Ear Infection, Itchy Skin

[ShepherdAngels]

I have a German Shepherd who has a floppy ear. She started out in life to be a show dog but that was not meant to be when her ear dropped. So I purchased her because a floppy ear didn't matter to me I wanted a pet to spoil, cuddle, walk n talk with. She's a great companion. I love her to bits.

She's just turned 3 yrs old and last summer her mate passed away and she got really down in the dumps. At the same time she started scratching, got smelly and her hair went like wire and started to come out and got an ear infection off to the vets she went and was treated. No ear mite present was a fungal infection which may have started in the ear due to it being floppy and also as she was fretting for her mate and had gone off her diet, her immune system was low.

This all happened around the same time so - mate dying, sad, off food, immune system low, yeast infection or just a coincident I don't now but problem was solved so I thought. For the rest of the year I washed her in malaseb shampoo and cleaned her ears and the whole year has been an on going itchy ear cleaning struggle.

She has just got another ear infection and was taken to a different vet who put her under and flushed her ear, antibiotics and antihistamines and put onto Royal Canin Canine Veterinary Diet - Hypoallergenic the vet thinks she may have become allergic to her food, she was on science diet. All was good for about 3 weeks while she was still on the meds and then about a week after the meds where finished scratching, smelly dirty ear. So where back on the meds.

I am at my wits end my poor dog and her condition I just want her to be health and happy. I have consulting two vets - one says food allergy and the other says fungal infection due to the ear. The summer is worse than winter for the ear and the scratching seems to be less in the winter.

My back yard is covered in ants and today i put ant baits down - she has been locked out of the back yard completely while the baits are down. Vet say no ants wouldn't be the problem.

PLEASE can some help? Has one got a shepherd with a floppy ear. Sorry to make it a long post but I wanted to give you as much info as I could, I want my baby to be itch free. I have Google for a vet who specializes in allergies but its so hard to pick one off a Google search I don't want any vet I want THE vet.

Thankyou

Edited January 31, 2010 by ShepherdAngels

[stormie]

Welcome to DOL, Shepherd Angels

My advice would be to ask your regular vet for a referral to a Dermatologist. It's not really possible to diagnose food allergies unless you do a proper food elimination diet, so I'm not sure why the second vet would say that straight away. I think the fact that the ear is down is likely a link, but I think you should seek out the advice of a specialist before you spend anymore money with your regular vet.

Goodluck!

[Sandra777]

Could very well be a generalised fungal infection which is continued and made worse by a food allergy - no I'm not having a dollar each way, yeast & fungal infections are a common side effect of food allergies.

What apart from Science Diet have you tried in the way of food?

[ShepherdAngels]

Can you recomend a Dermatologist in the melbourne , shepparton , albury , wangaratta area. I dont mind travelling for her. I just want her well.

[Dogsfevr]

The floppy ear will make no difference,I have flopped ear breeds & never ear issues.

Does she have sore back feet??ie look at her pads underneath,do they look inflammed??

[persephone]

I was thinking if she has an immune prob- yeast, etc, then the ear that is floppy maybe more likely to harbour nasties- being a bit moister and darker/warmer than the other

I don't know any- but would suggest a dermatologist- someone who knows what they're looking at , and someone who can steer you in the right direction!

[ShepherdAngels]

She has been on pet mince from a supermarket which made her vomit. I didnt realise it was left overs from the deli and all sorts. Will never do that again. They say is would have had lots of preservatives from hot dogs and sliced meat.

I put her on a home delivered all naturall chicken mince, she wouldnt touch that and no matter what flavour i ordered everything smelt like garlic.

She Wont eat raw chick carkess or necks. She wont even eat raw bones as a regular thing .

Tried her on ox tongues, cooked. She liked them. Vet said to stay away from red meat and try chicken.

I tried just chicken fillets cooked she loved them but the scratching remainded but the ear was ok, little dirty but not smelly.

She used to get denture sticks but all treats have been stopped.

Now shes on the special diet for 6 - 8 weeks

Im so confused with all of this i just want some to look at and tell me "this is the results" but i dont know where to go. and dont want to go to the wrong place and pay $500 and be no better off than i am now.

Edited January 31, 2010 by ShepherdAngels

[spottychick]

Yes, when it comes to ears you can have several things going on at once. Usually one thing triggers another. The second vet recommending SD food sounds odd to me - but some vets do tend to push their sponsored dog food as a solution (sorry but they do!!).

Does she go swimming? If her ears keep getting wet it might be causing it. My dallys have constant problems with their ears which I try to keep under control with malaseb (diluted as per instructions and used as an ear wash) and/or Thornit.

It could be allergies - could be a combination of things. WIth my dogs even grass allergies can start it.

[ShepherdAngels]

The floppy ear will make no difference,I have flopped ear breeds & never ear issues.

Does she have sore back feet??ie look at her pads underneath,do they look inflammed??

No sore feet. she doesnt chew of lick her feet.

Just remembered she did have a lump removed last april from her neck, we had it tested and it wasnt cancerous. The lump was where she scratches on her neck, they think the lump may have started from her scratching.

im so confused i really am trying but im not winning.

[ShepherdAngels]

Yes, when it comes to ears you can have several things going on at once. Usually one thing triggers another. The second vet recommending SD food sounds odd to me - but some vets do tend to push their sponsored dog food as a solution (sorry but they do!!).

Does she go swimming? If her ears keep getting wet it might be causing it. My dallys have constant problems with their ears which I try to keep under control with malaseb (diluted as per instructions and used as an ear wash) and/or Thornit.

It could be allergies - could be a combination of things. WIth my dogs even grass allergies can start it.

She does swim, but hasnt been this time around and she doesnt get her head wet she just paddles in the shallow end. i have and orange tree wich i notices flowered a few weeks ago. But its not in flower now.

I used Matacetic wet wipes to clean her ears and was told not to put anything in her ears. Id make it worse. So how do i clean down in her ear then?

malaseb ? is that the same stuff i use to bath her or is there a ear product out there?

Thanks everyone for your help. i really need it. i do agree with the vets pushing there own products, yes its sad.

Edited January 31, 2010 by ShepherdAngels

[stormie]

The floppy ear will make no difference,I have flopped ear breeds & never ear issues.

Does she have sore back feet??ie look at her pads underneath,do they look inflammed??

No sore feet. she doesnt chew of lick her feet.

Just remembered she did have a lump removed last april from her neck, we had it tested and it wasnt cancerous. The lump was where she scratches on her neck, they think the lump may have started from her scratching.

im so confused i really am trying but im not winning.

My allergic dog tends to itch and lick at his scarred areas a lot when his skin is inflamed. It sounds like your girl may have mild allergic skin in general, so the combination of inflammation in the ear canal and the moister environment with the floppy ear is contributing to problems.

I'm sorry I can't recommend any Derms down there, but your vet should be able to give you someones details.

[Dogsfevr]

I used Matacetic wet wipes to clean her ears and was told not to put anything in her ears. Id make it worse. So how do i clean down in her ear then?

malaseb ? is that the same stuff i use to bath her or is there a ear product out there?

There are plenty of products that could be used .

Has either of the vets taken ear scrapes to determine what type of infection it is???

Some require certain meds & ear cleaners to knock it off & then a good daily routine but without knowing what exactly it is i wouldnt be washing it out .

[spottychick]

malaseb ? is that the same stuff i use to bath her or is there a ear product out there?

Thanks everyone for your help. i really need it. i do agree with the vets pushing there own products, yes its sad.

It's the same as the stuff you bath her with. You have to dilute it and put it in a bottle with a nozzle that will let you squeeze it into her ear.

[ShepherdAngels]

There are plenty of products that could be used .

Has either of the vets taken ear scrapes to determine what type of infection it is???

Some require certain meds & ear cleaners to knock it off & then a good daily routine but without knowing what exactly it is i wouldnt be washing it out .

1st vet done skin scrap and ruled out ear mites, fox mange (just to be sure, her hair was falling out)

said it was fungal.

[ShepherdAngels]

oh ok spottychick. Thats sounds good, i wash her in that and have good results.

But i might talk to the vet before washing her ears out as shes on meds and i dont want to make it worse.

I liked the first vet so i think i'll go back and see her, she was open to all ideas and theory's and tests the 2nd one was straight up , food allergy buy this. The 2nd vet got involved because i was at work and asked some one to get her in anywhere they could she had to be seen today and straight away. (i didnt want her waiting around she'd been haveing dramas all that weekend)

And i will talk to her about a referral.

Showdog, i have hope for this in my dog too.

Thanks everyone for your help i feel like i'm on the right track and not barking around the wrong tree now. Thanks heaps

Edited January 31, 2010 by ShepherdAngels

[Swiss Girl]

I had a german shepherd who had a lot of ear problems and hayfever allergies, but luckily had no problems with her fur.

I did a lot of research at the time and read a lot of good things about apple cider vinegar. You put it on their food every day and it helps with ear infections, it also has a lot of vitamins in it. Of course you would still want to see a vet, but alternative medicine may help.

Just thought I might mention it.

[ShepherdAngels]

I had a german shepherd who had a lot of ear problems and hayfever allergies, but luckily had no problems with her fur.

I did a lot of research at the time and read a lot of good things about apple cider vinegar. You put it on their food every day and it helps with ear infections, it also has a lot of vitamins in it. Of course you would still want to see a vet, but alternative medicine may help.

Just thought I might mention it.

I have read about the apple cider but have never tried because i dont know how much to use and have never spoken to anyone thats used it. Have you used it?

Her hair is no longer thinning shes just itchy. And the floppy ear infection the other ear i fine.

[sandra64]

about 5ml daily. I just put it in their fresh drinking water each day

[dianed]

When I got my girl 18 months ago she had a red itchy ear, she,d scratch till it bled inside. She,d had it for awhile as her hair was rubbed off around her ear.

She also had a scratch problem which I got rid of by rinsing her in Nucidol ( I think its used in Malaseb), and used Advantix. For the ear I used Canaural Ear drops, I had some left over from my cat who,d had an ear op. After a few goes it went away.

I have noticed she scratches more when feed chicken mince from the pet shop. She has also vomited raw food at times, (except chicken necks), so I usually zap her food in the micro wave and half cook it, mostly its roo meat she cant handle.

Funny thing is both my gsd,s like it half frozen.

I wish you luck, After having a cat with an ear infection all her life and having used numerous vets at one time or another and getting different diagnoses as to whats caused it, nobody really knew but they kept taking my dollars. It was only at the end of her life that she had some peace when she was operated on and a polyp removed. The drops could then reach her ear canal and keep the problem under control.

[Jed]

Welcome to DOL.

I would seriously consider visiting a GOOD naturopath who handles dogs. I don't know any, except Robert McDowall and he is in NSW. Maybe someone here can recommend someone.

It sounds to me as if her system is out of whack and if you get it working well again, the problems will abate.

Visiting the derm would be a really good idea but I'd try the naturopath as well

Floppy ears shouldn't cause ear problems, although sometimes they do.