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Hello there. My cat has had an ear infection for over two years now and has been treated with antibiotics over and over but it will not go away. Just about a year ago the vet removed a few polyps from my cats ear and throat and we thought for sure that’s why the antibiotics weren’t clearing up the ear infection, so we have done more ear infection treatments since the polyps have been removed but it’s still infected. My cats ear is stinky and water flys out of my cats ear when he shakes his head. I am so over antibiotics, we have literally tried every kind. Is there a home remedy out there anyone has had success with? Please help.
My 4 year old lab has chronic ear infections. We have a great system in place (regular ear cleanings, steroid drops during an infection, and anti inflammatory when it’s really bothersome to him) to try to stay ahead of them, and treat them from home when he has a flare up. Recently during a flare up (about 2 weeks ago) he developed a lump on the inside of his ear that I thought was a scab from scratching, but now I’m worried it could be some kind of skin cancer. Or is it just scar tissue and since it’s on the ear is a little more raised? Should I take him in to be seen for this or monitor it a little longer to see if it heals and goes away? It doesn’t seem to cause him any pain, he’s more concerned about his itchy ears.
Hi there. Unfortunately it’s impossible to diagnose a lump or bump on the internet – the vet needs to actually touch it, feel it, etc. I wouldn’t freak out TOO much unless it starts to grow. In your situation I’d probably draw a circle around it (yes, on the ear itself) to monitor it, and I’d let the vet know what’s going on.
Good day- We are the proud owners of a one-year-old English Pointer named Bruno and a proud patient of Dr. Magnifico’s. Recently, Bruno has been shaking his head more often and scratching his ears. He has also been sleeping much more the past few days. When not sleeping, he is still pretty playful and eating/drinking. How do you know if he has an ear infection or not? His ears have been professional cleaned, but same actions with his head. Also, no smells coming from his ears. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hello,
Ear infections are best diagnosed with an otoscope visualization and a swab and microscopic slide evaluation of the ears. In some cases there is simply dirt and debris and only an ear cleaning is needed. In others it is infection and therefore an otic antibiotic or antifungal is needed and in some cases it is just a red itchy ear due to an allergy. In any and all cases of head shaking it is imperative to identify what is going on and alleviate it ASAP or you can get an aural hematoma. Which adds two things to treat for and a painful pup too. Please call me and we can take a peek to see what’s up. As you are my client I will add the following at home tips.
1. Look at the ear flap. Is it red? If so this indicated inflammation and discomfort. Try diphenhydramine mg size equals weight of dog. Ie 50# dog = 50 mg diphenhydramine orally every 8 hours. If two doses don’t knock it out see me!
2. Is there any dirt or debris that looks like dark chunky wax inside the ear canal? If so you need to clean the ears. I have a video on this on my YouTube channel?
3. Do you see any yellow liquid in the ear? Does it smell terrible? If so you need a vet ASAP!
4. If it hurts to touch the ear see me ASAP.
Whatever the cause is once you have one ear issue you should expect more. So ask your vet about at home care and ear cleaners to help avoid this from happening again. Also lots of red rated head shaking dogs have allergies. Ask about this before you get an aural hematoma. (YouTube on that too!)
I have a 3 and a half year old GSD with HYPOthyroidism. I’m curious if anyone else has dealt with this disease in itself. So to begin, when she was about a year old I started noticing redness on her stomach. The vet I was currently with kept telling me she had ringworm and providing me with medicated shampoo and treating her with ketoconazole. It always seemed to clear up but would come right back soon after. So I searched and found another vet and he did all the testing and blood work and diagnosed her with HYPOthyroidism. She has kept a chronic skin infection which he diagnosed as a type of yeast infection due to the fluctuation of thyroid levels. She has been on levothyroxine for a year now. We have adjusted her dosage 3 times and each time she seems to do well for a month or so and then it seems to “level out” and her skin flare up comes back full force. It seems to get better and lightens up and starts to pink up and then goes right back to the hair loss and crusty on her stomach and under her legs/pits. I continue to do the medicated baths as told but it’s getting frustrating. I’m in the vet’s office every couple months it seems and spending hundreds each visit for the same thing with no resolve. Dont get me wrong I will do whatever it takes to help her but somethings gotta give. I’m just curious if anyone else has seen/heard or has dealt with hypothyroidism and the chronic skin infection. Have u found anything that helps or resolves it? What is your experience? Also she keeps bad ear infections (also tested and diagnosed as a type of yeast) daily flushes and drops in her ears as well. Still not seeming to get any better.
I feel so helpless and quite frankly I’m getting discouraged. I love the vet she sees now, he is a million times better than the one she seen previously.
Does it ever get better?
The pic is an older one, shes alot better now but still has the hairloss and discoloration over the better part of her stomach and under her legs. Just not as dark or as much.
I would wonder if there’s an allergy situation going on in addition to hypothyroid.
Her vet seems to think it is unlikely due to the fluctuation in thyroid levels. Heck I dont know anymore. It may be time to find another vet?
That’s possible, too. I certainly wouldn’t rule out a second opinion. I’d also look for a veterinary dermatologist, if there’s one near you.
oh wow, apologies for the crazy number of responses. sometimes this site glitches in the strangest ways.
Ha ha it’s not a problem. Thank you for the response! I talked to a different vet awaaaaaaaay the same office and he suggested ruling out a food allergy, then told me about a Veterinary dermatologist nearby. So we will start next week and see what we find out!
Good luck! Do report back, if you think about it? We see hypothyroidism leading to hair loss in Dobes, but it doesn’t usually come with rashiness. I’d be very curious about any other vet’s ideas about it.
I need help. My westie is almost 13 and she’s been suffering with recurring UTI’s for a little while now. She also has a bad ear infection. She’s tired. And i can’t stand to see her hurting anymore. I need help and advice on when euthanasia should come into the question. I’ve never done this before and i need all the help and second opinions i can get. this is my baby and i can’t watch her suffer. i also don’t want to put her down if she still has any value of life left. please help. please
Hello, I’m sorry to hear about your pup. I would say a few things are important to mention. 1. Call everyone to try to be seen by the neurologist sooner. Call and ask to be put on a cancelation list. So if they get an opening they can call you and get you in sooner. Call your closest vet school and try to get in there. 2. Ask about getting your mds filled via your pharmacy. Gabapentin is cheap here. About $30 for a two week supply. If you can’t get it cheaper ask about tramadol or an online pharmacy. I have a blog about all the meds I used with hank. I often use robaxin and pred to start. They are both very inexpensive. But i also add gastro protectsncrs like famotidine/omeprazole and sulcralfate with pred. Massage and PT are wonderful at any stage of the recovery process. Ask your vet for guidance with these. Hope this helps! Good luck. Also see Dodgers List for assistance.
Hello,
Has your vet done bloodwork, X-ray, urine culture and sensitivity and an ultrasound ? I suspect the answer to the recurrent UTIs lies within these diagnostics.
My Boston terrier is in a lot of pain. His jaw is swollen and he keeps tilting his head sideways. I don’t know what happened,if he was maybe kicked or bit by a spider or if it is a tooth or ear infection? I live in a small rural town and the closest 24 hour emergency vet is 2 hour drive away. What can I do to help him. Do u have any suggestions or advice you can give me?
Hello Amie, when does your Vet open? Is there one closer than the emergency Vet? We couldn’t begin to tell you whats happened to your dog it could be any number of things. Have you checked his ear for infection? One thing is for sure he needs a Vet urgently. You could try a hot water bottle, not too hot but warm) held against his jaw it may ease it a little. Other than that please get him to a Vet for diagnosis and the correct treatment as soon as you possibly can. Good luck.
Hello,
Recently (today) we had brought our 2 year old pit mix to the vet. He currently has ear infections in both ears. We were prescribed pills for the swelling, ear drops and ear wash. The pills are the easy part… the hard part is cleaning his ears. I know I am doing it right because of another animal we have that had ear infections. We have tried treats, sitting with him and going slow. But there is just no stopping the biting and the whining. I know it must suck for him and I’m going easy with him. Is there any more suggestions to help calm him down so I can wash his ears? Thanks..
Hello,
For some dogs this is very difficult because the ears are painful. For others it is fraught with anxiety due to associated fear and for some they were just never conditioned to not be afraid of ear (also applies to nail trimming). For the immediate care you could ask about a product like Osurnia. A long lasting topical. But you have to get him used to having his ears cleaned as he is predisposed to other ear infections. Ask your vet for tips on how to hold and clean the ears and try to always make it a quick easy and stress free task. Good luck
Update: thank you for the advice. I asked the vet today and she gave us a topical. Also the swelling of his ears has gone down significantly. Which definitly helps with the process of cleaning… I have washed his ears before and I do with the other dogs because I knew if one had ear infections it’s possible for the others to be prone (they are siblings). I think it was just because of the pain factor. We still go super slow with him and try to keep him as calm as possible. But so far so good! Thank you again!
My dog is a rescue, best treatment for ear infections, Thanks, Kathy
In the short term, head to the vet and have a discussion with them regarding keeping ears clean and dry.
In the long term, these can often be a symptom of food allergies. What are you feeding now? Shoot for something corn- and wheat-free and maybe look for something that has no chicken or beef in it.
The best treatment for ear infections depends on what is causing the infections in the first place. And the only way to be sure of the root cause is to have the ear swabbed and cultured (your vet will do this). I say this because the infections can be yeast or one (or more) types of bacteria. Each of these causes should be treated differently (a vet will use a different antibiotic based on what strain of bacteria is present for example).
Just guessing will lead to a worse infection, or years of fighting infection after infection.
And yes, Laura is right, often the reason the infection got a food hold is due to allergies, and grains impact a dog’s ability to deal with other allergens. So, go to a good pet store, ask to be shown to the grain-free dog food and then start reading labels. You want a grain-free food that lists real meat as the first 2 or 3 ingredients, and has NO by-products. Real meat is easy to recognize, it will say: turkey, lamb, elk, bison, pork, salmon meal, whitefish meal (meal is the entire animal ground up and dried). Avoid chicken and beef as many dogs are reactive to these sources of proteins.
Once you are on top of the infection (by using the medications your vet prescribes) you want to keep the ears clean and dry – I use a small amount of Boric Acid (found at any pharmacy) on a cotton swab and run it around the inside of the ear once a week. Be careful to not get it in eyes or lungs. It helps keep the ears dry, and produces an acid pH which discourages yeast and bacteria.
Can 1 dog get an ear infection from another dog? She didn’t have an ear infection 3 days ago when I took her to the vet. That day I let her mother come over & spend the night for a play date & she has ear infections in both ears & 1 is really bad. The owner doesn’t take care of the mother like I do my dogs. BJ’s has a tendency to get ear infections so I have medicated wash & a RX on hand for her. I wash her ears out once a week, but this morning her ear is red and she’s scratching it. I started her redgiment again & put her cone collar on so she doesn’t scratch.
I wouldn’t be thinking this if she hadn’t just seen her vet for her 6 months check up and nothing was wrong with her ears.
My dog had an ear infection that lasted for 3 months about 9 months ago. She went back 6 months ago for some more meds & got rid of it then. She’s 14 months old and a Corkie
Normally, I would say no that ear infections are not commonly passed from 1 dog to another, however, it is possible to spread ear mites from 1 dog to another and the other dog could have been licking your dogs ear which could have lead to an ear infection. Ear mites are not common in dogs. So it’s possible that the visiting dog could have been licking you dogs ears resulting in an ear infection.
Also, it is possible your dog could have just gotten an ear infection that just happened to coincide with the other dogs visit.
Hello,
I just found your question. Have you found a solution for your cat yet?
We had a cat at our shelter, that was found with an infected mass inside their ear canal. The mass was removed, but it wouldn’t get better. It was smelling bad and pus could be seen. When the mass started growing back, his whole ear canal was removed.
Maybe that is an option for your cat, too? It helped Tony a lot. No more itchy, smelling, hurting ear. Altough he had to war a cone during healing, but after that he was the happiest cat.
I wish the ebst for your cat.
Hello again! My cat is going in for a total ear canal ablation one week from today, but not only are they removing just the ear canal they will also remove the middle ear too. I am so worried and nervous for him but this is my last resort.