 Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
#278427 - 06/02/2010 01:27 PM |
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Monty has been having persistent ear trouble for at least a month now. Noticed him scratching ear, shaking head, there was a lot of dark brown discharge in one ear, the other one absolutely clear. Tried ChlorhexiDerm flush (Chlorhexidine Gluconate 0.22% w/w) daily for 2 weeks - no change. Tried wait and see - no change. After reading some advice on this forum tried Zymox 3-point enzyme cleanser 2xdaily for 3 days - no change.
Is there anything else I could try at home before taking him to the vet? Medicated Zymox?
If we take him to the vet are there any particular tests I should request?
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 Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Ana Kozlowsky ]
#278428 - 06/02/2010 01:40 PM |
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I swear by this:
"Blue Power Ear Cleaner"
INGREDIENTS:
16 Oz. bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol (standard 70%)
4 Tablespoons of Boric Acid Powder
16 Drops of Gentian Violet Solution 1%
Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well.
http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/Adobe/Blue%20Power%20Ear%20Treatment.pdf
or google for other articles about this home remedy.
Yes, it's a home remedy and no, it's not a substitution for vet care. But it's cleared up every case of ear crud I've ever encountered. The ingredients are harmless--old-fashioned anti-fungals--in an alcohol carrier that disinfects and dissloves crud. A monthly dousing with this keeps my dogs' ears clean as a whistle.
Cinco | Jack | Fanny | Ellie | Chip | Deacon |
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Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Tracy Collins ]
#278429 - 06/02/2010 01:52 PM |
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Thank you, Tracy. The article says take the dog to the vet to check for ear drum perforations, tumors etc. Ok, ok, ok, will do  Although frankly I trust the vet about as far as I could throw them. It must be a chicken bone stuck in there, from the raw diet.
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Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Ana Kozlowsky ]
#278430 - 06/02/2010 02:00 PM |
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I too use the Blue Power Ear Treatment and it works like a charm. When I got Ted he was having persistent ear infections and I finally got them under control with the Blue Power Ear treatment. I took him to vet prior to finding out about it and they cleaned and gave me drops, but did not work as well as this. I put a drop in before a bath as well to keep it from getting clogged and infected.
I should note, my dogs don't like it too much, probably because of the alcohol.
Also, I got the Boric Acid Powder at Wal-Mart (Have to ask the pharmacist, but it is sold over the counter). I also had them order me the Gentian Violet. Walgreen's and CVS wouldn't order it, I think because every time I asked about it they had no idea what it was. They may carry the Boric Acid powder and Gentian Violet or be able to get it for you, but I was able to buy both from Wal-Mart.
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Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Keith Kaplan ]
#278432 - 06/02/2010 02:07 PM |
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Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Ana Kozlowsky ]
#278434 - 06/02/2010 02:17 PM |
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Mine don't have any trouble with the alcohol--they actually seem to like getting their ears cleaned.
Tip--if you can get the dog to lay down on his side it makes it easier to instill the juice. Squirt it in generously, let it sit in the ear for a few seconds, massaging the base of the ear, then sop it out with a paper towel. Then stand back.
Caution--this stuff is vivid purple and it will stain your clothes, carpet, walls. Do it outside in an old shirt.
A squeeze bottle is ideal for this. I found one at a beauty supply store that works well.
Do follow the instruction to shake the solution every time before use. The boric acid powder does not dissolve in the alcohol, it is just suspended. When the alcohol dries, it leaves behind a faint dusting of this powder in the ear which is, I think, the whole idea.
Cinco | Jack | Fanny | Ellie | Chip | Deacon |
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Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Ana Kozlowsky ]
#278436 - 06/02/2010 02:35 PM |
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... If we take him to the vet are there any particular tests I should request?
I'd want a culture of the debris done before altering it with any home treatment.
If the dog is shaking his head, you'll want to identify the culprit(s), with home treatment when necessary after the initial diagnosis is made. As Tracy mentioned, the home treatment isn't a substitute for the initial vet visit.
Yeast and bacteria so often go hand-in-hand.
Yeast overgrowth in the ears is secondary to some other problem (allergies, seborrhea, sometimes an illness or med, etc.). That is, malasezzia overgrowth in the dog’s ears is considered a secondary pathogen, even though skin malasezzia is a primary presence. Even in the skin, there is almost always a trigger condition that changes malasezzia from its usual status as "just there" into an itching mess.
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Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#278437 - 06/02/2010 02:39 PM |
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Thank you, Connie. Will ask the vet for a culture. I saved some samples from before any treatments (in the freezer) and will stop any home treatments before the vet visit this Saturday.
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Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Ana Kozlowsky ]
#278439 - 06/02/2010 02:59 PM |
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I saved some samples from before any treatments
Excellent! 
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Re: Ear infection - home treatments, tests.
[Re: Connie Sutherland ]
#278762 - 06/05/2010 02:00 PM |
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Just came from our regular vet. It's a foxtail embedded deep in Monty's ear. The inept creature examining him tried to send us home with antibacterial meds because "the ear canal is plugged with the discharge and we cannot really see if the ear drum is ruptured". Had to tell them to go flush the ear and check the ear drum. We are supposed to go back at 1PM to have him sedated and the foxtail removed.
Could I trust them not to screw this up? How stupid could they possibly be? Or shall we drive 50 mins to the nice emergency hospital?
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