Help Needed! Chronic Ear Infections

[Bulldozersma]

Like a lot of other Bully parents here, my poor Rampage has horrible allergies and ear issues. The food he is on now seems to be working and I started using the Zymox Otic drops last week. It's odd to not clean his ears like I normally do while he's on these drops but they are working so well for him. No more head shaking and running all over the living room rubbing his ears on the furniture. I think he knows now that they will soothe his ears and he likes it. I'm hoping at the end of the two weeks of treatment he will be free of any type of irritation and I will keep him on a few drops a week for maintenance.

 

[christyjulene]

Like a lot of other Bully parents here, my poor Rampage has horrible allergies and ear issues. The food he is on now seems to be working and I started using the Zymox Otic drops last week. It's odd to not clean his ears like I normally do while he's on these drops but they are working so well for him. No more head shaking and running all over the living room rubbing his ears on the furniture. I think he knows now that they will soothe his ears and he likes it. I'm hoping at the end of the two weeks of treatment he will be free of any type of irritation and I will keep him on a few drops a week for maintenance.

That is wonderful news

 

[christyjulene]

I'm having the same problems with my bulldog, Stouffer. I've taken him to a couple different vets and tried a few different products, but i can't seem to get his ear infections to go away 100%. The first vet I took him to (very new vet, had never seen a bulldog before..) told me that he needed to have his ear canals removed and that his infections would never clear up otherwise. Needless to say, I left that appointment crying and desperate for other solutions. I am ordering the Zymox solution that several people have mentioned, and I really hope it helps my guy. I have been thinking of putting him on a raw diet, since I know food could be causing this too. He was on Science Diet for almost 3 years before the ear problems started..could it still be the food?

I am so sorry the vet told you that. Bullies are a unique breed and removing his ear canals is the last possible resort. I am so glad that you found EBN so that all of us can come together and help you explore some other solutions. Here is a list of vets that our members feel really comfortable sending their bullies to I hope someone on the list is close to you http://www.englishbulldognews.com/c...ews-Recommended-English-Bulldog-Veterinarians . Raw diets are an amazing way to solve many problems and there are people here that feed raw if you have questions. Let us know what we can do to help. Take care.

 

[cowsmom]

chronic ear infections and waxy buildup and itching are a common sign of food allergies. i use choraseb in sarahs ears to get rid of them so i dont have to go to the vet. you can also use apple cidar vinegar also. finding a food for your bully is a very tricky thing as what works for one wont work for another. also swollen red feet are a sign of food allergies to. find what protein works for your bully and work from there. a limited ingredient food can be useful here to narrow down the allergies. good luck everyone as im always around.

 

[Sherry]

chronic ear infections and waxy buildup and itching are a common sign of food allergies. i use choraseb in sarahs ears to get rid of them so i dont have to go to the vet. you can also use apple cidar vinegar also. finding a food for your bully is a very tricky thing as what works for one wont work for another. also swollen red feet are a sign of food allergies to. find what protein works for your bully and work from there. a limited ingredient food can be useful here to narrow down the allergies. good luck everyone as im always around.

You are so so right, since the beginning of this thread I have gone from the raw diet to the Fromm Pork and Peas, just to clarify that. Ear infections are annoying to not just the dog but the owner as well, I wholeheartedly believe the yeast plays a huge part in the problem, stemming all from the food

 

[kanderson]

@kanderson first let me say to EBN, with regard to your question about food, it plays a huge part in the health of our bullies. I would start by checking out the food ratings page, you said you was on Science Diet for almost three year, what are you currently feeding him? A lot of us feed grain free to mitigate many of their health issues. Check out the link below


http://www.englishbulldognews.com/content.php?219-Dog-Food-Ratings

Thank you!
Right now I am feeding him Hill's Prescription Diet Z/D.

 

[tbetty]

Kim,

I have the same problem with my Gordy. He's 13 now and we've been battling chronic ear infections for many, many years. These dogs cannot have any treats or table food. NONE. If you want to give your dog a treat, settle on the right food for him and reward him with a few kibbles of it when he does something good. Even a little bit of cheese wrapped around a pill can hamper your efforts to cure an infection.

Gordy was doing well and we started giving him glucosamine for his arthritis. We didn't realize that the glucosamine had a beef flavoring. Just that little beef in his diet sent him into a full-blown awful ear infection. It's so disgusting and I just can't get a handle on it.

One thing to note. It may not just be food. Our dog has seasonal allergies too. We let him play in a leaf pile once in the fall and he came out with an oozy green ear infection a few days later. I make sure that I use all natural cleaners around the house (the breeder told me that lysols or anything cleaner with a "sol" are a no-no) and also sensitive skin detergents for all our clothing and his bed/towels.

Caring for a bulldog is certainly an undertaking. They're dolls, but they need a lot of work. We even had our dog allergy tested by a specialist at one point and she recommended daily shots for his allergies. Gordy is such a scaredy-cat that a daily shot probably would have killed him, so we didn't go for it.

Good luck with Brutus. I hope you can get a handle on it. Try to find a vet that has bulldog experience if you can - that helps. Gordy is deaf in one ear and his ear is ulcerated from all his ear infections despite all our attention to it, so you really have to keep up with it. I'll third the Zymox - that's the best.

 

[tbetty]

PS - We feed Gordy Fromm's Whitefish and Potato which has cured all of his skin problems and we're now just dealing with his ears. The Fromm's food has been great for our two bulldogs, it's the best we've found. Want to laugh? When we had Gordy tested for allergies, the only protein that he is not allergic to is…. Zebra. O-kay then...

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, ear problems can be food or allergies.



DOG CARE
Ear Infections in Dogs: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
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By Henry Cerny, DVM, MS


Ear infections in dogs are common and most dogs suffer from this painful condition sometime in their life. Scratching and rubbing at the ear(s) and head shaking are common signs. You may also notice an abnormal odor from the ear or see redness or swelling. Most ear infections in adults are caused by bacteria and yeast, though ear mites are a common cause in puppies. Your veterinarian will take a sample from the affected ear(s) and examine it under the microscope to help identify what microorganisms are present.


Treatment for Dog Ear Infection


For successful treatment you must clean the ear with a gentle cleanser as the ear will be painful. An effective way to clean the ear is to fill the ear canal with the cleaning solution, place an appropriate-sized cotton ball in the ear canal opening, then gently massage the ear at the base. The cotton ball serves several functions. It acts as a lid to the allow the fluid to go back and forth in the canal, it absorbs the excess solution and it holds onto the debris as it comes up, letting you know what is down in the ear canal. As long as your dog tolerates it, you can clean the ear several times until the cotton ball comes out fairly clean. There are a few cautions when cleaning a dog’s ear. Do not use Q-Tip swabs as they may push debris deeper into the ear canal and rupture the eardrum. Do not use rubbing alcohol or other solutions that are irritating to inflamed skin (Think of the skin inside the ear of a dog with an ear infection as a rash), After the ear canal has been cleaned, allow it to dry for approximately 10 minutes. Then instill the medication(s) your veterinarian has prescribed (medicated ointment or drops). The length of treatment depends on the patient, severity of infection, and any changes to the ear (i.e., thickening of the tissue in the ear). In some cases oral medications are necessary (antibiotics, anti-yeast, anti-inflammatory). Your veterinarian will schedule rechecks to make sure the medications are working and the infection is cleared.


Causes and Prevention of Ear Infection in Dogs


Prevention depends on identifying the underlying cause of the ear infection. In some cases the ear canal becomes moist from bathing, grooming or swimming. This moisture fosters the growth of microorganisms in the ear canal. Prevention in these cases can be as simple as cleaning the ear as previously described to remove the moisture and prevent the infection. However, in many cases an underlying cause may not be so easily identified. Dogs that suffer from allergies, either environmental, such as pollens (grasses, trees and weeds), dust mites, molds or food (beef, chicken, fish, soy, etc.) are predisposed to ear infections. This is due to the microscopic inflammation that allergies cause in the skin allowing overgrowth of bacterial and yeast organisms that normally inhabit the skin.


What microorganism is causing the ear infection and what is the underlying cause? Routine cleaning with a gentle dog-approved ear cleaner may be necessary to reduce the frequency of recurrent ear infections in dogs with allergies. Cleaning your dog’s ears after a bath or grooming appointment may prevent any potential infections.






Read more: http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/d...-Symptoms-Causes-and-Treatments#ixzz2tyEc38R6

 

[LynnA]

I am also going through the same thing - my vet did a culture sensitivity Monday, hoping to have the results back soon. Environmental allergies play a bit part along with food have you ever had an allergy test don't narrow thins down bit? Also would suggest the culture swab to be done by you vet. Bes of luck!