Poor Cocoa

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

3 weeks ago she had a round of puppy shots and I said something to the vet that her ears have been smelling to me.  She looked at them and laughed and said it might be my higtned smell from being pregnant and that all her ears need is the hair pulled out bad.  The next day she had her first groomer appointment and the groomer did her ears and commented when I picked her up about how hairy they were.

I could still smell them but figured maybe that's just how dogs with big floppy ears smell since my other dogs were yorkies and they had the small ears that stood up.

Last week I have noticed an increase in her itches and she would make noises while doing so at her ears. Saturday we started to notice her shaking her head, Sunday the head shaking was all day long. Today its bad and she keeps coming to me to rub around her ears... POOR COCOA   Her momma knew something was wrong but no one would listen to me.

So off to the vet we go tonight. I feel bad I can't take her this morning but I am too pregnant to pick her up, and she wont step out to the garage or into the car with out someone picking her up, so I have to wait until DH gets home to take her.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Ear problems. Common in many doodles. They just probably knew you'd be back. One of many many trips to the vet to help with ears. So sorry for her because I know how miserable she must feel. My boy has one too. It has lessened but we know it is inevitable.
My foster girl ( adopted) started smelling his ears a week before he showed symptoms. So did our cat. But humans can not always tell with a visual inspection.
For your sake, mdke that dog walk to the car. Cookies wofk well.
Good luck on the ears.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Cocoa is suffering. Try to entice her to get in the car. I'm staying with my son and daughter-in-law after her hospital stay. I will be taking their Golden retriever to the vet. She definitely has an ear infection and the family has been too overwrought with my DDILs illness to notice. They cannot take care of themselves we have to be loving and responsible to do that for them. 

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

I just called to see if they can push it up and only thing they have is 2:30, I have to pick my daughter up from school at 2:45 so i can't take her then.  So we are just going to keep the 4:45.

I hope they will do her rabies shot a week early so we can save a $65.00 office visit to take her back in for that next week.

She is still eating, drinking, playing. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

They should not charge you for an office visit just for the shot. My vets call it "a run to the back" and just charge or the shot, the same amount they'd charge as it it were part of an office visit. You might be better off getting the ears under control first. Are you cleaning her ear cleaning regularly? It really is important. My dogs never get ear infections but when I clean the ears I sniff them. They usually have a slight yeasty smell by then

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

My vet charges a office visit for everything.... most of them around here do UGH.

No I do not clean them and asked last time I was there what I needed to do for ear care. I was told to leave them alone because cleaning them can cause more harm than good.   She said it can push stuff down into the ear and cause bad infections.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I  don't agree with your vet at all. We have had many discussions on this. Also, sometimes pulling the hair sometimes does more harm them good. Go to the Doddle Grooming group and look up the discussions there. Here's one. I explained my cleaning routine there.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/doodlegrooming/forum/topics/ear-c...

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I think I would argue the office visit charge on this one as you brought it up at the last appointment and he didn't thoroughly investigate it.  If they were insistent on charging I might be looking for a new vet though would listen when I tell them something. 

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

my vet charges for each visit too. But, as you mentioned her ears last time, i agree with Lucy and Sophies Mom, argue the vet charge

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I agree, argue the vet charge, and follow F's advice on the ear cleaning. I would even start thinking about shopping around for a new vet. Of course you have to clean their ears! I mean, not every day, but they get dirty and they need cleaning. My vet certainly expects me to keep up with the ear cleaning. It's almost as if your vet wants her to get an ear infection so then you have to pay more money to come in and have it treated. Put your foot down!

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

They ended up doing her next set of shots tonight a week early so we are all done with shots and do not have to bring her back next week.

We saw a different vet tonight and I might ask for this one from now on. She agreed with everything you all have said. She even said something about watching her feet? Also thinks this could have a little to do with her food allergy and said we might just have a dog that's going to have this type of stuff happen more often than others... she said kinda like some humans with allergies are more prone to other things.

I am just happy they did something for her and she will start to feel better soon and they told us how to clean her ears to try to prevent this in the future.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Food allergies and yeast infections really do not have a connection and I doubt your doodle has a true food allergy. Karen will explain. As for her feet, many dogs with allergies chew more than usual on their feet. But this vet does sound better than the other one.

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

yeah the vet calls it a food allergy... i say its just a food sensitivity because the only problem is she gets the runny poops and gassy until we found the right food.

I never noticed her digging at her skin or feet so I do not think it was an allergy. I hear many people on here say most vets just call it one.

I just did not know what they were talking about with her feet?  Like what I was supposed to look for?