoo with a drop of eucalyptus oil or a dog shampoo especially if you bathyour dog often.

Check out this site!!! easy home made natural remedies for itchy skin/hot spots/allergies etc.. http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/skinremedies.htm

http://www.thewarehouse.com.au/locations.aspx

Common Foods That Are Harmful Or Even Fatal to Dogs Many common foods are actually harmful or even fatal to dogs. Some of these (listed below) will surprise you. Others are things you would never give your dog purposefully, but now you will be more careful to not let them be in your dog's reach. And some just need to be limited to small amounts. Avocados (fruit, pit, and plant) are toxic to dogs. They can cause difficulty breathing; fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart; or pancreatitis. Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia, weakness, and breathing difficulty. Even small amounts can cause cumulative damage over time. This includes onions or chives - raw, powdered, dehydrated, or cooked. Large amounts of garlic cause the same problems as onions. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill him. If the dog doesn't eat enough at one time to be fatal, he can be severely damaged by eating just a few grapes or raisins regularly. Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe. (All parts of the plant except the tomato itself are also poisonous to humans.) Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death. Caffeine (from coffee, coffee grounds, tea, or tea bags) stimulates the central nervous and cardiac systems, and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart palpitations, and even death within hours. Diet products containing the sweetener Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Unless treatment is given quickly, the dog could die. Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis. These symptoms are usually temporary. Walnuts are poisonous to dogs. Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. But any chocolate, in large enough amounts, can kill a dog. An ounce of chocolate can poison a 30-pound dog, and many dogs will happily consume more than this. The symptoms may not show up for several hours (and so might make you think all is well), with death following within twenty-four hours. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous. Apple seeds, cherry pits, and peach pits, pear pips, plums pits, peaches, and apricot pits contain cyanide, which is poisonous. Too much salt can cause kidney problems. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may then drink too much water and develop bloat, which is fatal unless emergency treatment is given very quickly. Too much fat or fried foods can cause pancreatitis. Ham and bacon contain too much fat and too much salt, and can cause pancreatitis. Also, large breeds of dogs that eat salty food may drink too much water and develop a life-threatening condition called bloat. This is where the stomach fills up with gas and within several hours may twist, causing death. Raw liver or too much cooked liver (three servings a week) can lead to vitamin A toxicity. This can cause deformed bones, excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine, weight loss, and anorexia. Check the label of your canned dog food to be sure that it does not contain liver if you are giving your dog liver also. Wild mushrooms can cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma, or death. Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can deplete your dog of biotin, one of the B vitamins. Biotin is essential to your dog’s growth and coat health. The lack of it can cause hair loss, weakness, growth retardation, or skeleton deformity. Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but rice is generally safe in small amounts. Cooked bones can splinter and tear a dog’s internal organs. Dogs can't digest most vegetables (carrots, green beans, lettuce, potatoes or yams) whole or in large pieces. Potato peels and green potatoes are dangerous. Dairy products are high in fat, which can cause pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea. A small amount of non-fat, plain yogurt is usually safe. Pennies made from the 1980s to today contain zinc, which can cause kidney failure and damage to red blood cells. A dog that consumes even one penny can become quite sick, or even die, if the penny is not removed.

Im in the middle of reading a book called - HEAVEN IS SO REAL, its about a lady named Choo Thomas which was taken by the Lord to visit heaven 17 times. She also visited hell. In part of the book it says 'The Lords "animal mountain" is a place of eternal joy and happiness. It is reassuring to know that animals will live with us in paradise. Many people wonder if their pets will be in heaven, and I am happy to let them know that heaven is a place of beautiful flowers, peaceful animals and glorious radiance where people and animals alike will never experience pain, hardship, death or suffering ever again.' page 54 Heaven is so Real By choo Thomas Foreward by Rev Dr David Yonggi Cho

Im specifically talking about gastric type bugs in humans/parvo in dogs :p

thanks Hesapandabear - I was reading the thread in rescue about the bug. Human bug then dogs sick too. Just wondering if that was possible.

thanks for that- wow! and holy crap!

Just wondering :p

Isnt pet mince raw? Its mince and frames crushed?

Whats the matter

Let us know how you go

How will I know if my pet has an ear infection? Top When an infection starts, a pet will shake its head occasionally and will scratch its ear. This will often progress to the stage where the pet is obviously distressed. It may moan as it tries to scratch its ear. It will rub its head along the ground and may walk with its head at an angle. If you examine the ear, you will notice that the ears have a pungent smell. You may also see some discharge in the ear, especially in the ear canal. This discharge may be brown in colour, it may be yellow and look like pus, or it may contain blood - not something to ignore. An insect called an ear mite sometimes causes ear infections. These small creepy-crawlies move around inside the ear canal and cause great discomfort. The ears of the dog or cat react to this irritation by pumping out a waxy discharge. This gunk is an ideal soup for bacteria, yeasts and fungi to grow in, further worsening the problem. What can I do at home? Top If the problem is caught early enough, then home treatment may be useful, especially if ear mites are the cause. Ask your vet for a good ear cleaning solution that also contains a compound to kill the mites. These preparations contain compounds to dissolve the wax, to reduce bacterial infection and to kill the mites that are present. Put the medication into each ear twice daily or as indicated. Be careful when cleaning your pet’s ears. The old rule of ‘putting nothing smaller than your elbow’ in your pet’s ear is still a wise one. Many owners will attempt to clean their pets’ ears by using cotton buds. Buds will often ramrod the wax down onto the eardrum. This makes it much more difficult to eliminate the infection, and may lead to a rupture of the eardrum. To clean the outer part of the ear, a cotton ball, not a bud, moistened with an ear cleaning solution will do well. Only clean the area of the ears that you can see. For poodles and other animals with hairy ear canals, plucking of the hairs from the ear canals may be necessary to allow proper ventilation. Animals with long, heavy, droopy ears, such as Basset Hounds, need their ears examined regularly. The weight of their ears prevents natural airing and drying of the ear canals. When should I see the vet? Top Typically, letting your veterinarian professionally examine and clean your pet’s ears is easier and safer. Your vet will look into your pet’s ears with an otoscope to find out what is causing the problem. If mites are present, they will be visible but, in many cases, bacteria or yeasts without ear mites cause the infection. There may also be foreign bodies present, such as grass seeds, which need immediate attention by a veterinarian. In many cases your pet will need antibiotics or other prescription medications to solve the problem. Ear medications like this are not available over the counter. It may be necessary for your pet to be anaesthetised for the vet to examine its ears correctly. This will also allow proper cleaning and inspection. A sample of the discharge is often taken and this will be examined under the microscope to find out what bugs are present. A swab may also be sent off to a laboratory for a ‘culture and sensitivity’ test. This is done to detect what bugs are present and what medications are best suited to kill them. As you will know, some bacteria are resistant to certain antibiotics. Be sure to complete the full course of any ointment that your vet prescribes.