help - Sunny has yeast in ears - saw vet, but how to prevent recurrance?

[Melissa]

I know this may not be the right group...  I'm still not sure I understand how to use this website well.  I thought it fit better in grooming than diet!

Sunny, 11mo gd, just got back from indoor/outdoor kennel.  Lots of rainy weather, outdoor play.  And a bath the last day.  Last time she was there for two weeks she came home with a slimy stinky beard and I ended up having it shaved off.  The groomer thought it was yeast.  Same grooming visit she had all her visible ear hair plucked and her ears were rather raw after.

This time she was there 10 days.  She came home with a black gooey stinky slimy and red ear.  Just yucky.  Tried to clean it with Zymox but quickly realized it was a health issue.  Lots of scratching and head shaking.

Just got back from vet.  She was swabbed in both ears and tested for yeast in both, with one being severe.  They manually cleaned it, used ear cleaner, then irrigated it.  Sent me home with a gel called Gentizol (gentamycin, clotrimazole, and betamethasone) to use for two weeks.  Mentioned yeast infections are often associated with allergies and looked her over for evidence of hot spots, licking, etc.  None found.

At the kennel they feed Science Diet sensitive.  At home I feed Canidae ALS.  Could the SD have caused this?  Should I change her diet?

How to prevent?  The vet bill was not small so I'd really like to work on this at home as much as possible.  How to keep her ears dry?  I'm actually thinking of using a clothespin to hold them open for a few hours...  just the fur, not the ear with the clip.  Thanks!

[Melissa]

thank you guys.  I'll read up on it.  

[Shari Becker]

The whole raw vs. kibble is a very heated debate on this board.

The food Lexi ate as a puppy was an organic kibble, and I've never seen a puppy itch so much in all my life. We took her off, and she stopped biting her feet. Everyone told us it was the chicken, but I don't think that was it. From what I'm reading now, I think it was the potato. Yeast feeds on starches - whether they are grains or corn on potatoes. We tried Orijen six fish. It didn't make her sick to her stomach (like many other kibbles), but within weeks of starting, she started itching her ears. 

I don't entirely believe raw is "better" for dogs because it is what wolves and dogs are designed to eat. My husband read this great article about how dogs have evolved to eat alongside man, and they evolved eating our scraps ... cooked and raw. What I DO think is that raw food is less processed, has less preservatives and ingredients, and is just a simpler product for the dog to digest. Making your own raw food is the most affordable, but you need time and space and if you do it wrong, it's bad for your dog. Buying commercial raw is incredibly expensive, but it is a balanced meal for your pup.

We just bought our first trial sized box of Honest Kitchen Beef. I realized after I brought it home, though, that is has potatoes and sweet potatoes in it, but it's only enough food for a week, so it may be worthwhile as a test. The fish formula only has sweet potatoes. It is dehydrated food, and it is kind of messy. Lexi inhaled it mixed with some freeze dried raw. We shall see how she does. I won't take her off raw completely, but we are trying to mix the two for a more cost effective approach.

Personally, if you can swing it, I'd try a raw for a month. See if you notice a difference in the state of her ears. See if you see the yeast clearing up. Then you can decide what to do long term. 

[Teresa Joyce]

Hi Melissa,

In 30 years of owning dogs, standard poodles and doodles, with ear hair, it is my opinion that the hair should  be removed.  There are a number of groomers that I respect that have discontinued the practice as some vets have cautioned about ear trauma.  I have seen a number of dogs come into my grooming salon with their ears packed with hair and infected - some so severely packed that the hair blocked the canal closed.  Also, some dogs have more ear hair than other dogs of the same breed.  My doodles have far less than my poodles did.   I believe that the removal of excess hair is necessary for the ear to properly air out and should be done.  However, I do not remove it as most groomers do.  The majority of groomers dump drying powder in the ear, and using hemostats grab all of the hair at once and pull it out.  This is not the correct way to remove the hair.  The correct way is to pull a few strands at a time and I use my fingers.  There is no trauma to the ear and the dog will not object to it - too many or too few and the dog will object. It won't take you long to figure it out.  It takes a couple of extra minutes, however, to not cause the dog pain and there is no trauma so I feel that it is well worth it.

Also, if your dog is in wet conditions, especially swimming and prone to ear infections, you can also use drying drops, much like what swimmers use.  Cutting the ears shorter to avoid them dragging in the water bowl might be another idea.  Yeast grows in moist conditions so you want to keep the ears as dry as possible. 

Let your groomer know that your dog is prone to ear infections and request that they use cotton balls in the ears during bathing.   

With regard to your food, just one thought - generally speaking, if you are feeding the same food and switch without a gradual change over, it can be very irritating to their digestive systems. 

Best of luck!

[Melissa]

Thank you for the comments.  The raw vs kibble debate IS overwhelming.  I am going to go back to Orijen.  And research/try some raw.  I like the idea of raw, I really do.  But I have a crawling baby (#8) and life gets complicated...

I totally agree - my dog is so waxy anyway.  The vet was all "too much hair holds moisture" at the same time saying "ear plucking causes trauma".  I am going to ask the groomer to keep ears dry.  Meanwhile I'll try to stay on top of the plucking myself.

I'm really hoping she's not going to have this as a chronic condition!

[Shari Becker]

Hi Melissa, I happen to be online! I have two kids (although no crawling babies), and I feed raw. I'm VERY careful. You might want to experiment with freeze dried. It's the most expensive form of raw, but also the cleanest. (pets360 is having a sale on Primal Raw Freeze Dried AND there is a coupon code for 20% off. Welcometo360). I'd start with beef or duck and steer clear of chicken and turkey for now for an itchy dog.) We have been experimenting with honest kitchen this week, and Lexi is enjoying it, but she is splashing it all over the floor! It's so messy. But I'm pretty sure it's not raw, at least. I may also buy a box of the fish-based Zeal, but you have to start with a 4lb box, and that makes me a little nervous. Some of their proteins have 2lb starters. If you want to chat more feel free to message me. 

[Melissa]

Thanks I will head over to pets360 and check it out...  I know nothing about freeze dried.  I hate to spend lots if she won't eat it.  Just have no idea.  But I'll see, thank you!