Ear Infections

[Lisa and Summer]

Summer is 9 mo. old and currently has her third ear infection.  Does anyone else have this problem?  Several people have told me to use an ear rinse (that you can get from the vet) about once a week and that helps. I have also heard that some people have their groomer pluck the ear hair out and that may help also. Her infections are yeast and they have a terrible smell so I always know when she has one.  Each vet visit is over $100.00 so this problem is getting expensive.  Does anyone have any ideas or similar problems?    

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

YES! We had several ear infections until I started using T8 Keto, non-stinky ear wash/flush from the vet. I use it after the dogs have been swimming, or have been out in wet weather (which is frequently around here), or have had a bath. Dry with tissue or towel after you rinse. I also have the groomer clean out their ears everytime they go in for a hair cut (ever 8 weeks or so). Being diligent about this has prevented reoccurences and the dogs don't mind having their ears cleaned.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

All of the things people told you are correct. This is called "poodle ear", and it is one consquence of having a dog with a woolly, curly, non-shedding coat. It will only get worse as she gets older and her hair gets denser and coarser.
The hair in the ear canal has to be removed and the canal kept clear of hair. Use a good ear cleaner that contains a drying agent- I always used Epi-Otic, purchased from the vet- and clean the ears on a weekly basis; daily, if you notice things starting up.
For dogs who have this much trouble with chronic yeast infections, it helps a lot to get some air circulating in there on a regular basis. When you're home with Summer, put her ears up on top of her head with a scrunchy like a ponytail for a few hours. And always make sure her ears are thoroughly dried inside after she swims or get wet.

[Pat & "Tucker"]

I use EPI Otic also. Had ear infections too. Vet rec. once a week with the wash. I like Karen's idea with the scruchy to air out the ears. I keep Tucker's ears short and the hair shaved below the ear to allow for as much air as possible. Haven't had a problem since doing all of this.

[BG and Gavin]

We have had two ear infections and it is not even swimming season yet! I have to keep a close eye on the right ear which tends to flare up. We have VET Solution Ear Cleaner for maintance every 10-14 days and Surolan drops for flare-ups. I also have ear wipes that I use in a pinch in between washings if he gets wet. I also use the blow dryer on them thanks to a great tip from Nugget's Family;)

[Nugget's Family]

Nugget has had a lot of ear problems, so we've had a lot of trial and error. The blow dryer idea, referenced by BruceGirl resulted from me being at my wit's end with Nug's ears last summer. It did help! I agree with everything else that people have said here....just be careful with different ear solutions. There was one that the vet used on her last year WHEN HER EARS WERE PERFECTLY HEALTHY that was way too harsh and set-off ear inflammation on her. (Can you sense my frustration?) Anyway, Nugget is currently working with a vet dermatologist/allergy doc for allergy issues. This vet put her on special drops to combat the yeast infections. She gets the drops 2x/day for three weeks. Seems to be working great....but Nug is also getting a slew of other stuff, so it's hard to tell what's really working. If you're interested, I can get you the name. I think it's Conoflite? (Pardon my laziness....the bottle is downstairs and I am up and it's been a long day of Easter egg dying and church service attending! :-) )

[Trowby]

We have also had ear problems. Use Epi- Otic religiously. Groomer plucks Sage's ear hair and uses a drying powder after a bath. Groomer also shaves under her ear to It also helped to start cooking for her and to eliminate grains.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I do not pluck out hair from the ear canal, but I cut the hair coming out of the ear short. I also cut the hair beneath the ear short. I use , DermaPet MalAcetic Otic, purchased on line, about every 2 weeks. I clean the ears very thoroughly and dry well. I would clean once a week until you get the yeast under control.

[Sonja]

You are clearly not alone! Our 14 month old is prone to yeast and we do the same as all the others here, using Epi-Otic from the vet. However, I can tell you there is an ear powder we got at Petco which seems to work better than anything. It keeps the ear dry, and smells kind of medicinal. We clean and wipe dry, then add a little powder, which seems to keep it dry. The ear plucking or ear trimming is a must I've learned. The vet did it the first time, then a groomer over zealously plucked and left sores, so now I use another powder from Petco especially for ear plucking. I try to keep up on it and it doesn't seem to bother Maizy. Good luck...it is one of the ONLY downsides of a doodle in my opinion.

[Lesley, Wellington & Bingley]

At 9 months Welly was also on his third trip to the vets because of ear infections. Hair wasn't an issue, his ear canals were well formed so no issues there so I looked at his diet.

A very good vet suggested I took him off a poultry based diet as he had mostly duck/rice based kibble and chicken in his diet. So I cut out the poultry and haven't had a issue since.

I knew that wheat intolerance is quite common but hadn't thought about meat, but it certainly made a huge difference to Welly (now 2 and a half years old).

[Mommy2Max]

People seem to love Zymox. Go to Amazon to read reviews.

People have mentioned keeping the ear clean of hair. You can buy gripping powder at most pet stores. You can youtube how to do it.

Some people feel grains/sugar can be a culprit for yeast build up. Perhaps a lower grain food? Just a thought.

[Debbie and Thomas]

Our dog trainer recommended using "Gentian Blue" ear cleaner. It worked so well and cleaned up all of that dark brown yeasty waxy buildup overnight after a few drops in each ear. It is not to be used when the ear is infected though...just to keep the yeast away. I have discussed this before on here...I bought it at a pet store here in Ontario but it is available online. We found it worked MUCH better than the ear cleaner the vet prescribed. It is blue though from the Gentian plant so be careful becasue it may stain your clothes if spilled.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Gentian violet can work well for yeast. But solutions with a mild acid work quite well too, I think. And they are much less messy. I would certainly recommend cleaning the ears weekly in your case--it doesn't only help but it really keeps the infections at bay in dogs who are prone to them. I don't remove hair but some doodles may need his. I worry that pulling out hair can cause injury to the skin of the ear canal. I can't see this as a good thing. If the hair really blocks the ear canal and prevents air circulation you may nee to remove it.