 Ear infections??
#167219 - 12/07/2007 12:42 AM |
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My lab has chronic ear infections and even with medicine they have a hard time clearing up...I have noticed Levi kinda holding his head weird the last little while and shaking his ear. Now I think I smell that smell on him, like he has an ear infection. what the heck is causing this in my dogs? Ear mites? Where do they come from, how do you get rid of them? What the heck? 
Jay Belcher and Levi
 Levi/Bella/Drogo |
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: RobbinMann ]
#167249 - 12/07/2007 08:15 AM |
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Robbin, Carbon does a lot of work in areas that have a lot of dirt. Wish it was different, but oh well. As a result, he often stirs it up on the retrieve and his ears get filthy and he will shake his head and favor an ear. I have to clean his ears almost daily because the ear goo combined with the dirt causes a funky, sticky mud that bothers him.
Don't know if that's your situation or not, but I will say that in Carbon's case, his ears don't get stinky.
As you probably already know, dogs like Labs that have floppy ears are more prone to ear infections than dogs that have prick ears like GSDs.
I've read that chronic ear infections can indicate a food allergy. Don't know how true that is since I've never experienced it myself, but I'm sure Connie can set me straight! 
Carbon |
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: Amber Morgan ]
#167270 - 12/07/2007 09:49 AM |
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Amber, I too have heard that it can be cause by a food allergy but can't imagine what...he is either raw fed or eats a meat/fruit/veggie only dog food. Unless he has an allergy to any one of the million other things I find he's chewed up around here, lol
I wonder why floppy eared dogs get the ear infections. Seems to make more sense that the dogs whose ears are open to the elements would get them more often than the dogs whose ears are closed and more protected??
Still, what about ear mites? Are they real or just some trumped up story? Do they live in the grass, dirt, mud, flowers, trees? We haven't sprayed our house in a looooong time so I was thinking maybe they are growing around my yard? I don't know, it's so weird.
where is Connie??? lol!
Jay Belcher and Levi
Levi/Bella/Drogo |
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: Amber Morgan ]
#167271 - 12/07/2007 09:51 AM |
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I've read that chronic ear infections can indicate a food allergy. Don't know how true that is since I've never experienced it myself, but I'm sure Connie can set me straight!
I've heard this as well, though Connie WOULD know best. 
I have a hound with floppy ears and he has had one ear infection - it wasn't mites, it was yeast (that's usually what causes a "smelly" ear). Don't know what mites would look like, but a yeast infection you can see as being pretty "muddy" looking in the ear, and as with any irritant, the dog will shake his head a lot, or itch his ears often.
We lightly clean out his ears regularly, but on this occassion it got REALLY gunky, really fast, and smelled pretty yucky in there (Robinn, you're probably familiar with this if your lab has had chronic problems). The vet gave us a solution to rinse his ears with (you literally fill up the ear canal then rub and suds it around, the dog then shakes it all out), which smelled pretty pungent but cleared everything up very quickly. Haven't had a problem since - but we're more vigilant about looking in his ears and keeping them quite clear of dirt and buildup.
the ear goo combined with the dirt causes a funky, sticky mud
In our house, we refer to this as "ear fudge" 
~Natalya
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: RobbinMann ]
#167272 - 12/07/2007 09:52 AM |
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Those floppy ears can hold in warmth and moisture which make it an ideal environment for growing bacteria.
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: RobbinMann ]
#167274 - 12/07/2007 09:58 AM |
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I wonder why floppy eared dogs get the ear infections. Seems to make more sense that the dogs whose ears are open to the elements would get them more often than the dogs whose ears are closed and more protected??
A floppy ear creates a warmer, more protected area for things like yeast/bacteria, and maybe even little bugs, to thrive. More particles might casually be blown into an upright ear, but they won't be so likely to get trapped and "fester" because they can be blown out again. This would be my guess anyway...
Still, what about ear mites? Are they real or just some trumped up story? Do they live in the grass, dirt, mud, flowers, trees? We haven't sprayed our house in a looooong time so I was thinking maybe they are growing around my yard? I don't know, it's so weird.
They're real - real GROSS too!! I don't know much about them, but there's lots on the web for further reading... ahh, nothing like researching parasites first thing in the morning...
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=734
~Natalya
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#167275 - 12/07/2007 10:01 AM |
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That yeast smell is pretty distinctive...like dirty, nasty feet  Some poor dogs have so much yeast on the skin and in the ears they simply reek.
Dogs can have yeast, bacteria, or some combination of both, in the ears which is why the DVM swabs the ear each time and why the treatment may be different with each infection.
Of course, the vet is treating the symptoms...not getting to the root of the problem :wink:
True
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#167277 - 12/07/2007 10:08 AM |
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Yeast? What the???
on the skin???
I have a solution that I use for Bandits ears but it does nothing for him...it's so sad! He always stinks really, really bad and then he will itch his ear with his foot and then lick his toenails so not only does he stink like it but his mouth does and he is an OCD licker.
Clean with hydrogen peroxide or should I use alcohol in the ears? Which is better? Why would a dog get yeast on a raw diet? This is ticking me off.. GRRR
Jay Belcher and Levi
Levi/Bella/Drogo |
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#167278 - 12/07/2007 10:11 AM |
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Reg: 09-22-2007
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It might be worth a try to add some apple cider vinegar to his food, and yogurt or other probiotic, if you're not already doing that. Yeast infections can be caused by pH being too high and the vinegar can help restore pH to where it's supposed to be. Here's a link:
http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/acvfordogs.html
(and much friendlier to the system than antifungals, and won't hurt him if it's not yeast
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Re: Ear infections??
[Re: Lynne Barrows ]
#167282 - 12/07/2007 10:21 AM |
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Hey Lynne,
Can ACV be used to clean out the ear itself? I seem to remember reading that somewhere...?
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