Ear Infections

[Walliered]

The vet told me today that the reason my grey has ear infections is because he has food allergys. Said that I would have to flush his ears three times a week on maintanence. She took a Q-tip and really pushed it down his ear for a sample..he screamed. She told me to flush them out and use Monetamax once a day (8 drops). Please e-mail me at Walliered@aol.com as I can never find your posts once I leave the sight. Thanks so much.

[KF_in_Georgia]

The vet told me today that the reason my grey has ear infections is because he has food allergys. Said that I would have to flush his ears three times a week on maintanence. She took a Q-tip and really pushed it down his ear for a sample..he screamed. She told me to flush them out and use Monetamax once a day (8 drops). Please e-mail me at Walliered@aol.com as I can never find your posts once I leave the sight. Thanks so much.

 

...In case you're still around: What's your question?

[Walliered]

Sorry, my question is: is it normal for the greys to have ear infections and is this the best medicine for it? This was the first time I have used this vet, so I have no relationship with her. Do other grey owners flush the ears out weekly? Thanks so much for the information.

[Batmom]

Vet needs to take a swab and analyze whether pup has fungus vs. bacterial infection. Treatment is different.

 

Allergies can predispose to ear infections, but infections can be completely unrelated to allergy.

 

My vets are big believers in leaving ears alone for the most part. Occasional cleaning if they get really grubby, otherwise not.

[sweetdogs]

My boy Faolin had chronic ear infections & would scream & run from me when he saw me coming with little bottles (still does actually ). We tried everything out there at the time. Finally I had him tested for allergies & his problems seemed to be environmental even though food allergies are usually implicated in chronic ear infections. I gave him desensitization shots for a couple of years & he's been fine since.

 

Initially, I did switch him to a raw diet hoping that would clear it up. It helped other things but not his ears. You need to find what the cause of the problem is because just dumping drugs in his ears won't solve the problem. If it is allergies, the easiest thing to do is feed a home made diet (whether cooked or raw). It eliminates a lot of potential allergens & you can also eliminate grains & starchs that way too. Some need to restrict the diet even further (usually temporarily) to one protein source for a while & gradually add things back in to check for reactions.

 

I agree with getting the stuff in his ears cultured so you know what you're dealing with. I would also recommend gentleness & caution in dealing with ears. Some drugs can be harmful (could cause hearing loss) & some burn & sting. Now if their ears need cleaning, I use a little saline & cotton balls.

 

Good luck!

[Guest Ola]

Yes, allergies can really gunk up their ears. One of my dogs has seasonal allergies and her ears need more maintenance during that time. If it's a food allergy then it's better to figure out what the problematic ingredient is and avoid it.

 

Hopefully the swab she took will tell you what kind of infection it is and then you can treat it with the correct medication.

[Guest kydie]

I agree with BatMom, I would want to know what kind of infection it is, and if food allergies, I would want to know that too, for m e I would want to know the reason,

[Walliered]

Thanks everyone. The vet said it was a fungus infection. When he came home with me he was allergic to whatever was in his food. I switched him to Dick Van Patten's Bison and Potato and his big D stopped immediately. His coat has also imporved a lot. The Bison and Potato is one protein. Who checks for allergies..the vet??

[Guest Greytluv]

I don't have any advice. I hope you can get a handle on it. Geena, my springer, had terrible ears. She finally went deaf from all the scar tissue. She was 16 when she earned her wings.

 

[GeorgeofNE]

It's not going to do any good at all to continue to clean his ears if you don't get the allergies under control, and I'd be very leary of a vet who proclaims "food allergy" based solely on an ear infection.

 

Any kind of allergy can cause ear problems.

[Guest wmlcml6]

We've had two racers with chronic ear infections that did not respond to ear drops or antibiotics. Food allergies were suggested, but if you read this thread you will see what we used in both cases that completely cleared the ears up and with every so often use for maintenance, neither boy has had a repeat infection. It's worth a try.

 

The gentian violet DOES stain whatever it gets on, so be prepared to use where they can shake without getting the solution on your furniture, carpet, or clothing. Another tip - the boric acid can be purchased at the drug store, but I had to ask the pharmacist for it because they keep it behind the counter even though no prescription is needed.

 

Good luck.

[Walliered]

Thank you so much for the information. Where do I buy Gentian?

[Guest Ola]

You can get it at a regular pharmacy. Ask the person behind the counter - if they don't have it, they can order it for you within a few days and it's usually pretty inexpensive (in the $5-10 range if I recall correctly). Actually none of the ingredients are expensive I don't think. It's usually recommended that you apply it outside so you don't need to worry about making a mess in the house.

Edited May 2, 2010 by Ola