Hi all,

I have a question about how I can help ease the itching and scratching on my 14 month old female GSD. She has been scratching and shaking her head alot. I looked in her ear and she had very nasty looking dried up blood in her ear, so I took her to the vet yesterday. This is what he did.. he flushed both ears, gave her a cortisone shot, a shot of antibiotics, he wanted to give her a shot of Rimydil but I seem to remember that can be some bad stuff so I refused it. He kinda gave me grief but I told him it was my dog ultimately and please respect my opinion. He tried to tell me breeders didnt know squat and they dont have the 9 years of schooling that vets have.. but anyway thats not my main concern. He sent us home with cephalexin which I am suppose to give her 2 x a day. and a topical solution called vetromax. I understand that ear infections can lead to nasty stuff like hematoma's from shaking and scratching and the vet said in severe cases it could close the ear canal causing loss of hearing and maybe messing with her equilibrium. This has me very concerned. She will not leave the ear alone long enough for it to heal up. is there anything i can give her orally or topically to help with the itch long enough for the meds to work?
or should I get her one of those lampshades for dogs? Please help I'm very concerned...

 Quote: David Chase

He tried to tell me breeders didnt know squat and they dont have the 9 years of schooling that vets have..
or should I get her one of those lampshades for dogs? Please help I'm very concerned...

This vet sounds extremely arrogant (god complex). I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him, although I'd probably just end up dropping him on his head. Anyway, I'm glad you held your ground.
Are you sure the dog doesn't have ear mites?
A lamp shade collar probably would help keep her foot out of her ear.

Hi David,

For pain management Metacam or Deramaxx are better short-term options than Rimadyl and something you might want to ask your vet about. Both are safer, IMO, but they won't necessarily stop itching...only pain.

The antibiotics take a few days to kick in...so does the ointment, as I recall. If this was my dog I would put a call into the vet and tell him my concerns. There may be something else he can give you to help with the itching. I'm not a vet so I'm really hesitant to suggest anything beyond that...especially with an active infection.

I'll also add that while a cone may keep her from scratching her ear, she'll still have the itching and/or pain to deal with.

Not being able to do anything about that would be terribly frustrating for her so I'd try and see if I could get something else.

Really sorry you all are going through this

I just got back from taking my dog to the vet. He has an ear infection also. He injected BNT(baytril,ketocon,triamcinolone) in both ears. He said the medicine was packed in lanolin. The dogs cant shake out of their ears. You leave it in for 10 days. He will than follow up with ear flushing and test again for infection. He figures this could take a couple of months. The medicine takes care of bacteria, fungus,etc.,and pain. There is no need for painful daily treatments. Maybe you could ask your vet about it. Sometimes those daily cleaning and medicating really irritate and stir everything up. This is new to me but my dog has not scratched or shook his head yet (day 2).

If it was bad enough for him to want to give Rimadyl (and no, I would not, either), then the infection must have been bad.

So aside from looking for a vet I felt better about (ASAP), my first concerns now would be to ask the vet if he did indeed think that the dog was in pain, and then ask about Deramaxx or Metacam or even a painkiller with no anti-inflammation properties (like tramadol, for example), and I'd discuss it. Then I would ask for the complete rundown on what side effects to watch for if I did go with an NSAID. You certainly do not have to choose Rimadyl or nothing. The question for me would be how most safely to relieve the dog's pain.

I'd get a *soft* elizabethan-type collar (not the lampshades, that drive the dog crazy and make it to hard to lie down, to see, etc.) or one of the new donuts that folks on this board have told us about.

Then .... is this the first ear infection? And was it a product of allergies?

If there is an underlying condition triggering this, I'd want to be planning how to address that. And I'd be sure to watch the dog's ears from now on (because now you know that there's a problem and that it may be related to something chronic), checking inside regularly so that I could address it at the very first sign of inflammation or debris. MUCH easier and better than having to treat a full-blown infection.

I applaud you for your caution and care.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I'd get a *soft* elizabethan-type collar (not the lampshades, that drive the dog crazy and make it to hard to lie down, to see, etc.) or one of the new donuts that folks on this board have told us about.

Connie
Will one of the nicer collars still keep the end of the back foot away from the ear? I've never used one to know.

thanks for the input guys. I am at my witts end... It seems like all the vets I talk to have the attitude that they know best and dont need any input from the owner...On top of that I have a dog that is going crazy with this stupid ear infection. I dont know if I mentioned it but the antibiotic is cephalexin. he said see how this course of action works and give him a call in 4 days. I was kinda shocked that he said that if its working I will have to have her on this stuff for 4-6 weeks to kill the infection!! thats insane.. he said because the amount of med gettin to the ear will be very little because theres little blood flow there.. I guess that reasonable.. Oh and She has been on a raw diet for 8 or 9 months now. She has a sensitive stomach so I feed her chicken backs and such as a source of protein. I follow leerburgs suggestion on diet and suppliments. vit e, c, mix of alphalpha and kelp and a shot of salmon oil for dogs for omega 3. I guess I'll just wait it out.. I just pray she starts feeling better.. If any of you guys are so inclined I'd appreciate all the prayers I can get... It just stinks when your dog is sick.... uuuuugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

 Quote: Debbie Bruce

Will one of the nicer collars still keep the end of the back foot away from the ear? I've never used one to know.

Ooooh, very good question. Does anyone here know?

 Quote: David Chase

I guess I'll just wait it out.. I just pray she starts feeling better. ... It just stinks when your dog is sick.... uuuuugggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Yes, it sure does.

I'd get on the phone ASAP about the pain med info, and the vet's idea about the cause, and also looking around for a vet you can work with (before you need him/her.... now).

IS this the first ear infection? Have you seen any skin itchies (and food in not the most likely allergy, but still, I'm very happy that the dog is on fresh diet; better all around for a strong immune system to have appropriate food, IMO)?

Action is going to stand you in much better stead than waiting it out.... especially info-gathering. I promise that.