Dog Question: Yeast Infection in Ear?

We had an "Old school" vet tell us to use OTC Lotrimin cream in the dogs ears. If it's yeast, it will clear up!

AFTER this is treated and healed you can prevent problems by using half alcohol/half vinegar in his ears after they get wet-- that's what I always used on my bassets (Also useful on humans prone to swimmers ear)

I don't know if it is yeast but it does sound like what happens to our dog all the time. Does you dog have floppy ears (like a springer spaniel) or ones that stand up? If your dog has floppy ears, they hang down and cover the opening of the ear, then it might be prone to these types of things. We own an english springer spaniel and because the ears are like that, it doesn't dry out very well and will tend to get infected easily. The vet will be able to get you meds that will help clear it up. We also will use q-tips and peroxide and clean them like you would clean your own ears. Good luck to you.

Yeast is common in floppy eared dogs. My lab had yeast infections all the time for a while, but now I have learned to recognize the symptoms (smell!) and always have the medication on hand. I use Mometamax from my vet. 10 days of treatment usually does the trick for him.

Another trigger besides exposure to water is allergies. My dog has seasonal allergies and when they act up, his ears get inflammed and trap excess moisture which prompts the yeast infection. Now he takes Clairitin to keep his ears happy and we have had very few problems.

Yes dogs can have yeast infections in their ears. Usually yeast infection are very thick, wet and stinky. Brown stuff can be just normal debris without odor or itching. If it's dry, flaky and brown could be ear mites. Is the dog doing alot of pawing at the ear or head shaking? If not, it's probably nothing. If so then a trip to the vet would be wise. Could be bacteria with yeast, yeast alone or mites. Yes the vet can take a swab of the ear and look at it under the microscope or could just diagnose it from the clinical signs. There is a product that is called Nu Stock that I get from my local feed store. It's cures just about anything honest. It smells pretty strong of sulfur but gets the job done. Might want to check out some reviews on the web. Handy stuff to have if you are a dog owner and like natural treatments :)
C.

Yes definitely. Our dog gets them constantly because of her ear shape and her allergies. In fact she has a bad case right now due to being in a cone from a surgery. After dealing with it for so long, the vet now calls in meds for us. Generally we get brown discharge , she scratches them a lot and they stink. An ear exam is usually what a vet does and checking the debris under a microscope, checking to make sure it's a yeast infection and not something else. There are several medicines to choose from. Most are pretty inexpensive. Ear washes help. Ear infections can get ugly fast, so call the vet in the morning.

Have not read the other answers but it sounds like yeast. You need to take him to the vet so they can take a swab, check it out under a microscope or culture it, and see if it really is yeast or something else (bacteria, excess wax build-up, etc.). Then they can prescribe appropriate medications. Don't buy anything over-the-counter without knowing what it actually is or talking with your vet first. Cleaning the ears 2 to 3 times a week (or sometimes daily) with a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar can help a lot too. Yeast infections are more common when dogs have droopy ears that don't air out well, and sometimes happen after swimming or bathing when there is excess moisture in the ear. Allergies can be an issue as well.

yes, dogs can get yeast infections in the ears....& on the skin!

Our labradoodle is notorious for ear infections. To prevent them, I have to regularly use a surgical hemostat to remove the hair/fuzz from the ears. According to the vet, this is a painless procedure......yeah, right. :(

But, on the other hand, our dog is the best dog in the world...so he actually will carry the tool to me & sit & wait for me to work on him! He's amazing!

I have a foaming cleanser from the vet which I use when I notice the ick or the odor (which will knock you out!). This product works only in the beginning stages of the infection. After that we have to use antibiotics. CoCoa has food allergies which is how his ear infections trigger if I don't keep the ears cleaned....or if he spends too much time playing in water.

Hope this helps & good luck.

Yeast is a common problem in dog's ears and is often brought on after bathing or swimming when water gets in the ears. You can try cleaning the ears with an ear cleanser but it is recommended to definitely get it looked at because bacteria can cause an infection as well. Your vet should look at some of the debris on a slide under the microscope to see what is causing the problem; yeast or bacteria. Then they can prescribe appropriate medications but they should look deep in the ear canal as well to see if they can visualize the ear drum to see if it has ruptured. This isn't common but can happen and then you have to be selective about medications begin used. I would recommend getting an ear cleanser with a drying agent in it and squirting it in the dog's ears after bathing and swimming to prevent future infections.

Yes, get your dog to the vet asap. It could be very serious. I wouldn't mess with the ears and try to self-diagnose.

It could be an inner ear yeast infection, but that is typically associated with a much more serious issue. The yeast is a secondary issue, if that makes sense.

Then again it could be mites or mange, either of which are both pretty horrible too. They all produce like a discharge, or brown residue in the ears.

Either way, your dog will likely need medication.

Our Boston terrier has terrible ear problems if he gets them wet. I tie a bandana around his head when it's raining. Boy does he love me LOL. He has had yeast before in his ears. I always know he has an infection if he is flapping a lot, and trying to scratch it. One time he had to be sedated and the ear flushed out :( your vet will take a swab and look under the microscope. Good luck.

Yep, I would take a sample from the swab and look at it under the microscope (or culture it) to identify the cause (instead of just treating it for mites as some clients assumed). My dog does fine because she is a boxer mix and has more open ears, others with the floppy ears seem to trap the moisture and bacteria/yeast.

My puppy had this. At first I thought it was dirt because he likes to dig. I took him to the vet and they tested it. We had to give him drops for his ears twice a day and then clean his ears with ear wash daily. After a month they tested again. It took about 3 months to get rid of it. I check his ears once a week and clean them about twice a month now.

I've had a dog who had a yeast infection in his ear before. Normally happens with floppy eared dogs. My vet can normally tell by the redness and by the smell (lol, gross) and it's just a cream that I put on his ears.

Yes. Our dogs always seemed to have ear yeast infections. I think it's very common, especially with certain breeds. If I remember correctly, I think the vet gave us some ointment/drops to put in the ears. After putting the drops in the ears, we would massage the outside of the ear to distribute the ointment around the inside of the ear. I think we used the medicine on an ongoing basis.

After reading another answer below, I'm not sure if the product we used for our dogs ears was a wash or medication, but we did get it from the vet

We had a black lab with chronic yeast infections in the ear. It was probably from the swimming and the bacteria trapped in there. You should always flush a dogs ear after swimming and now that your day has had this you may want to clean his ear on a regular basis. You can buy ear cleaner from your vet or at any per store. As for the current infection, get it looked at as soon as possible. All the head shaking they do could cause him to bust the blood vessels in his ear and that is only fixed by a costly surgery. He will likely need antibiotics and depending on how bad the swelling in the ear is, the vet may want to give him a cortisone shot.

Smell his ea. If it smells a little sickly-sweet it's a yeast infection. I would just get some ear cleaning solution and drying solution from the pet store. If you're consistent with it, it should clear up eventually. I know you can get other medications, but they're usually more costly.

yes dogs can get yeast infections in thier ears. The vet may want to do a test to make sure there is not a bactiria infection also. If they just find yeast they will give you a ear cleaner that as an antifungle in it.

Yes. Pretty good answers here, I had a dog that was half basset and always had this problem. It causes their ears to be itchy and stinky. We always treated her yeast infections of the ear with ear drops and antibiotic pills shoved inside a small piece of cheese or vienna sausage. Poor baby. I seem to remember cleaning her ears with cotton balls and ear wash every night until the cotton came out clean. *sigh* not fun. I always used latex gloves and was very careful, but sadly...believe it or not I contracted the same infection in my ear. Just be careful when cleaning the dogs ears thats all. I think that the fact that I was pregnant while dealing with that didn't help, lol. Good luck!