LoveToKnow Dogs:AllComments

From LoveToKnow Dogs

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Hi Tiffany,

Has your vet brought up the possibility of surgically removing the ear canal? Sometimes this is the final solution to a chronic ear infection. Since your dog is ten years old, your vet may have some reservations about putting her through the surgery, but if her health is still good, this might be the best way to resolve the infection.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for your dog's health.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have an Alaskan Malamut who is 10 years old. About mid June she we noticed that she had a bad ear infection deep in her ear. I have been taking her to the vet since the beginning of July and he has been giving her treatment after treatment and nothing has worked. Just when we think the infection is gone it comes right back. He has used a couple of different antibiotics and anti inflammatories but it is worse now that it ever has been. We have tried everything and now I don't know what to do. Any advise????

-- Contributed by: Tiffany

Hi Rosie,

I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to your dog. I could speculate, but I'd only be guessing and that would not be helpful to you. The only true way to understand why your dog died would be to have your vet perform a necropsy.

Please accept my condolences on your loss.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Sheltie female 12 years old in good health all of a sudden loosing balance and crying. Took to vet gave antibiotics for ear infection both ears. Perked up but relasped and died. Could it have been a tick or yeast that reached the brain? Rosie

-- Contributed by: Monique

Hi Sandy,

It usually only takes about a week to get a culture back, so if you haven't heard from your vet in this long, go ahead and give him a call.

It may actually be quite beneficial for your vet to flush both your dog's ears. This would clear out most of the debris from the infection/infestation and allow the medication to penetrate the canal more thoroughly. Any hair growing out from the canal should be removed as well to promote air flow.

All of this said, if you're not confident about the job your current vet is doing, it may be beneficial to find a new vet who is schooled in the latest techniques for dealing with chronic ear infections. In the most extreme cases, the damaged canals can be surgically removed as a last resort.

Thanks for your question, and I hope these suggestions help.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

We have had my dog who is a lab to the vet many times over his ears, as soon as we get it somewhat cleared up it comes back. He shakes his head and rubs his ears against the ground. The Vet took a culture of his ears, how long does it take to get the culture back? How costly can it be to get this taken care of, the vet I take him to his just and old country vet and doesn't cost much to see him, maybe that's why I am having trouble. Help Please...

-- Contributed by: Sandy

Hi Juice,

Tell your husband he can rest easy because this is definitely not rabies. It sounds as though your dog has a serious inner ear infection and it is affecting his equilibrium. This would also cause the nausea. I recommend you call your vet right away because the condition is also painful.

In most cases, vets will delay vaccinations when a dog is ill. The immune system is already preoccupied fighting off the infection, so you don't want to introduce anything else. Vaccinations can be resumed as soon as the dog is well again.

Thanks for your question, and I hope your dog is feeling better soon.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My dog has been leaning his head to one side. His whole body has a slight lean as a matter of fact. He seems dizzy. He has vomited a few times and his behavior is slightly different than usual. My husband is convinced he has rabies ( which my dog is due for another shot for next week) while I think he has an ear infection. Should I wait until I take him for his shots or should I postpone his shots until He gets this other issue resolved? He has never had an ear infection before and I don't know if he shot take his rabies and booster shots while he is sick and being treated for something else. Do antibiotics affect his boosters?

-- Contributed by: Juice

Hi Donna,

It does seem quite possible that your puppy has a food allergy. You would need to discuss the cost of testing with your vet, but I believe it would be very worth while, and it could reduce your dog's suffering much quicker if you knew exactly which foods to avoid.

I'd like to recommend a book to you about Homemade Dog Food Recipes. It's called The Natural Pet Food Cookbook, and it is filled with veterinarian approved recipes that you can make at home for your dog. It even has a recipe to make your own kibble. There are also useful guidelines on how much to feed and how often. I actually have this book myself, and I think it's wonderful. Bottom line, as long as you are feeding a balanced diet, there is no harm in feeding people food to your dog. This book will help you do it, and I believe you can find it on Amazon.com.

Just keep in mind that without testing, you could inadvertently still feed one of the foods your dog might be allergic to, so testing is the place to begin.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find these suggestions useful.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

hi, i have a 7 month old beagle/border collie mix. she has been treated for ear infections(yeast) 3 times. the vet says this is unusual for a puppy, is that true? she also has had a rash on her belly since about 2 weeks old. the vet is thinking its allergies because treatment with antibiotics was unsuccessful. she itches on other parts of her body also but cannot see a rash through all the fur. i have been giving her benadryl 3x a day and she has got some relief from the itching. i have done some research on allergies in dogs and have found that could be the reason for ear infection. i also found some people recommend trying a healthy diet of people food such as cooked meats, vegetables, fruit, olive oil, barley, brown rice etc.. and a multivitamin for dogs. i would rather do this than put her through surgery. but i dont know if it is really good for her to eat people food all the time. how expensive is it to get a dog allergy test? and what is your opinion on allergies and the people food diet? just looking for other opinions. thanks.

-- Contributed by: donna cox

Hi Donna,

I'm sorry to hear about your dog's situation. I think it could be beneficial to get a second opinion from another vet. There are increased risks to performing surgery on a senior pet, but I also tend to think you would see some sign of pain from your dog if he was truly that uncomfortable. If the second vet agrees with the first, at least you'll be sure of what you're dealing with. Euthansia is sometimes the kindest route, but it should be a well thought out decision.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes with this difficult decision.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hi, I have a ...er spaniel which has developed chronic and severe ear infection to the point both ear canals are calcified. The vet is not recommending ear oblasion due to the dogs age(10.5 yrs.)ane the cost. She has informed us he is in severe pain and is recommending we have him put down. The difficult part for us is that there is no indication he is in severe pain. He does on occasion scratch his ears and shake his head but certainly is not constant. We do not want him to suffer but also do not want to put him down prematurely. Is this what you would recommend as well in this situation?

-- Contributed by: Donna Rogers

My dog (a german coolie) is normally an extremely healthy dog. She is approx 11 yrs old. We took her to the vet a month ago due to scratching from sandflies and unusual, occasional incontinence. She was given a course of tablets for the incontinence which seemed to fix the problem. We also had blood tests done, everthing came back perfect - the vet commenting she was as healthy as a 7 yr old.

However, even with all treatments suggested by the vet, the scratching and biting continues - we live on an island so I guess sandflies are understandable. We check her daily for tics - so far so good.

The problem at the moment is that one of her ears is very swollen and has actually 'flopped' down. We spent every cent on her last time I have MS and am wheelchair bound, my husband my 24/7 carer. Tessa is my companion and 'best friend'. She does not seem in pain, but exhausted from the itchiness. Please help me with some suggestions we can try ourselves.

Hi Angela,

There's no substitute for veterinary care, but I do understqand your situation. Was your dog ever check for mites? This could explain the continued itching. I suspect your dog's ear has some burst blood vessels due to the scratching and that is what is making it flop right now.

Here's what I recommend you do for now until you can afford the vet again. Try giving your dog Benedryl. You should consult your vet about how much to give her. You should also be able to purchase an Elizabethan collar at your local pet supply to keep your dog from scratching her ear. This may give it time to heal.

Please understand that all this may do is help with the symptoms. It's not a real cure for your dog's problem.

Thanks for your question, and I hope things improve for you and your dog.

-- Contributed by: Angela McAtamney
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