Need dog health help please

[casdas]

So my dog has some kind of problem with her left ear. I took her to the vet, he says it's some kind of infection and gave me drops to put her ear. That proved to be almost impossible, she hated them and tried to bite me if I went to put them in. She never tries to bite anything. It took a long time but we finally used up all the drops. The ear got better for a brief period but then all the symptoms came back and it was bothering her again.

So we took her to another vet. He said allergies...the stuff he gave us didn't do much of anything, best I could tell. At this point her ear is still bothering her and I'm not confident in either of the vets we went to. Any suggestions anyone has, I'm open to. Her ear is red on the inside, it doesn't smell good, and she scratches at it and sometimes shakes her head, like she's trying to shake something out of there.

If there's any home remedy thing anyone knows of, please let me know. Also hoping for a vet recommendation that isn't Neel or West Yukon. Thanks in advance

 

[tcpoke]

My dogs both have had ear problems in the past and have all the symptoms you described. Every time the antibiotic drops are the only thing that work. Have to make sure they are really getting down in there and then hold them still for 60-90 seconds after so the inevitable head shake after doesn't spray the drops all over.

 

[Ostatedchi]

Not a vet but if it smells bad in the ear - it is almost assuredly an infection and antibiotic drops are the correct treatment.

 

[Been Jammin]

@casdas

Doggie ear infections can be very frustrating. If there is an odor, you are definitely dealing with an infection. The reason that they can be difficult to resolve is that the external ear canal (between the external opening and the ear drum) is L shaped rather than straight. This can allow for discharge/organisms to be trapped close to the ear drum and make it difficult to get the medication down as far as it needs to go.

At my practice, we always start with an exam of the ears with an otoscope. If I can't visualize the ear drum, that is a problem. That means that either the canal is very swollen (swollen shut) or there is too much debris/discharge in the canal. It is important to visualize the ear drum because if it is ruptured, you not only have an external ear infection but you also have a middle ear infection. Usually, we will start with an ear cytology, which means swabbing the canal and looking at the discharge under a microscope. That tells me if I am dealing with a yeast infection, rod shaped bacteria (which are often resistant to certain antibiotics) or cocci bacteria (which are more likely to respond to just about any antibiotic). Oral medications generally don't get into the external ear canal, so applying ointment/liquid into the canal is almost always needed. I base my medication choice on the result of the ear cytology. If the middle ear is involved, oral medications are generally indicated, as well as drops in the external ear canal.

On top of all of that, it is often necessary to clean the ear canal before starting medication. A canal full of discharge will prevent any medication from getting very far into the canal and resolving the issue. Sometimes, if the canal is really full of debris or if the dog is not tolerant of flushing/cleaning, we have to sedate the patient to get it clean. Sometimes, if the canal is swollen, we have to put the patient on oral steroids for about 2 weeks to open up the canal before we will have any chance of cleaning the canal and getting meds to the site of infection.

Depending on how the canal looks, and what is found on the ear cytology, we do have some newer medications that will prevent you from having to try to get drops into your dogs ear at home. Osurnia is a medication that is applied by the vet and then a 2nd dose is applied by the vet 1 week later. Claro is a newer one that I have yet to use, but it is supposed to stay in the canal for a full 2 weeks after application at the vet.

We always recommend a recheck after 2 weeks because, as you can see, there are a lot of factors that can affect the degree of success of treatment. Often, we have to change medications after 2 weeks or clean the ear canal again then treat for longer.

Some dogs are prone to ear infections and this can be due to hereditary reasons (i.e. some breeds have very narrow ear canals that trap moisture), allergies (there is skin on the inside of the ear canal that can get inflamed just like skin on the belly, legs, etc). or dogs that swim often.

The bottom line, is you need to find a vet that isn't just going to give you ear drops and send you home. That may work on occasion, but often, that is a recipe for failure and frustration.

 

[blbronco]

BJ preety well covered it all. I prefer Osurnia to Claro simply because the applicator tip hurts less. In nasty ears that do not respond to those ear meds, i tend to run cultures and sensitivity, so specialized ear "packs" can be made for that patient. Rarely do I have owners apply meds at home, because it is frustrating to the owner. Ear cytologies are worth every penny and more, like bj said.

 

[Football_Goddess]

Treats make the ear drops go easier, in my experience. Amira HATES ear drops, but as long as someone has treats to distract her, we can typically get them in her ears without having 120 pounds of mastiff going absolutely nuts.