# Chronic ear (yeast) infections



## gadcini (Dec 13, 2012)

I have a poodle-terrier mix. We have taken him to the vet several times because of chronic yeast infections in his ears. My groomer told me to try corn-free dog food. All the products on the shelf are overwhelming. Any advice on dog food? Also, any advice on clearing up the ear infection?


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

I will give you some advice, most based on my experience with a yeasty dog. First, I used Zymox in my dogs ears. They make one with hydrocortisone and one without. Use the one with for a "bad" infection. Clean the ears one day, use Zymox starting the following day.

Diet: it's been over 6 years since my dog got his first one. An online friend told me to keep away from chicken, corn, wheat, soy, rice and flax. (I opted not to do allergy testing). Back then, there weren't alot of choices. There are many more foods out there. Look for a grain and potato free food. Do a gradual transition, taking 5 to 7 days. 

Here is a list of foods for you. Google for the foods web page to see which ones are grain and potato free. You can order from a variety of good places that offer free or very reasonable shipping: doggiefood.com, petflow.com, was.com, petsmart.com are some.

Darford Zero, Nature's Variety Instinct, Canine Caviar, Nutrisca, Brothers Complete (unless you live near their store in Florida, only available from them. I recommend this highly, my dog is doing better on this food than any other kibble), Back to Basics, Nutrisource grain free, The Honest Kitchen (Zeal only), Earthborn, Great Life,bWysong Epigen,natures Select,precise, Avoderm, Spring Meadows,bZignature, Nutripe, Victor, Evo,bInnova, California Natural, Horizon, Grandma Lucy's, Evangers, Sojo's, NRG, Ziwi Peak, DNA, Freehand, Red Moon, Grandma Mae's, Pet Botanics.

Sorry for the typos, tablet isn't easiest for me. I recommend Brothers or Nutrisca.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

InkedMarie has given you great advice.

My dog has chronic ear infections, too. I clean his ears with Eti-Otic (available at the vet) 3 times a week. I've also cut out all grains from his food and his treats. I have not had to cut out chicken as of yet, but you may want to go that route. It's a common allergy among dogs because all grocery store food contains chicken.

Wellness Core fish has no chicken or grains. (Wellness Super5 does contain grains.) Grain free, but not necessarily chicken free, I feed Taste of the Wild, Canidae, Acana and Blue Wilderness. dogfoodadvisor.com reviews foods and lists ingredients. 

One note: These foods seem much more expensive than grocery store brands like Purina or Pedigree. However, grains are basically just filler, so you have to feed much more Pedigree than you do Wellness Core. I've found you need to feed about 60% as much grain free as you were grain inclusive. So, if you're feeding 1C of Pedigree, you'll feed a little over half a cup of grain free. That keeps the price much more reasonable.

Obviously, keep track of your dog's body condition. If you find she's losing weight, feed more, if she gains weight, feed less.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Thank you Amaryllis....you also brought up the treat thing: for the OP, if you give treats, you MUST omit the same ingredients you omit from the dogs food. Also, I should have said what has worked for me over the last six years: Orijen and Acana fish, Nature's Variety instinct limited ingredient turkey, Brothers allergy (which has some ingredients I initially kept away from but he's doing great), The Honest Kitchen Zeal....


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Taste of the Wild Pacific salmon formula is reasonably priced and grain free as well as using an alternative protein (fish).


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## gadcini (Dec 13, 2012)

I have changed food to something without corn or wheat. Have started mixing with old food. Hoping to have him fully transitioned in a few days, then start seeing some benefits if it was a corn allergy. Hoping it works because my dog is miserable.


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

What did you change to? If it works - great! If not, try a grain free kibble. Grains tend to feed yeast issues - even the "good ones". Acana grain free is good. I also like Taste of the Wild (TOTW), as well as Wellness Simple grain free.

Also, if you don't see improvement, it could be an intolerance to the protein source - chicken is a common one.


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## gadcini (Dec 13, 2012)

NurtriSource Chicken and Rice


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

gadcini said:


> NurtriSource Chicken and Rice


Yanno, I wonder sometimes why I, or we, bother to spend a great deal of time typing up advice to people when they don't take it. I said go grain free. I gave you a list to avoid, which had chicken and rice in it. I told you I had dogs with chronic yeast ear infections. What do you buy? A food with grains, with chicken AND with rice. Whatever, good luck to your dog, he will need it.


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## gadcini (Dec 13, 2012)

This was the only food the pet store had. I didn't have the options you suggested so I figured going better then what I had had to be better for my dog. I'm sorry if you feel like you wasted your time on advice to me.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

gadcini said:


> This was the only food the pet store had. I didn't have the options you suggested so I figured going better then what I had had to be better for my dog. I'm sorry if you feel like you wasted your time on advice to me.


How else do you expect people to feel? I gave you a list of foods to look at AND gave you a list of places to order from. You have a dog with chronic ear infections, you can't just buy what is local to you. Well, you can but you'll have a dog with continuing ear infections. If your dog can't have chicken or rice (you don;t know if he can or cannot) then NO, it's not better for your dog.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Chicken and rice aren't inherently allergenic; at least the OP found a food free of grains other than rice to start with. Give it a chance, maybe it will help.

For dogs with recurrent yeast infections, I like a cleaner called TrizUltraKeto a lot for routine ear cleaning. Your vet may carry it, or you may be able to find it online.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

sassafras said:


> Chicken and rice aren't inherently allergenic; at least the OP found a food free of grains other than rice to start with. Give it a chance, maybe it will help.
> 
> For dogs with recurrent yeast infections, I like a cleaner called TrizUltraKeto a lot for routine ear cleaning. Your vet may carry it, or you may be able to find it online.


I didn't say there were allergenic for her dog but they may very well be. I said those ingredients were in a list of stuff to avoid, given to me, since I opted to not do allergy testing. Guess what? Any time Boone has anything with chicken in it as a protein, same goes for rice, his ears flare up.


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## georgiapeach (Mar 17, 2012)

gadcini said:


> This was the only food the pet store had. I didn't have the options you suggested so I figured going better then what I had had to be better for my dog. I'm sorry if you feel like you wasted your time on advice to me.


I Googled Tractor Supply in Richmond, KY: RICHMOND #378 
856 EASTERN BYP RICHMOND KY 40475
(859) 623-0034 

Tractor Supply carries Taste of the Wild (grain free) and also (usually) Blue Buffalo Wilderness (grain free)
Even their own brand, 4 Health, has a Potato and Salmon variety, which is lower grain (it has some Barley in it, I think)


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## gadcini (Dec 13, 2012)

Thanks for the advice. And thanks for beating me up on a public forum. I read the advice and I took into acct my groomers advice. If going corn and wheat free doesn't show signs of improvement in a few weeks I am willing to move to grain and/or chicken free.


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## NRobertson (Dec 18, 2012)

I have a dog that has persistent yeast infections; I've been on antibiotics for over a year & when I stop the antibiotics it'll come back. I finally put him on a No Grain & No potato dog food. I also started adding 1tbsp of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to his food every day & 1tbsp of plain non fat yogurt. He has healed up with me doing that & no vet visits! There is so many things you can do with Apple Cider Vinegar. Just make sure to get the "mother". It has all the good stuff in it. You can also use it to clean out the ears & apply to the coat for itching. Oh, the dog food I use is Instinct.


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