Infected Ears

[ChristineX]

Hi All,

this is my very first post (have been lurking for ages) - I could use some information/previous experiences that anyone has with infected (yeast) ears. My Irish Terrier Duke (ie, no symptoms!) sprang a nasty aggressive yeast infection about 4 weeks after having seen the vet, which included an ear check. He is currently on his second round of antibiotics and tapering off the steriods (to reduce the stenosis in the ear canal). I've noticed that other postings in the past suggested RAW, Barf type diets, which I would be reluctant to try as my other IT Kate is allergic to all meat protiens, and in the past has gone rather psychotic to other dogs if there is meat in the house. Duke, unfortunately, can be a bit food aggressive, and has problems recognising submissive 'can we stop' behaviour (and yes, I am in Perth and we are seeing Kathy as he is also reactive to strange dogs). An aquaintance has suggested using metholated spirits - I can see where she is coming from, but there is a good chance one of his eardrums is already perforated, so I don't feel inclined to try. He has been fed on Supercoat where Kate is on Z/D low allergenic (I have to buy the supercoat anyhow, Kate gets incontinent if she only gets Z/D,where a few pieces of Supercoat fix the problem), which I mention as surfing the web suggests allergies may cause infected ears.

Co-incidentally, we had a fast run to the vet on Saturday with Duke collapsing thru the backlegs. Vet thinks it may have been colitis. Could this be related to the drugs???

Anyone have any advice or previous experience they can offer?

ChristineX

[laffi]

For cleaning the ears I recommend diluted Malaseb shampoo (1:50 if I remember correctly).

I am not a big fan of Supercoat. It's full of grains and other fillers that can cause allergies and yeast infections.

Are you sure Kate is allergic to all the meats? Was she tested for less common meats like roo? How were the allergies determined?

[MiniMum]

Hi, so sorry your Duke is having such problems with his ear.

our guy came to us when he was 7MO with infected ears/perforated ear drum. Our vet tried so hard to help him, but we ended up having to go to a dermatologist and having a full barrage of tests. It turns out that our TD is atopic and the ear infection was a complication of his allergies. So now I avoid giving him anything that starts up his itchies.

I can't recommend any kibble as all the kibbles I have tried set off TD's allergies (even premium ones which are for sensitive skin), and I am suspicious of chicken too.

He does well on BARF, with his main protien coming from kangaroo and turkey necks, with some lamb necks and sardines. Finding out what suited him has taken months of trial and error.

The dermatologist gave him two (different) lots of antibiotics and ear drops (one of them was panalog) and now, although the eardrum isn't healed up properly (it never will ) there is no more infection. Now he just has weekly ear flushes and drops for the next two months.

I would certainly be wary of using anything in Duke's ear unless its cleared by the vet if you suspect perforation.

Good luck with it

Bec

[sandgrubber]

this is my very first post (have been lurking for ages) - I could use some information/previous experiences that anyone has with infected (yeast) ears. My Irish Terrier Duke (ie, no symptoms!) sprang a nasty aggressive yeast infection about 4 weeks after having seen the vet, which included an ear check. He is currently on his second round of antibiotics and tapering off the steriods (to reduce the stenosis in the ear canal).

I haven't had first hand experience with yeast infections, but lots of dogs coming to the boarding kennel are on ear drops due to yeast infections, and a few pups I've sold got nasty ear infections. Plus a former neighbour had a dog whose ears got so infected that it got into the inner ear and she ended out having to do surgery and a long course of followup treatment.

1. You don't say what antibiotics. Are they ear drops? I find that lots of dogs don't respond to ear drops because people don't put them far enough into the ear and don't put enough in. I've sent a few dogs home from kennels with clear ears whose owners put them through many courses of treatment without success. When I showed them how the vet told me to apply drops they were amazed.

2. If you're unsure of your vet, use your nose. Yeast is smelly.

3. Ear infections can be serious . . . do keep on top of it.

Personally, I don't think diet greatly affects yeast infections. There may be cases where it does . . . .

Edited March 11, 2009 by sandgrubber

[Sheridan]

Hi Christine

My sister is the irish terrier person in the family (I have a wheaten and a kerry). Welcome! Nice to see another IT person here. Please come and visit the terriers of Ireland thread.

It's unusual to get an irish terrier allergic to something. They're such hardy dogs. Sorry to hear both Duke and Katie have some problems at the moment. I'd suggest a food trial for Duke, if it's food related, and if you haven't done one already.

If Katie is allergic to other meat proteins, have you tried fish? Both my dogs mostly get tinned sardines. Not a protein source that some dog owners think of but they do very well on it and their kibble is fish as well (Eagle Pack Holistic Anchovy and Salmon).

Also, can I suggest if you haven't done so already, contacting the Irish Terrier Club regarding both your irish terriers. You have two breeders in WA, Neridah Sharrett and Liz Walmsley (you likely got your ITs from one of them anyway ).

[goldens]

My golden retriever, KayCee was allergic to live oak and pine pollen, Bermuda grass, mold spores and fleas and would some times end up with ear infection. A word of warning here about ear infections. It if gets in deep it can case what is called a VERTIGO EPISODE. My KayCee only ever had one and I thought she was having a seizure. She went to get up and dumped forward to the left and kinda lay there her mouth working, her head pulling to the left. I was still in my night short and I raced to bedroom to get dressed to get her to vet. She got up to follow andwas staggering to the left and bumped into the wall on left side of hall and went down again.

I was terrified and hen I got her to my vet jut a mile away, they were more concerned about me than her because she was ating pretty normal and i was standing there crying, hair going in ever direcion no shoes. It had only been 8 months since I lost her littermate brother to AIHA and was sure I was going to lose her also.

But as I described how she acted, my vet said he was pretty sure it was a vertigo episode due to inner ear infection, checked her out, and sure enough, she had an ear infection. She had a couple more infections in her life (lost her lat May to cancer) but never another vertigo episode.

[lucylotto]

this is my very first post (have been lurking for ages) - I could use some information/previous experiences that anyone has with infected (yeast) ears. My Irish Terrier Duke (ie, no symptoms!) sprang a nasty aggressive yeast infection about 4 weeks after having seen the vet, which included an ear check. He is currently on his second round of antibiotics and tapering off the steriods (to reduce the stenosis in the ear canal).

I haven't had first hand experience with yeast infections, but lots of dogs coming to the boarding kennel are on ear drops due to yeast infections, and a few pups I've sold got nasty ear infections. Plus a former neighbour had a dog whose ears got so infected that it got into the inner ear and she ended out having to do surgery and a long course of followup treatment.

1. You don't say what antibiotics. Are they ear drops? I find that lots of dogs don't respond to ear drops because people don't put them far enough into the ear and don't put enough in. I've sent a few dogs home from kennels with clear ears whose owners put them through many courses of treatment without success. When I showed them how the vet told me to apply drops they were amazed.

2. If you're unsure of your vet, use your nose. Yeast is smelly.

3. Ear infections can be serious . . . do keep on top of it.

Personally, I don't think diet greatly affects yeast infections. There may be cases where it does . . . .

Is the yeast being treated as well as the antibiotics for the bacteria?

[paddles]

I have experiance with ear infections! First I would like to ask, is this the first time your dog has had one? if so, it could just be a one off! When my English springer boy got his infection, the vet had all sorts of doom and gloom messages about allergies etc! However once the infection was cleared up, it hasn't come back! Nearly 6mths since he had it! My bitch currently has one, and my theory is, If you keep the ears clean (As in clip excess hair away) not twirl or any of the other things that some groomers will do, then the air can get into the ear, and you don't get the infections!

That's just my 2 cents worth.

Oh, I use a specific ear cleaner, epioptic? and just swab the available parts of the ear once a week. (It doesn't cost much, and lasts forever)

I think that the reason that sophie (MY bitch) has an infection, is because I've gotten lazy and not had thier ears clipped out. and it' been humid.

Edited March 11, 2009 by paddles

[badboyz]

I had a 10mth old shar pei returned to me late last year. Owners dumped on me before Xmas, saying that 2 vets said he would need ear canal operation costing $1500. I took him back, put him firstly on a course of antibiotics, changed his food from bonnie to mostly raw and later introduced a small amount of super premium diet. I used canestan cream diluted with saline (as recommended by Peibe) on a cotton bud and in his ear every day at first. He improved very quickly, infection cleared up and he has gone to a new home, with a recommendation to maintain a high quality diet and to use the Canestan once a week. So far so good and no more infections. I have used Malaseb in the past, but find the Canestan much gentler and more effective. I do believe the diet change is the most important though. If you have to get you dogs different diets, then so be it.

Edited March 11, 2009 by badboyz

[Staffyluv]

For cleaning the ears I recommend diluted Malaseb shampoo (1:50 if I remember correctly).

I am not a big fan of Supercoat. It's full of grains and other fillers that can cause allergies and yeast infections.

Are you sure Kate is allergic to all the meats? Was she tested for less common meats like roo? How were the allergies determined?

I have to agree with laffi here - the Malaseb works wonders but make sure you dilute it.

[dancinbcs]

After years of yeast infections in the ears alternating with bladder infections in an old bitch of mine, I tried her on Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine combined with a BARF diet. Cleared up both problems for good in a few weeks. If there is no one near you who does Chinese medicine for animals I can give you the details of the vet in Melbourne who did the treatment by hair analysis by mail.

[Crisovar]

If you keep the ears clean (As in clip excess hair away) not twirl or any of the other things that some groomers will do, then the air can get into the ear, and you don't get the infections!

I don't understand this bit, could you elaborate please.

[stormie]

this is my very first post (have been lurking for ages) - I could use some information/previous experiences that anyone has with infected (yeast) ears. My Irish Terrier Duke (ie, no symptoms!) sprang a nasty aggressive yeast infection about 4 weeks after having seen the vet, which included an ear check. He is currently on his second round of antibiotics and tapering off the steriods (to reduce the stenosis in the ear canal).

I haven't had first hand experience with yeast infections, but lots of dogs coming to the boarding kennel are on ear drops due to yeast infections, and a few pups I've sold got nasty ear infections. Plus a former neighbour had a dog whose ears got so infected that it got into the inner ear and she ended out having to do surgery and a long course of followup treatment.

1. You don't say what antibiotics. Are they ear drops? I find that lots of dogs don't respond to ear drops because people don't put them far enough into the ear and don't put enough in. I've sent a few dogs home from kennels with clear ears whose owners put them through many courses of treatment without success. When I showed them how the vet told me to apply drops they were amazed.

2. If you're unsure of your vet, use your nose. Yeast is smelly.

3. Ear infections can be serious . . . do keep on top of it.

Personally, I don't think diet greatly affects yeast infections. There may be cases where it does . . . .

Is the yeast being treated as well as the antibiotics for the bacteria?

The antibiotics are for the yeast. There are many forms of antibiotics - some of which yeast are sensitive to.

[WreckitWhippet]

If you keep the ears clean (As in clip excess hair away) not twirl or any of the other things that some groomers will do, then the air can get into the ear, and you don't get the infections!

I don't understand this bit, could you elaborate please.

Possibly referring to plucking the hair from the ear canals, which we frequently do.

[Dogsfevr]

Yes i would be curious what is meant by the groomer part too.

In our breed if you dont pluck you end up with big ear issues.Many vets are saying dont pluck but are enjoying the benefits of chronic ears at the dogs expense.

Diet can play a massive part ,yeast eats of certain products.Personally a dog with bad ears i wouldnt be feeding supa coat but then im not a fan of the ZD due to a certain ingredient "ethoxiquin (sp)"

Many ask the vet about the dog having a depramedol injection(sp)

[felix]

The antibiotics are for the yeast. There are many forms of antibiotics - some of which yeast are sensitive to.

Aren't antibiotics for bacterial infections? Yeast is a fungus AFAIK.

[sandgrubber]

The antibiotics are for the yeast. There are many forms of antibiotics - some of which yeast are sensitive to.

Aren't antibiotics for bacterial infections? Yeast is a fungus AFAIK.

AFAIK? meaning?

Surolan and Dermotic are the two "antibiotic" drop thingys that I've been given to use on dogs with ear infections. These are a coctail of antibiotics, micocide/fungicide, and steroid drugs if I'm reading the labels right.

I think "antibiotics" generally refers to a class of drugs produced by fungi and bacteria and used to fight infections. Mostly bacterial infections. But fungi produce some quite potent fungicides as well, and I think it would be correct to call these antibiotics. The fifth kingdom (fungi) is, after all, biotic.

I've often been told that antibiotics don't work on viral infections.

Edited March 13, 2009 by sandgrubber

[Erny]

AFAIK? meaning?

"As Far As I Know"

[huski]

I found putting Daisy on a BARF diet helped her ear infections but they still smell a bit yeasty sometimes.

sorry to highjack but I was wondering what everyone recommends for a good general cleaning solution?

[MiniMum]

I found putting Daisy on a BARF diet helped her ear infections but they still smell a bit yeasty sometimes.

sorry to highjack but I was wondering what everyone recommends for a good general cleaning solution?

Have you tried PAW (Pure Animal Wellbeing) Gentle Ear Cleaner? Our vet put us onto it, we found it did a good job of getting rid of junk. And someone from the poodle thread just recommened it too.