I've got these drops but my dog absolutely, positively will NOT allow us to put them in. I never thought my PPD dog would ever bite me until I tried to put the drops in. There is no doubt in my mind that he would bite me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> And forget holding him down and forcing him. He thrashes around violently and there is NO WAY anybody is putting those drops in his ears.

However, I do take him to a field and hit tennis balls to him until he's ready to pass out. And then while he's drinking his water I put the drops in and he's too pooped to react. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I understand that yeast infections are caused by diet. And I think I know the culprit. He eats Solid Gold kibble and I add chicken or beef about every other day. Sometimes I give him some cheese as a treat. But I also give him the Milkbone dog biscuits, which I am guessing might be the cause of his infections. I guess it's time to toss them in the trash. I'm hoping that by discontinuing the cookies and putting in the drops every day at the field we can get this under control.

Does anybody else have any experience or advice to share? I'm all, uh, ears! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

P.S. My next pup is going to get some sort of ear drop (something that won't damage them) right from the get-go so I don't encounter this challenge again!

Yeast infections are not all caused by diet....I had an example where the ears cleared up after the dog was given oral antibiotics for a skin rash on the belly....up to that point the ears had pretty persistant irritations...The oral antibiotics did the trick, and I never changeed the food.

A yeast infection is caused by an overgrowth of yeast instead of a balance of yeast and bacteria. The opposite would be a bacterial infection. Antibiotics would kill off more bacteria and would make the yeast infection worse.(If the dog was given oral antibiotics for a skin rash and the ears inproved, it was a bacterial infection that was the problem in the ears, not a yeast infection.)The ear drops are a localized yeast-killer and that's the best way to get rid of it in the ears.
Try going back to basic training with treats or drive. Reward for him letting you touch his ears with the medicine in sight and gradually progress to holding it close to him, eventually touching the ear with the bottle, then medicine inside. I'd correct for aggression. He shouldn't be afraid-you're not trying to hurt him. Some treats and training will show him that. If worse comes to worse, muzzle him and lean over his neck. Have someone hold his haunches or lay their body over his haunches. The third person will have to administer the drops in his ears, or maybe the erson over his neck if they are strong enough. As a veterinary technician, we have to resort to that kind of restraint occasionally to get it over with as fast and effectively as possible. Since he is your dog, you could spend a few hours (or hopefully less!)at home with him.

As far as with your new puppy, that's a great idea to practice cleaning his ears. Much easier when he's 20 lbs instead of 100!lol!

I'm actually dealing with this right now. Krieger developed a food allergy and went crazy scratching. He ended up with raw spots on his chin, feet and around his eyes so he needed an anti-biotic, which in turn caused the yeast infection in his ears. I sit on the edge of the tub and have him between my knees. The sink cabinet is right behind him so he can't back up. Of course if you have a nicer house with large bathrooms this won't work <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />.
If it makes you feel better my dog doesn't try to bite for ear drops but he has snapped a couple times while I was doing his nails. I have to do nails alot more often than ear drops.

Hi Patrick,

I had the exact same situation with my dog about 4 months ago. The infection had gotten so bad that he was constantly shaking his head, scratching his ear, and whining.

When I took him to the vet he threatened to bite her so I was told that he would need anesthesia so the ear canal could be properly cleaned. I opted for the ear drops but he would not let me put them in -- although I was successful a few times when I caught him sleeping.

The infection continued and I finally switched his diet completely to raw and after about a month it cleared up and has not been back since.

Hope this helps...

I just went through 7 days of Tri-Otic drops for an ear yeast infection. Alison, now that the yeast infection is cleared up what type of regular cleaning routine do you use and what drops.

You can use any ear wash, or specificlly one called Nolvasan Otic (it is non-prescription). That's the one they will most likely use when they do an ear flush at your vet. Only clean them when needed-if the ears are dirty. I wouldn't use drops, just keeping them clean should help. Doing it more than necessary can cause them to get too moist and irratated and upset that delicate balance of bacteria and yeast.
To clean the ear, hold the ear at the base & fill the ear canal. Rub the base of the ear for a few seconds to help loosen the wax then cotton ball the fluid out. Repeat filling and wiping out until the ear is clean and DRY. It is really important that the ear is dry and not left moist. Moisture will only contribute to bacteria growth. You can also use a drying ear powder that will help alot. You'd puff it in after you clean the ears.
You can get the the Nolvasan Otic from alot of places on the internet or from your vet.
I wouldn't say that all yeast infections are from their diet. Some dogs have them routinely because they are allergic to their food but it's an indirect relation to the food itself. It just that individual dog's body reaction. The allergy could cause iritation and maybe swelling in the ears. When the dog scratches and shakes, it makes everything worse! The moisture from the irratation and allergy causes the ear to swell up, heat up, and then the bacteria or yeast grows like crazy causing the infection. Some dogs get yeast infections and don't have allergies and some dogs get allergies but don't have yeast infections.
So, if he keeps getting them, he may be allergic to his food, or just have sensitive ears.