I have been reading through many of the post regarding gunk in ears, but the more I read the less I am sure about my vets insistence of long term use of Surolan. Kaiser is 15 months old and of the 3 Boerboels he is the one with the fleshiest and floppiest ears, as this is his first proper summer I have nothing to compare it to, but I am wondering if it could be related to pollen, increased swimming, long grass etc, I started cleaning them more regularly a few months ago, and if anything it seems to have made them worse, he hasn't been scratching, shaking or rubbing, but they were getting smelly, (again, after increased cleaning) so I took him to the vet and the first I saw gave him a quick exam, then gave me a wash and Surolan drops, with instruction to return in a week which I did, saw different vet who told me Mastifs are prone to skin conditions, predominantly ears, feet, butt and that to get on top of the situation I should expect long term use of the drops, apart from the 30 quid a week, ( I don't begrudge the cost if its valid btw!) he is getting really cheesed off with having them put in and throws me about like a rag doll and is getting mouthy, so it is getting unpleasant for both of us! diet wise they are all on raw, and since being advised by various people on this board have stopped any grain based dry food, they get whole chicken carcasses, wings and minced heart/kidney/liver plus occasional marrow bones, could the vet be right and this is a chronic condition, or could it be seasonal/dietry?

Thanks and regards
Tracey

Tracey, I think it could be seasonal. I know with my bullmastiff mix, her eyes and ears get inflamed when pollen count is high. I've been fortunate in not having it progress to infection...

Is the Surolan an antibiotic? Antifungal?

If you are not already doing so, consider adding a probiotic capsule to their meals. (strains of beneficial bacteria that you would find in yogurt) You can also add a dollop of plain yogurt with live cultures. This helps keep the gut flora balanced and can help in preventing yeast overgrowth.

The drops are steroid based, another good reason for not using them for long, the vets are the only people allowed to sell probiotics, thanks to the medical directorate in the UK, nutritionalists are only permitted to sell prebiotic which is yeast based! I am going to give the plain yoghurt a try, thanks for the tip, tbh, the thing that worries me about vets is if I refuse to keep him on the drops, and if a condition arises that necessitates an insurance claim related or otherwise, will she refuse to sign it off? I somethimes feel like they have people by the short and curlies, I stopped going to my doctor after he kept mis-diagnosing what turned out to be cancer, and now I feel the scepticism looming with the vet!

Thanks and regards
Tracey

Tracey, someone with chronic ear infection knowledge should see this and respond. I agree with you, long term steroid use doesn't sound good...

How long have you had your dog on raw diet? My dog is a terrier and he had chronic ear infection for five years. Drops, cleaning, smell, the whole nine yards. Once I started feeding raw the infection stopped after about a month and never returned. I know someone else who has a mutt and it took the puppy about five months on raw diet and it went away. Have they done a culture? Sorry about all the insurance mess. I am in the US so I can't really tell you but I feel with you. It' all coming here too... unfortunately.

Hi

They have been on raw since April, so just a few months, no the vet hasn't taken a culture yet, I think the way Kaiser reacts now every time I go near his ears he would have to be sedated, he weighs ten stone and is the size of a young lion so not easy to hang onto, I was looking at anatomy sites for dogs ears and smiled wryly at the young vet nurse gently holding a dogs head to inspect the ear and trying to imagine the scenario with my big boy! I guess the insurance would cough up for a chronic condition, but I really don't like the idea of long term meds...

I think it's time for a culture. May be you can wrestle them into it next time you go. How can they just keep an animal on medication without knowing what they are treating?????

To be honest with you, when I took him in to be neutered they called me directly he came out of surgery to say he was getting mouthy with them while about 4 of them tried to lift him into a crate a labrador would struggle to fit into, his size seems to make them wary and I wonder if it would be easier for them to treat long term with meds, (in the full knowledge I have premium insurance cover for the bb's) than risk taking a culture, I have to say straight away none of the dogs, (I have 5) have ever given the vets any reason to doubt them, but they just seem more at ease with smaller breeds when it comes to handling them, maybe I am imagining it, but I just have a feeling she is going to suggest ongoing meds, I am taking him back at the end of the week, if things haven't improved I will ask for the culture.

good luck! What a pain, hope things work out for you and your boy

 Quote: tracey holden

... maybe I am imagining it, but I just have a feeling she is going to suggest ongoing meds, I am taking him back at the end of the week, if things haven't improved I will ask for the culture.

Culture for sure. Keeping him on an anti-fungal without even 'scoping the debris sounds wildly hit-or-miss to me. I would want to know whether he had malassezia or a combo of malassezia and a bacteria (far more likely, at this point, IMHO) and I would also want to know the underlying trigger.

I would also start working at home a few times every day at calming the dog's anxiety and discomfort with ear procedures. I'd have some amazingly wonderful treats laid out in view and in scent range (cooked bacon?) and then I'd start by rewarding the dog for an ear touch, and that's it. It would take me several short completely innocuous sessions before even lifting the ear-flap, etc., etc. You want the dog to be, if not thrilled, at least somewhat stoic about short procedures.

Do you have your own MO down pat, so that it's as short and efficient as it can possibly be?

BTW, before doing "procedure desensitization and counter-conditioning" with with one of mine, back when he was still pretty wild about the vet touching his ears, I took the culture at the vet's with her watching and giving any necessary instruction. (There isn't much: It's a cotton swap to take some debris and then put the whole thing into a vial. Took 7 seconds.)

I'd probably be thinking pretty seriously about a different vet, but that's just me. Writing off chronic ear infections to the breed without even considering seasonal or other airborne allergies wouldn't be OK with me. But I don't know your situation (choices, distance, etc.).