Itchy Ears

[Cheyenne_Fury]

Hi guys,

Jake my three year old Dalmatian is constantly itching the inside of his ears, so much so that he has made one of them bleed.

It will be a trip to the vet this week, but wondered if anyone else has experienced this problem in their pups.

He had fly bite on his ear, but this is almost cleared up from the septicide that I have been and continue to use.

I have had a look in his ears and can't see anything in there (thought he might have a grass seed or something) his ears did have a bit of wax in them, so I have cleaned them out, but he is still itching.

Anyone have any ideas or advise?

I have an appointment at the vet later this week

Anne

Edited cos I can't spell

Edited December 20, 2005 by Cheyenne_Fury

[crazy beagle lady]

Hiya Anne,

Have you tried epiotic or baby oil/olive oil on a cotton bud? You can grab epiotic @ the vet over the counter- But still best to go to the vet, just incase he needs antibiotics. Epiotic will be great for murray aswell with those long ears of his

[sugar]

Ear mites???????????????

Revolution will fix it, or have you tried Leo Ear cleaner?

[Cheyenne_Fury]

Thanks for the reply guys.

I've never had a dog that has ear mites and confess not to knowing very much about them. Wouldn't my other dog Murray have them too if Jake has them?

Thanks Tam, yep epiotic would be great for Murray too with his long ears Will give that a go.

Anne

[Rozzie]

They don't necessarily both get them... had a dog with ear mites and not one of the other 24 had them...

[Cheyenne_Fury]

They don't necessarily both get them... had a dog with ear mites and not one of the other 24 had them...

Thanks Rozzie,

It is off to the vets for this boy

Anne

[ReXy]

He had fly bite on his ear, but this is almost cleared up from the septicide that I have been and continue to use.

anne... dodge said kisses and sloppy licks for jake and said it was his licking that cleared it up last time maybe we need to get the boys together again so dodge can fix jakes ears,.... poor boy....

[sugar]

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.

Edited December 20, 2005 by sugar

[Cheyenne_Fury]

Thanks for posting that Sugar.

I think that it would be in the early stages, but I am not taking any chances with my boy, he's off to the vet, am going to see if I can bump to appointment to tonight.

Anne

[Cheyenne_Fury]

Just spoke to the vet and he is going at 4.40pm tonight. Fingers crossed nothing too serious

Anne

[sugar]

Let us know how you go

[ReXy]

Just spoke to the vet and he is going at 4.40pm tonight. Fingers crossed nothing too serious

Anne

let us know how jakey is anne dodge said he will lick them better... bring him round tonight after the vet,,,,

[crazy beagle lady]

Hi Anne,

Hopefully Jakes ears will be fine- glad you got an app for tonight though, ear infections can be quite nasty if left untreated. Anyways Let us know how it goes Do jake and Murray groom each other? my boys groom each other like they are cats- and ever since the first bouts on ear infections and strating to use epiotic they havent had any reoccouring problems.

[Cheyenne_Fury]

Hi guys

Sorry not to have posted until now, Mum insisted dragging me to the shops and I just got home. Didn't buy a thing grrrr I don't like shopping

Anyway Jake went to the vet and he said that he has a mild ear infection as well as iritated ears from the flys and a sore that he thinks was caused by something else. Gave him a shot of quarterzone (I don't know you to spell it properly) to clear up the sore on his ear and gave me Dermotic drops for his ears to clear the infection up on the inside.

He was a good boy and it only cost me $80 so I was glad it didn't cost more

Here's hoping it will do the trick

Anne

[crazy beagle lady]

Glad to hear all is good

[Cheyenne_Fury]

Thanks Tam

Me too was only in the vets 15 mins and was very pleased nothing too serious

Jake and Murray do groom each other though not a huge amount. Murray loves when Jake scratches him though Must be a beagle thing

Anne