Yeast infection in both ears as well as paw

[Carrie B and Maggie Goldendoodle]

My year and half GD has had reoccurring yeast ear infections and now a yeasty paw :( With our most recent one  I have followed Vet orders Gentizol 3 times a day and an ear rinse every other day for the last 3 weeks and I followed up in the vets office at week 2 and will again at week 4. I will say so far there looks to be no difference.

Maggie has always been on a quality dog food TOTW salmon. The Vet mentioned food allergies, but I have heard mixed information on if food can cause yeast infections.

Any recommendations on things that have worked for you?

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Carrie, have you ever had a poodle or non-shedding dog before? Many of them are prone to yeast infections, especially of the ears, and some of them can have chronic problems, which can be genetic. All of them require regular ear cleaning and maintenance. If the drugs the vet gave you are not helping, I would ask to have the ear recultured and ask for something more effective. Often, yeast infections turn into bacterial infections, requiring antibiotics. If your vet can't give you something that resolves this issue, i would find another vet.

I never had recurring problems with ear infections in my poodles or poodle mixes, but they did get regular ear infections. I always kept the ear canal free of hair, and used a good cleaning solution with a drying agent weekly throughout the dog's life.

If your dog is having this much trouble with yeast, it is really important that you not follow any home remedies involving blue ear washes, vinegar, Thornit powder, or anything other than something that is proven through clinical testing (and not anecdotal stories on-line) to resolve a chronic medical issue. Thos ethings might help to prevent the condition, but once it starts, you need to get to the bottom of what is causing it and stop it. Most important in any ear infection is knowing if you are dealing with yeast, bacteria, or both.  When a dog's ears are chronically infected, it can eventually lead to radical surgery, and the removal of most of the dog's ear canal, so this is nothing to play around with.

Good luck.

 

[Lynne of Fountain Falls]

I agree with everything Karen has to say.  I would add that adding a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt to his food has proven helpful to a few poodles that I know.  I have a 15 year old poodle that had chronic ear problems.  Antibiotics would clear it up each time but they would come back if he got any water in his ear.  As long asI squirted ear cleaner, from the vet, in his ear before his bath he was ok.  But if I didnt tell this to the groomer or he stayed with a relative while we were gone, he would get one every time.  By the time he was 15 he lost most of his hearing.  Good luck and Id like to hear the outcome of your problem.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Good point about the water, Lynne.

I've also seen groomers put cotton in a dog's ears before bathing them to make sure no water gets in there.

And plain, unflavored fat-free yogurt in the food certainly couldn't hurt.

[Carrie B and Maggie Goldendoodle]

Thank you, I will keep you posted as we go back to Vet this Friday. I think most of my frustration comes from the fact that I am doing everything the Vet has asked of me and followed all instructions. (the Vet has made sure the ear hair is properly taken care of, confirmed the groomer uses cotton balls her ears as do I for bath time, I have used all the meds as directed)

I am not looking for an online anecdotal hype, more suggestions like adding plain yogurt or maybe someones Vet uses a different medication that is more effective. 

Thanks for your help Karen and Lynn, keep your fingers crossed for me.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's been so long since i had a dog with an ear infection (JD sheds and is not prone to them) that I can't remember what medications were prescribed. But I would say that I'm surprised the vet told you to use the ear rinse every other day. We always used the ear cleaner (Epi-Otic, which contains a drying agent) before using the ointment or medication. I would wipe out any gunk with cotton first, clean the ear, and then use the medication.

It's questionable as to whether the yogurt or any other food will make much difference. It just can't hurt. But it's not a therapeutic remedy.

[Carrie B and Maggie Goldendoodle]

Update, we are now on an oral steroid and different ear drops.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I hope they help!

[Trudy Harlow]

Has anyone tried this treatment before?  My trainer swears by it for her cockers.

The Blue/Purple Ear Stuff

• 16 oz. Isopropyl Alcohol
• 4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
• 16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%

Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well. You will also need to shake solution every time you use it to disperse the Boric Acid Powder. To use, purchase the "Clairol" type plastic bottle to dispense solution to affected ears.

TREATMENT

Evaluate condition of ears before treating and if very inflamed and sore do not attempt to pull hair or clean out ear at all. Wait until inflammation has subsided which will be about 2 days.

Shake the bottle each time before using. Flood the ear with solution (gently squirt bottle), massage gently to the count of 60, wipe with a tissue. Flood again on first treatment, wipe with a tissue, and leave alone without massage. The dog will shake out the excess which can be wiped with a tissue; the Gentian Violet does stain fabrics.

SCHEDULE OF TREATMENT

• Treat 2 x per day for the first week to two weeks depending upon severity of ears
• Treat 1 x per day for the next 1-2 weeks
• Treat 1 x per month (or even less frequently, depending on the dog)

All of these ingredients should be available at a pharmacy. The Boric Acid Powder soothes the ear. The Gentian Violet Solution is an anti-infection agent. The solution appears to work well on any and all ear problems from mites to wax to canker. After the second or third you can clean out the ear with a Q-tip or cotton balls. Their success rate for this treatment is 95-99%. Those who do not succeed have usually not done the treatment long enough or have not been regular about it.

Dogs on the verge of ear canal surgery have been returned to normal with only the regular follow-up treatment to keep the ear healthy. If an infection seems to be remaining in the treated ear after the above course of treatment, you may also have some Pseudomonas bacteria in the site. This can be eradicated by using a gentle flush of raw apple cider vinegar and water (warm). Use 2 Tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of water, 2x per week.

They have found the Blue Power Solution to be effective for treating fungus-type infections on the feet and elsewhere on the dog, for cuts on dogs or people, and for hot spots. You may find other uses for this simple anti-infective agent. Remember it is for external use only and be careful not to get into the eyes.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"Blue ear wash" has been around a long time. One problem with it is that gentian violet stains like nobody's business. Not just fabrics, but dog's fur, your walls, your hands, etc. Gentian violet was a common treatment for women's vaginal yeast infections for decades, but it fell out of favor because of the staining aspect, as newer, more effective (and cleaner) treatments were developed.

Another problem with using blue ear wash is that it will do nothing for bacterial infections, it is only effective for yeasts.

 

[Trudy Harlow]

Well, yeast is what Paddy has.  But he's also cream-colored, so this is probably a no-go for us.

[Trudy Harlow]

My trainer says it works just as well without the gentian violet....Her cockers are black so it's not an issue for her, but she says she knows others who use it without.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, I'm not sure that I would take medical or veterinary advice from a trainer, but that's up to you. The gentian violet is the ingredient with the anti-fungal properties. Without it, you have nothing except plain old rubbing alcohol, and boric acid, which is primarily an antiseptic with some very mild antifungal properties.

BTW, Boric acid should never be applied to broken or abraided skin, it can be toxic under those circumstances.

Personally, in health issues, I think I would stick with something proven by clinical research and not just anecdotal advice to be effective and safe. Chronic ear issues in dogs can end up requiring a full surgical ablation of the ear canal if not brought under control.