homemade ear remedy?

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Any doggy experts/breeders . I want to follow the reccommendations on this site. I am almost out of her weekly Otomax ear drops that are expensive and don't seem to work all that great (I still notice stinky ears at time)

I found this. What do you think? Is it true as they say? Is it safe? Opinions.

http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/EarCleaner.html

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

As much as Jackdoodle scratches, I would just not be comfortable using something with this many warnings about cuts, abrasions, etc., and the dangers of the boric acid getting into the bloodstream.
I mean, this stuff sounds scary:
"Is it safe to use on my dog?
As long as the ear drum is intact and there are no open sores, scratches, punctures, or wounds in the dog's ear... yes. For example, if your dog has scratched his ears with his claws and broken the skin... it would not be a good idea to use the ear cleaning solution until that wound has fully healed, because the alcohol would sting and the boric acid would have a path to the bloodstream. Also, please be careful not to accidentally get any of the ear cleaning solution in to your dog's eyes. If your dog's ear drum has ruptured or been punctured, the ear cleaning solution would be very bad for your dog. Therefore, the safest thing to do would be to have your vet do an examination of your dog's ear first, before starting treatment with this ear cleaner... to ensure the ear drum is intact and there are no open sores which would allow the ear cleaner to get in to the blood stream.
Boric acid is used in some roach killing products. Can't it poison my dog?
Similar to the last answer... as long as there are no sores, wounds, etc. in the ear... the boric acid will not get in to the dog's system. Yes, you don't want your dog licking or drinking this stuff... but it's safe to use in the ear. When he shakes his head and the ear cleaning solution goes flying everywhere, you might want to use a towel to wipe any off of his coat."
Whoa!!!!
I have used Epi-Otic ear cleaner for years and years. It is pretty reasonably priced, lasts forever, and can't hurt them at all. Here's a link for it on-line.
http://www.healthypets.com/epearclean4o.html

[BetteB]

We use Epi-Otic, too. Works very well. I buy it at PetSmart.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Ya that is exactly what I was worrying about too! I will try to see if I can find the epi-otic. Are there any other really good "home remedies" ?

[Adina P]

Otomax is an antibiotic, right? So it's not what you'd use for regular cleaning. There's a nice cleaner we have sold in our local pet stores that is tea tree oil based but not oily...I like that one but if I could find Epi-Otic in stores I'd buy that.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

No Otomax is steroid based thing I believe. Like Flonase sinus spray for allergies.. Do you have Flonase in the US?

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Here I just looked it up. It is both steroid & antibiotic. But I cant find anything indicating the dog should be on this forever, like my vet wants. twice a week for the rest of her life. hmmmmm

http://www.canadapharmacy.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product/name/oto...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Reg, that doesn't sound right. I use Otomax for infections only. I don''t even see how it can clean the ear, it's more like ointment than a wash. The instructions even say to clean the ear before using it.
And I'm sure antibiotics and steroids shouldn't be used routinely on a continuous basis when there is no actual infection; they would lose their effectiveness when there actually was one.
"Otomax is a combination antimicrobial and corticosteroid indicated for the treatment in dogs of acute and chronic otitis externa associated with yeast and/or bacteria susceptible to gentamicin.
Ingredients:
Gentamicin Sulfate Veterinary, Betamethasone Valerate, USP and Clotrimazole, USP
Directions:
Otomax is FDA approved for use in dogs only. Prior to use the external ear should be cleaned and dried and excessive hair should be clipped from the treatment area. After verifying the eardrum is intact, the usual dose (when using the 7.5gm, 15gm or 30gm containers) is 4 drops into the ear canal twice a day for dogs weighing less than 30 lbs and 8 drops into the ear canal twice a day for dogs weighing 30 lbs or more."

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Yes! It is greasy! She always has greasy ear fur! It isnt meant to clean, just meant to stay in it forever to prevent ear infections. AT $55 a tiny bottle and a skeptical mind (I cant imagine Abby being on anything forever as a preventative when she is so young). So my thought was I wasnt going to buy more I would just see if there was something else.

The vet said the yucky ears were caused by airborne allergens, like how people get sinus issues, dogs instead get ear issues, and like people who have allergic rhinitis use Flonase as a permanent preventative measure, the Otomax is so used in dogs. I dont know if I believe it completely. Maybe if I can keep her ears clean and fresh they wont be succeptible to irritation/infections because of allergens.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yeah, I would stop using it on a routine basis. I know we talked about this before, but ear infections aren't always caused by allergies, and if Abby has no other allergy symptoms, I would doubt very much that she has allergies. The biggest symptom of airborne (inhalant) allergies in dogs is itching. Trust me on this one.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The Epi-Otic also has drying properties that help keep the ears from becoming infected.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

I am going to find Epi-Otic. Hopefully I can get it here.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here's the Virbac Canadian website, with the sales contacts for the different provinces. Maybe you can find out who carries it.
http://www.virbaccanada.com/sales_contacts.html