My 8mo old goldendoodle Kensi has been struggling with chronic yeast based ear infections. The more research I do it seems like this is sometimes caused caused by an allergy to certain dog foods. Has anyone dealt with this? She seems to like her food and eats well, but I am now wondering if it might be contributing to the ear infections. She is eating Purina Pro Plan Puppy. I do notice that she sneezes a fair amount as well.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a dog food that might work for Kensi and her possible allergy/ear infections? I cannot afford a dog food that is outrageously expensive.
Take her off the Purina and try a Premium food and see if it makes a difference. Try one with no corn at first. Purina is not a premium food. Read through "Commercial Foods: The Good the Bad and the Ugly" in this group.
I love the name Kensi...how cute is that? Also do a search here on DK on Thornit ear powder. A lot of of people have great success with that including breeders.
Hi, MB. I am assuming that the research you are doing has been on forums, since that was my experience when I first starting trying to ask about my doodles allergies...change the food. This is usually very bad advice.
The first thing to do is check that Kensi's ears are always kept free of any hair in the ear canal. The second step is to make sure that the inside of the ears are always kept bone-dry. Have you been taking Kensi to the vet to make sure these are yeast and not bacterial infections? Have they checked for mites? Has the vet given you an ear-cleaner such as Epi-otic to be used on a regular basis?
Food allergies are the rarest form of allergy in dogs, and dogs are NEVER allergic to "certain dog foods". Rather, they may be allergic to one specific ingredient, regardless of what brand of food contains it. But even that is relatively rare. We here in the Food Group are not fond of Purina products, to say the least. You can read through the "Commercial Foods- the good, the bad and the ugly" discussions to find a much better food for Kensi, but the brand itself is not causing the infections. In order to find out if your doodle is allergy to a particular food (corn, wheat, chicken, etc.) you will have to do food trials, eliminating one thing at a time from her diet in order to determine which particular ingredient, if any, may be causing the problem. It is an arduous process. There is a lso a food elimination trial diet from Dr. Pitcairn in our "Recipes" section, if you want to try it.
Please read the discussion here in the Food Group about allergies and food: http://doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/allergies-a...
I am thinking it might be a food allergy bc I have run he course with medications. I am meticulous about keeping her ears plucked, dry, and clean. Despite my diligence she is still having issues with her ears. I am also aware the it wouldn't be a "certain dog food" my poor choice of words. I meant to imply particular ingredients in the food. I have read over the "the good bad and ugly". While very extensive it is hard to get an idea of what would be good for a dog with possible allergies. There are a lot of strong opinions about particular foods in that discussion. I am just looking for some advice, experiences, and possible suggestions of a food that could maybe work. I appreciate your response and will def take a look at the allergy discussions.
The foods that most commonly cause allergic reactions in dogs are: corn, wheat, soy, chicken, beef, and dairy products. There is some thought that beet pulp may be a culprit as well. Start by choosing a premium food that doesn't contain any of those. Some good premium brands are:
Innova, Orijen, TOTW, Nature's Variety, Canidae, Solid Gold, Evanger's, Fromm
and there are others. Even if Kensi's ear problem has nothing to do with food, and the odds are that it doesn't, she will at least be getting a much better quality food, and that in itself may help. Good luck.
Chapin had chronic yeast issues too - I now clean his ears 2x a week with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and tepid water, dry very well, and then tie his ears up with a scrunchie for some air flow. It looks silly, but he hasn't had an infection for over two months. (He's 9 months old).
This is a very good point, Michele; yeast needs moisture. Dogs with "prick" or cropped ears, like German Shepherds, have much lower incidences of ear infections than do our floppy earred friends. Letting some air get into Chapin's ears on a regular basis is a great idea, and I'll bet he looks adorable wearing his scrunchie!
Beckett had an ear infection but it wasn't food related...he eats Innova food. My vet said sometimes floppy eared dogs are more prone to infections. She gave me an antibiotic for him and also gave me something to clean his ears with once a week. That was a few months ago and he's been fine since.
A little update.....after more food research I decided to try California Natural Puppy Lamb and Rice dry kibble. She loves the food! I have also started using Zymox for Kensi' ears. One ear is looking much better already, the other is still pretty much the same but it has only been about 3 days on the Zymox treatment. I am crossing my fingers that I have found a solution!
I am glad to hear that you are seeing improvement. I do want to give you a heads up on something you *may* experience. It is not unusual at all to see an immediate improvement when you have a food issue, but many throw the towel in prematurely when they sometimes see a flare up after several weeks. This is not unusual and my reason for sharing this is so that perhaps you can be spared food hopping thinking it does not work for you. What you *should* notice is that the episodes become further apart and less severe, until hopefully they are no more. Good luck, keep up the good work!
I think a high quality food is going to be helpful. The ones Karen & Jack mention are good foods. One other realtively easy suggestion and good for all our dogs - get a good quality probioitc with more than one 'healthy bacteria ingredient: look for acidophilus, Bulgaricus, Bifidus,L. rhamnosus, etc. easy to get - in a good quality vitamin Store - doesn't have to be for canines. It is great for the immune - helps maintain beneficial bacteria and supports the immune. You don't want a cheap one - and the good ones are usually in the refrigerator section. Good luck...
I have had trouble with my Yorkie, she use to have ear infections all the time and she also would scratch her nose, after spending lots of money at the vet I did change her food and I am sorry to say but it seems like only the better brands did not cause this sort of problem. I think it is far cheaper to spend the extra money on a good food then to spend it at the vet, also it is just better for your dog. Maybe you should just try it for awhile and see if that solves the problem, I think that you may be surprised,