My apologies for asking a doggie question, but I need some help! Once or twice a year my dog gets a yeast infection in his ear, and this time we just can't get rid of it. I'll take him to the vet if I need to, but I'd rather figure it out on our own if possible. I'll tell you what I've tried this time, and if you can think of anything else, please let me know! Thanks so much!
We've tried:
Monistat (I bought the suppositories by accident, so I held them in his ear until they would melt - would it be worth buying the cream to try again?)
Probiotics - both in his food and sprinkled right into his ear
Daily time opening the ear and holding it in the sunlight
Daily cleaning with various different cleansers
UPDATE: In the past it has always been yeast infections (they've done the skin test), and this is acting/smelling the same way.
Thanks everyone for all the advice! We tried the white vinegar but that didn't seem to help, but now we're doing the apple cider vinegar twice a day and that seems to be improving things.
As for the food, his whole life he had been on a high-end, organic, wheat-free food but it never helped. I do plan to look next for a sweet potato food, as that seems to be highly recommended.
Thanks again for all your help!
my parents dog gets yeast infections in his ear and they always have to get meds from the vet. So if the over the counter stuff isn't working take him to the vet.
You need to take him to the vet. My dog use to get ear infections all the time and when my money got tight and I was unable to take him the infection got into his blood and he passed away. If you can afford it take him to the vet. They will give him a shot that willwork on the infection from the inside as well as drops to put in his ears.
Oh my goodness, do I ever know what you are talking about!! We have had a number of dogs with chronic yeast/ear issues and infections.
I am not sure where you are located, but we finally...after years of trying everything with our 9 year old Great Pyrennes..finally found a vet who tapped into just the right combination of medication and caregiving.
We literally have tried everything..special diets, cooking only for him, special homepathic remedies, everything...and this is what finally worked for us:
We began with a long series of antibiotics First one was
Cephalexin (doc can write script for you to purchase at Target or other $4.00 prescription list store) 3 capsules 2 x a day for at least 3 weeks
Yeast medication called Ketoconazole (200 mg) 3 tabs each day (Also a script available thru your vet to get at Target
Ear Flush from Vet and then a medication called Mometamax to put in your dogs ear for 7-10 days (This cost is about $40 for this small bottle)
These are just suggestions...but I wanted to write because I have dealt with this problem for a number of years. We really tried every possible remedy on our own.
We use the Monistat, but not in his ears...he has yeast issues on his skin so he itches alot..the Monistat cream has taken care of that. I would not put anything else in his ears, but the ear flush from the doc and the ear med...plus taking the antibiotic to get rid of the infection and then go on to the ongoing challenge of keeping this in check. .
You will see a noticable difference in a day or two...In our life we waited too long to rememdy the problem and had to go to a stronger antibiotic..which is working....He doesn't shake his head anymore...
He also is on a special diet..no grains...Will get the name of the dog food for you...
Hope this helps...and hope I haven't gone on way too long.. R
Ear infections can be really painful and have the potential to trigger larger problems, such as an ear hematoma, which are far more expensive to treat. I would call your vet and see if they're willing to prescribe medication without seeing him based on his history. I work for a vet's office and we often get calls from clients asking for "more of that stuff that Lucky got last time because his ear is acting up again." If it's a patient we've seen regularly and fairly recently and there's a history of that particular issue it's not a big deal to have the owner swing by to pick up meds and then check back later to make sure all is well. If they want to examine your dog before prescribing anything then I would ask about prevention while you are there. If this is happening at a certain time of year then it's likely he's having an allergic reaction to something which is manifesting itself as an irritation, followed by an infection, in his ear. Your vet should be able to recommend a good cleaner that's properly ph balanced for your dog's particular problem and may dispense enough medication so that you'll have some on hand for next time. I'm not sure about the Monistat in the ear, I've used it successfully on ring worm but never in an ear. What your vet will likely prescribe is a cream that has a steroid, an antibiotic and an antifungal. Yeast causes irritation and swelling which makes way for the bacteria.
Our lab gets these all the time!
We have an ointment for him, have to use it for a full ten days when he gets one, really your best bet.
To prevent, take a look at allergies. Our vet put our dog on a food that is only vennison and sweet potato because she thought this was a likely cause. It is available at some pet stores, expensive, but cheeper than the prescription brands of dog food. It is Natural Balance brand. We could have used the salmon blend too, but I don't like the smell!
The vet gave us an ear wash too, we use it every couple of weeks, just to clean them up. He has not had a single infection since we started this food. Speak to the vet, they cant help you prevent the infections as well as treat the one he has now.
M.
I don't know about clearing up the infection, however, when our dog suffered repeatedly, we ended up using a tea tree oil solution we bought at the pet store as a preventative and it worked WONDERS!
Good luck!
The best thing I can reccomend is Epi Ear cleaner http://www.1800petmeds.com/Epi+Otic+Advanced+Ear+Cleanser...
We usede this on our dogs ears and it really hjelped clear up, we would also use after day in the pool and twice a month just to keep it away. Once it goes away just make sure to dry out ears after baths or swimming.
Use a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water-put this in a squeeze bottle. Squeeze in the ear canal and massage the outside of the ear, then wet some cotton balls with the solution and wipe out the inside of his ear. This works really well-if you've done this though for more than 2 weeks you're going to have to get the Rx stuff from the vet.
organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar cures dog ear infections. you can read all the posts/testimonies on what different dog owners did at www.earthclinic.com and click on the PETS tab at the top. Hope your dog has a speedy recovery:)
my poor dog itched his ears til they bled. we took away chicken from his diet ( now he eats venison and rice natures recipe from petco) and no more yeast infections!!
My dog has large ears and loves to swim. Consequently she is prone to ear infections. I found a recipe online from a spaniel breeder that works every time. Here's their website to look it up. http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/EarCleaner.html
I must have saved hundreds of dollars in vet fees using this recipe. It works great everytime. Good Luck!
It might have food sensitivity/allergy...bring the vet a copy of the ingredients in the dog food. The vet will let you know. A vet can also recommend ear drops.
Hmm. When my rottweiller got this years ago, the Dr. sold me something off the shelf in his clinic that was an earwash that helped balance the PH levels in her ears. I remember having to squirt this clear liquid in her ear, then massage her ear canal for as long as she'd let me (20 seconds maybe). Then she'd shake it all out of her ears. I did it a couple of times a week. I know what you're saying about knowing it's a yeast infection. You can smell it.
I just googled "dog ear wash ph balance" and some articles came up. Also, type in "dog ear wash home recipe" and you can perhaps make your own.
there's a site called allexperts.com that i really like that you might go take a peek at. look under the dog heading and see whats there. you might find an answer to someone else's question that will help you, or you can ask your own question. good luck!
I would head to the vet with him, just to make sure it is only yeast. They can get mix infections with bacteria too. You are probably right that it is all yeast or mostly yeast. The vet will check swabs and then give you a med that will treat the infection. Once the infection is cleared up try and use a good pet ear cleaner once week and after swimming and baths to keep the ears clean. Good luck and hope it clears up soon, I know they are ear infections are no fun for you or your dog.
In addition to all the great advice you have already received, here is another suggestion. Feed him a tablespoon of plain yogurt every day. Low fat is fine. Add it to his food. It will help balance everything out and it's just good for his gut in general. It has worked on my dogs in the past with the same problem.
Good luck!
Is it possible that this is not a yeast infection. One doctor told me I had a yeast infection on my skin. I used the medication for yeast and it did not go away. I went back to my own doctor and he took a skin scraping. It wasn't a yeast infection, after all. I also think a trip to the vet is in order.
My dog used to get chronic yeast infections of the ear and finally I found something called Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution. Its ear drops that you can order on any pet website but the good part is you don't need a prescription. Its a hydrocortisone based drop and I have also purchased the cleaner as well to use in conjuction with the drops. Helped alot, especially with chronic cases-we would start treatment at the first sign of one coming on. Check it out, it's worth a try before going to the vet.
Our dog also had chronic ear infections. I changed his food to organic and holistic and he has not had them since. Any of the expensive dog food at Petco or Petsmart works.
Good Luck!
