# Ear infections as related to dog food?



## Hildy (Mar 18, 2015)

Somebody posted in a thread I read that she couldn't feed a food that had grains because her dog was allergic and got ear infections from it. I've also read comments elsewhere where people say things like " the problems with ear infections caused by potatos" (or something like that) 

I'm new to this forum and have lurked for a few days. It seems like everyone else I'm struggling to find the balance between cost and health. Right now we feed American Natural Premium Exhibitors Choice. But we have 4 dogs and our Blue Heeler and Aussie Doodle have a lot of ear problems. My 10 yr old senior collie has some skin problems and the 10 yr old lab can eat anything with his only issue being gas sometimes. 

I'm new to navigating the world of dog food and I don't have endless hours to read all the opinions and research out there. Some say meat meal is bad, some say it's ok. Some say feed no grains, some say feed no potatoes. Salmon is good for the skin and coat/salmon is bad because of toxin content..... and on and on and on. I can't afford Taste of the Wild.... and I don't have the time and money for a raw food diet...

So talk to me-go ahead, let me have it! But be gentle, I'm New!:wave:

Lovin my Pack
-Hildy!


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Have the dogs with ear problems only been eating chicken based food? If yes, my first thought would be to try a different protein source. If you like the brand you are feeding, it looks like they are several chicken-free options. I've never heard of American Natural Premium but the ingredient lists look solid and the protein/fat levels pretty mid-range/typical.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

My dog gets goopy ears that quickly progress to ear infections if he gets grains. So it can happen. He eats Acana duck, fish, pork and lamb. (ETA: These are 4 different foods. I rotate proteins, see below.) Potatoes and peas don't bother him. Your dog may be different. Some dogs don't do well without grains, some dogs, like mine, do better without grains. Some dogs are fine with potatoes, some aren't. You have to play around a bit to see what works.

Chicken is only the most common allergy because it's in virtually all foods and treats sold in grocery stores. If you eat anything day in and day out for years, your chances of developing an allergy to it skyrocket.


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## Zilla (May 11, 2013)

I've always been told potatoes are yeasty and when a food has a lot of them that causes a lot of ear infections and what people call "summer itch".... There's lots of theories but to me it does kind of make sense. If I were you I would try a grain free and potato free. Kill two birds with one stone. Here's a list of some I know of. Personally I like Zignature for dogs with these issues that are hard to figure out. All their formulas are grain free potato free chicken and chicken egg free. All of them are one protein source too except for the one called Zssential. They arnt hard on your pocket book either. I order a lot of my stuff from chewy.com if you can't find it locally. 

Zignature
Dogswell Live Free
Nutrisca
Natures Variety Instinct 
Fromm Four Star Lamb and Lentil formula 
Innova Natures Table


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## tiger89 (Oct 13, 2014)

If you want to test for food allergies, then it is best to pick a single protein food. It looks like American Natural Premium has pork in most of its formulas.


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## Hildy (Mar 18, 2015)

I've switched foods around a little, some salmon based because Bindi the Heeler had dry skin. But the ears have just become an issue for her this winter. IM thinking of starting with grain free and then going on from there, since it's not A HUGE health issue but more of a bother. We can easily acess Fromm foods at several locations nearby and it seems to get good reviews. I'm leaning to that if the dogs like the samples....


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

One of mine had many many ear infections. For him, chicken, potatoes & grains were ingredients I couldn't use. After awhile, his ears kept flaring. A raw diet with no produce is what worked.


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## fourdogs (Feb 3, 2014)

I'm late coming in on this thread. For my dogs, eAr issues seem more related to specific brands vs the ingredients themselves. For example, on grain free taste of the wild, my dogs get very bad ear infections and yeast skin infections. On grain inclusive California natural and precise I see the same. 

On fromm, whether grain free or inclusive, my dogs have zero issues. I have not yet tried the classic, but I was totally surprised in absolutely no change in them moving from grain free four star to the grain inclusive gold. 

So, for me it's less an ingredient issue and more a brand issue. I don't know if it's an ingredient quality problem or an issue with the vitamin mineral mix but it's been very interesting for me 


Also for those ear infections, Wonder Ear by Chantilly Kennels has been far more effective than any vet prescribed goop.


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

With 4 different dogs each one might be allergic to something different. One thing to keep in mind is not to feed them rawhides, treats, or bones. Also, human food. You also want to figure in by going to a higher priced food you might be saving in medicine and vet visits. According to some studies dogs are more prone to be allergic to beef, chicken, dairy and eggs. Others will point to grains as being the culprit. I always tell people to choose one protein source and one carb source for a food and do not give the pet anything but that. For the protein I would choose something the dog has not had in the past. I would stay away from chicken, beef and lamb. It is only because most dogs have had those already. All the signs of your dogs point to an allergy, even the flatulence. With my dogs, I ended up having to feed one dog a separate dog food from the rest. At first it was a bother but now it is just a routine. With allergies it can be a lot of argh moments but once you find the combo it is such a relief.


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## sydneynicole (Apr 2, 2015)

I have 4 dogs, one who has been struggling with chronic ear infections (to the point she now has wrinkly ears from hematomas caused by shaking her head so much, she is a hound mix). Another has always had tummy troubles. I used to feed Alpo until my vet suggested the food could be causing the ear infections in my dog. I then was pretty horrified to find out what was in Alpo and switched to pure balance, rotating between the salmon and bison formulas. These are both grain free, and they run me about 30-39 for a 30 pound bag. Between my four dogs, my smallest is 85 pounds, 30 pounds lasts about 10 days (they all free feed and are at healthy weights).

Just recently I came across Alpha Dog Food when I was searching for bulk high quality food to try and cut down on the cost. To my surprise I was able to set up a delivery of 110 pounds of there grain free whitefish and duck formula every six weeks for six months for $200. I was skeptical, but the ingredients for the food are fantastic and I spoke with a rep and it really is that cheap.

Before I switched foods I also started using a combination of Zymox (the one with hydrocortisone) and wonder ear by chantilly kennels. This was the only thing that ever worked long term before changing diets. I used each twice a day for two weeks straight and all issues cleared up, then maintenance once a week. A lot cheaper than the prescription meds which I ran out of once the treatment was over, therefor couldn't do maintenance cleaning and the problem would arise once more.

All just some food for thought


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