Captain has had two ear infections, and is just 5 months old. There has been very little water play, and he has only been given one bath which was the day we brought him home. I want to try to cover my bases before his vet appointment in 17 hours, and develop questions. It helps me, and our vet really enjoys the conversation. His visit is to be weighed for his flea/tick/heartworm meds, and to check his ears for a possible third ear infection. We have been using ear cleaning solution (vetoquinol) weekly the way the vet showed us during the last ear infection. We put the solution in his ear, use the gauze to dry/clean the ear, and done. But, i feel like his ear (vertical and horizontal ear canal) is still always wet and contributes to the ear infection. Am i crazy? Are there any other ear cleaning methods used that i should ask about? DISCLAIMER: I am not asking for medical advice. I am not under the assumption that any replies are from certified practitioners. I am not going to use any advice as medical advice. I am asking for opinions and experiences, and greatly appreciate your responses.
Tilly had chronic ear infections which we treated pretty regularly. There was some thought that they were food allergy related, but we never were able to isolate a cause, so we were left with treating them. I tend to think that Labs with ear flaps that cover their ears may be more prone to ear infections than dogs like Cooper (see avatar) whose ears are more forward and perhaps allow more ventilation.
Oh the joys of ear infections. I'm not an expert in this by any means, but I'd maybe chat about whether weekly cleaning is necessary. I check Luna's ears regularly but I don't clean them - she's actually got really sensitive inner ears so it makes her quite distressed if you prod about in there. When she had an ear infection (at about 5 months old) we were given drops to administer twice a day which was a total nightmare and really stressed Luna out. We went back to the vet and they recommended a different treatment that they administered and which sat in the base of her ear for a week without us needing to do regular drops. Might be worth asking about.
We went to the vet and got a rather good explanation. I have not tried to look up any information to further my knowledge, though. The ear canals were clean and clear, so that means no ear infection. The irritation is in his pinna, this is what my wife and i referred to as the flappy part of his ear. Since the ear canal was clean the vet stated that it is likely allergies which are resulting in his ear irritation. The wax build up and irritation cause him to itch. Other signs that he has allergies are the random licking and chewing of his paws. It's not sure if it's seasonal allergies, or food allergies. Since the symptoms are relatively new, only one ear has shown irritation, and his paws do not consistently bother him we are making the assumption that it is weather/seasonal allergies. The weather is warming which is causing the pollen counts to be high in every weather report. The feeling i had that his canal was wet is misleading. It is from the sound of his ear canal squeezing open and close when we pet his ears. They are not wet. The vet gave Captain a shot of Cytopoint and prescribed a 14-day regimen of Apoquel.
Well, the upside is that his ear canals are okay, which is good as recurrent deeper ear infections aren't great. I hope he gets over his allergies soon.
Yes, and we're already seeing a difference in behavior. The ear scratching and paw licking has subsided. It's great to see that he is reacting well and quickly.
