Not sure why I didn't come to the forum with these questions sooner! Anyway, my 15 week old has had a yeast infection in both ears (1 worse than the other) for almost 2 weeks now. We've been prescribed a big bottle of drops for 1 week straight which was supposed to clear it up.... And then once a week for maintenance. #1 it still hasn't cleared up after 2 weeks! I will admit we're not very good at it. My husband holds him tightly while giving him a big kong and I do the rest.... Even with delicious food in his face he still hates it and tries to squirm away. He likes when I rub his ears out with the gauze but haaaates the ear drop part. I've resorted now to just wetting the gauze with the drops and wiping his ear out. #2 Has anyone heard any benefits to things like yogurt and apple cider vinegar to help clear up and prevent yeast infections in pups? They're both super effective in human yeast infections so I was wondering if the same applies. He's going back to the vet next week for some shots so ill of course tell her that it's not cleared up.... but I would love to hear if anyone knows of any natural remedies.
My boy Pongo is constantly getting yeasty ears - they don't cause him huge distress, but they're clearly a bit itchy for him and they smell. We try drops, but they don't seem to work - even when we are pretty scrupulous about doing them twice a day for a full week and more. I don't really know what to try next, and when I go to the vet they just give me more drops..... So, no answers from me (just sympathy) but I'll be interested to see what others say. By the way, I've found the best way to get the drops in is: Husband holds Pongo on his side on the floor (very firmly) with Delicious Treat at his nose for distraction. I first of all put my finger into his ear (gently) - this isn't as annoying for him as the bottle dropper - then slide the dropper in along my finger and squeeze the stuff in. Then massage his cheek to work it all down the ear canal (he enjoys this bit). He doesn't exactly enjoy it but he does put up with it. Have just re-read this. Should probably make it clear that it is Pongo's nose and ear, not my husband's. Rosie
Huge sympathy. My boy also suffered when he was younger. I'd say don't leave it, because the self cleaning mechanism of the ear can get disrupted, and then you'll be struggling with it for life. I have a good vet, but I ended up being unhappy with the treatment prescribed and in the end asked for a referral to a dermatologist. There was nothing unusually wrong - it was just a simple yeast infection, but left without effective treatment turned into a nightmare. A few things I learned: Run of the mill anti-bioctic, oily drops from the vet were worse than unless. All they did was create a damp, oily environment. Effective cleaning with a proper cleaner designed to rebalance the Ph levels was absolutely critical - without cleaning, any drops will just sit ineffectively on top of gunk. After cleaning, appropriate ear drops did help. You have to be absolutely zealous, for weeks, to get it knocked on the head. You can clicker train your dog to be more tolerant of having his ears done, but it takes a while. My dog will now sit still, looking miserable while I clean his ears, then cheerfully eat a bit of chicken and forget all about it. If in doubt, stuff your dog's face with delicious real meat treats while you do anything that might be unpleasant. Don't put anything in your dog's ears that a vet has not prescribed - definitely not yoghurt or vinegar or anything else.
I'll definitely have to look into clicker training him to tolerate it because it's getting in the way of effectively using the ear drops. I guess I should have been a little more specific, I actually meant giving him yogurt & apple cider vinegar to eat!
