A Very Sore Ear

[Loraine]

Zedley was off at the vet last week and had a week of antibiotics for a very sore, red ear. I gave him the pills and put Epi=Otic in his ears twice a day, dropping back to once a day. I notice today that he is favouring his right ear (head slightly dropped to one side) and it is red again. I had plucked his ears, and I do clean regularly. I am stumped!!!!

I recall reading on DOL about a dilution of Malaseb for itchy ears but I am danged if I can find anything about it.

Does anyone have the dilution rate or even an alternative to help this poor boy?

TIA

BTW he is a Wire Haired Fox Terrier.

[Pugmum]

Zedley was off at the vet last week and had a week of antibiotics for a very sore, red ear. I gave him the pills and put Epi=Otic in his ears twice a day, dropping back to once a day. I notice today that he is favouring his right ear (head slightly dropped to one side) and it is red again. I had plucked his ears, and I do clean regularly. I am stumped!!!!

I recall reading on DOL about a dilution of Malaseb for itchy ears but I am danged if I can find anything about it.

Does anyone have the dilution rate or even an alternative to help this poor boy?

TIA

BTW he is a Wire Haired Fox Terrier.

My dogs have both had ear problems recently. Firstly, the 14 day ab's plus ear drops seem to not have totally cleared the problem a couple of months ago so we were back - same problem again, but a longer dose of ab's this time.

One dog cleared beautifully, the other seemed to get worse and I was told that the drops and ab's had cleared the first infection letting a nastier one take hold. Different ab's and different drops and eventually it got better.

A week of ab's might not have done the trick and you might also need ab drops.

Assume the vet checked for grass seeds ? Does the ear smell ?(setting myself up there, I know its an ear and they hear, not smell... )

[4 Paws]

here's a recent thread I started,hope it helps

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=186835

[Loraine]

Zedley was off at the vet last week and had a week of antibiotics for a very sore, red ear. I gave him the pills and put Epi=Otic in his ears twice a day, dropping back to once a day. I notice today that he is favouring his right ear (head slightly dropped to one side) and it is red again. I had plucked his ears, and I do clean regularly. I am stumped!!!!

I recall reading on DOL about a dilution of Malaseb for itchy ears but I am danged if I can find anything about it.

Does anyone have the dilution rate or even an alternative to help this poor boy?

TIA

BTW he is a Wire Haired Fox Terrier.

My dogs have both had ear problems recently. Firstly, the 14 day ab's plus ear drops seem to not have totally cleared the problem a couple of months ago so we were back - same problem again, but a longer dose of ab's this time.

One dog cleared beautifully, the other seemed to get worse and I was told that the drops and ab's had cleared the first infection letting a nastier one take hold. Different ab's and different drops and eventually it got better.

A week of ab's might not have done the trick and you might also need ab drops.

Assume the vet checked for grass seeds ? Does the ear smell ?(setting myself up there, I know its an ear and they hear, not smell... )

Ear does not smell, usually does if it is itchy. I have just called the vet and we are off in a couple of hours so the vet can have a looksee and he can get some drops and possibly more ab's.

Thanks 4 Paws for that link.

[Loraine]

Seen the vet. She did a blood draw to test his thyroid levels again - as of this morning he levels are low so we up his med to 1.5 tablets twice a day (so he has gone from 2 to 3 a day).

The vet suggested Nizoral for his yeasty, smelliness, whihc comes and goes. You name the shampoo and I have it , the vet wants to charge me $75 for Nizoral and I have declined, as it is not a cure, just a short term fix. Whilst he is smelly at the moment, and I can cope with shampooing the devil dog, daily if needs must He is not biting holes in his sides, so I guess we do it my way. Next time I am at the Chemist I shall confer with pharmacist and see what they can do for the cost of Nizoral, and if I actually need a script from the vet. (My pharmacist charges less than half of what the vet chages for Zedder's thyroid meds).

[OSoSwift]

The dilution rate I have for Malaseb is 1ml to 30mls of warm water, I have seen other dilutions though.

It works well on my Staffords ears.

[Loraine]

The dilution rate I have for Malaseb is 1ml to 30mls of warm water, I have seen other dilutions though.

It works well on my Staffords ears.

Once I get his ears fixed I will pin that dilution rate above his shwoer sink and use it regularly, maybe it will reduce the frequency of itchy ears

[OSoSwift]

It works well fro our Stafford as soon as he has a slightly smelly or cruddy looking ear, straight into using it, 5 days down the track all lovely and clean again.

Have pretty much been able to get away without needing any drops for around 2 to 3 years. As long as I was onto it quickly!

[Loraine]

Next time I am at the Chemist I shall confer with pharmacist and see what they can do for the cost of Nizoral, and if I actually need a script from the vet. (My pharmacist charges less than half of what the vet chages for Zedder's thyroid meds).

Saw the phamacist today = they would charge me $43.00 for 30 Nizoral tabs, but I need a script from the vet. Vet want to charge like a wounded bull (closer to $100.00). Saw a holistic woman in the shop and she advised some natural stuff for his insides. Works out cheaper, but will need to see if it works.

[Erny]

Colloidal Silver can be used to help things such as ear problems. I wouldn't want to step in between what you're doing under the advisement of your Vet, because I haven't gone down the path of using CS for an ear infection. I will say, however, that the outer of my boy's ear canal was a bit sore looking (and bothering him) and also that he has a wound at the tip of his ear that has refused to properly heal because he flaps his head whenever he has a collar on, and that opens it up. I've tried lots of things on that, from disinfectants; anti-biotic ointments; paw paw ointment; and so on. I'm now using colloidal silver and the wound seems to be improving. I also wiped out his ear with the coloidal silver and that seems to have done the trick for that too.

Not forgetting that you can give CS to them orally to help 'boost' from the inside as well.

I'm going to start taking it myself for CFS and see how I go.

Just a thought that you might wish to keep in the back of your mind.

[Loraine]

Colloidal Silver can be used to help things such as ear problems. I wouldn't want to step in between what you're doing under the advisement of your Vet, because I haven't gone down the path of using CS for an ear infection. I will say, however, that the outer of my boy's ear canal was a bit sore looking (and bothering him) and also that he has a wound at the tip of his ear that has refused to properly heal because he flaps his head whenever he has a collar on, and that opens it up. I've tried lots of things on that, from disinfectants; anti-biotic ointments; paw paw ointment; and so on. I'm now using colloidal silver and the wound seems to be improving. I also wiped out his ear with the coloidal silver and that seems to have done the trick for that too.

Not forgetting that you can give CS to them orally to help 'boost' from the inside as well.

I'm going to start taking it myself for CFS and see how I go.

Just a thought that you might wish to keep in the back of your mind.

Thanks Erny your input is always welcome. I have an unopened bottle of CS in the pantry and will start wiping the outer pars of his ears with that (it has to be more gentle than Malaseb, which makes him itch when used as a shampoo. His ears are clearing with the drop stuff, but his body is yeasty, so I have started him on holistic internal stuff to see if we can knock his candida on the head.

[spottychick]

Just thought I'd add that I'm also having a real battle with my dogs itchiness and sore ears atm and my usual treatments don't seem to be helping. In fact, like Loraine said, she seems to be reacting to the Malaseb itself. So today I bathed her with Neem soap and I'm using a spray mixture of CS and calendula tea to soothe her skin and ears. It seems to be helping. Plus she likes the tea mix and drinks some off my hand LOL

[Erny]

Thanks Erny your input is always welcome. I have an unopened bottle of CS in the pantry and will start wiping the outer pars of his ears with that (it has to be more gentle than Malaseb, which makes him itch when used as a shampoo. His ears are clearing with the drop stuff, but his body is yeasty, so I have started him on holistic internal stuff to see if we can knock his candida on the head.

Hope it works for you Loraine. I'm continuing with my bathing of Mandela's ear tip daily and the scab on it seems to be more healthy than I've managed before. I believe you can use the CS to spray/dropper into the ear canal, but I've not ever done this so don't wish to advise. I have read of it though. Same with eyes. However, I'm not quite game to use it for this because I'm not 100% confident of its sterility.

Again, don't wish to intrude/confuse, but I use the Calendula Tea Wash. My boy tends to get an oily/yeasty sort of coat in between hive outbreaks and I find the Calendula Tea excellent for reducing hives, staving off secondary infection and dealing with infection that might already be present. It really cleans his coat and skin up and scurf also disappears.

But, as someone (Zadar Asher, from memory, I think) pointed out to me, caution should be given in case skin reactions are through pollen allergy as some dogs might react to the Calendula Tea wash itself. Of the numbers I have recommended the Calendula to and who have used it, no one's come back to say they had any problems with it though, and I understand that quite a number have found it to be quite helpful. I consider it something to use to stop things becoming worse and to ease the symptoms whilst I'm trying to work on the cause.

Calendula Tea Wash can be used in ears and eyes as well, but for the same reasons as I've already expressed above, I haven't used it for that, save for wiping around that part of the ear that I can see. In my boy's case, it sort of helped, although the inner ear flaps were still a bit too pink for my liking. The CS does a better job of that for my boy - I think it is more mild, not to suggest less effective.

Whilst things like Malaseb are really helpful and sometimes 'fix' the issue at hand, I think that sometimes we jump to these sort of chemical based substances too soon/quickly and that it sends the dog's natural skin PH too far out of balance so that it over-tries to correct itself, causing problems of its own and making it hard to get off the Merry-Go-Round, so to speak.

ETA: I use the CS for the very sensitive areas, such as ears as well as for the 'boy bit' when it looks as though it might do with a little bit of cleaning. I only clean when it is necessary - not as something regular for the sake of it.

ETA: I use "Suttons" Colloidal Silver. I asked at my Health Food Store (they know me very well now .... my boy serves to keep them in business LOL) for the "best quality" CS. That was the one they gave me. I am presuming it is "up there" in the good quality range. I believe that makes a big difference in effectiveness, as there are some solutions you can get which are cheaper but don't have much in the way of silver ion suspension.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Erny

[Loraine]

Erny it is actually the Sutton CS that I have in the pantry (unopened), small world The drops in the ar have certainly sorted out that problem. I will bath him tonight or more likely tomorrow and I have decided to use Alpha Keri Wash, and I think as a precaution, as he is still a bit greasy and yeasty through the body, I will make up a spray with CS. Thanks for all of your advice and concern it is much appreicated.

BTW Erny, I love that name Mandela

[Erny]

BTW Erny, I love that name Mandela

Thanks Loraine. I named him after the famous Nelson Mandela, for all the good that Mr. Nelson Mandela has done during his lifetime and for his life longevity. My boy get's "Nelson" when he's being naughty though .