# Chronic Ear Infections



## Amers (Jul 8, 2010)

Hi there! We have a Cocker Spaniel who is a little over a year now. He's had two ear infections so far and almost always has a cheesy smell to his years. They smell 'sort of' cheesy right now and I'm not sure if that definitely indicates an ear infection or what... eep! 

Anyway, we're trying nearly everything. We tend to give him a bath about every 3 weeks or so and we'll go out of our way to make sure water doesn't get in the ear canal. We completely flood his ears with solution every week. We trim his ears with small scissors nearly every other week. He just doesn't stop getting ear infections! 

I figure the next step is to get clippers so we can trim the inside of his ears regularly. I'm wondering what the best clippers are for this? Most seem very bulky and I'm not sure if they'd work... we're also not looking to shave his coat, so they don't need to be mega fancy.


----------



## amynrichie (Sep 3, 2008)

What type of food is he eating? Have you looked at the food allergy angle? I had a dog with NASTY ears, that cleared up after switching to a high quality limited ingredient food. (California natural) about 8 years ago.


----------



## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Allergies are a common trigger for ear infections. It could be food or environmental. Have you been to a vet or are you using any kind of medication in the ears? It's important to know if the infection is bacterial or yeast (or both) in order to properly treat it.


----------



## Wimble Woof (Jan 16, 2007)

I had to keep my cockers ears compltely cleaned out (shaved right down on the underside of the flaps) and plucked out stray hairs from in the ear that were easily accessible.

Food plays a big part in yeast infections as well. Have you been to the vet about this? The prescription drops that you get clear up yeast really good and will help you to get to the root of the problem while providing some relief


----------



## Amers (Jul 8, 2010)

amynrichie said:


> What type of food is he eating? Have you looked at the food allergy angle? I had a dog with NASTY ears, that cleared up after switching to a high quality limited ingredient food. (California natural) about 8 years ago.


Hmm.. that could be it. Really the only thing I can think of that he could be allergic to are the Zukes salmon or peanut butter treats we give him. But he doesn't seem to have a problem with those. We DO give him plenty of Rawhide. Could he be allergic to that? Nearly everything we give him doesn't have any sort of flavoring on it. 

He is on Wellness Simple Food Solutions, the lamb & rice variety. It's the only thing his tummy tolerates. He does have bad allergies, I can tell. He's always itching his nose and if he's not taking a probiotic he has constant vomiting/diarrhea. Our little guy is kind of a mess! lol

What kind of razor do you use? We definitely need to do this, as I think the hair follicles are the main culprit. We've been to the vet once about his ear infection. They just gave him some solution to put in his ear and we're now on the 'spare' drops that he gave us. I can't believe that he has new infections in both ears though. It just seems crazy to me... does a little bit of cheesy smell definitely mean infection?

Thanks for the help!



sassafras said:


> Allergies are a common trigger for ear infections. It could be food or environmental. Have you been to a vet or are you using any kind of medication in the ears? It's important to know if the infection is bacterial or yeast (or both) in order to properly treat it.


I believe he said it was bacterial, because we have antibacterial ointment drops for it. I'm not really sure what the difference is between the two...



Wimble Woof said:


> I had to keep my cockers ears compltely cleaned out (shaved right down on the underside of the flaps) and plucked out stray hairs from in the ear that were easily accessible.
> 
> Food plays a big part in yeast infections as well. Have you been to the vet about this? The prescription drops that you get clear up yeast really good and will help you to get to the root of the problem while providing some relief


What kind of razor do you use? We definitely need to do this, as I think the hair follicles are the main culprit. We've been to the vet once about his ear infection. They just gave him some solution to put in his ear and we're now on the 'spare' drops that he gave us. I can't believe that he has new infections in both ears though. It just seems crazy to me... does a little bit of cheesy smell definitely mean infection?

Thanks for the help!


----------



## Yvonne (Aug 6, 2010)

This recipe is your best friend for dog ear infections. I do suggest clipped ear hair as well since it helps the air flow and also cuts down on the weight of the ear.

"Purple Power Ear Solution"

* 16 oz. bottle isopropyl alcohol
* 4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
* 16 drops Gentian Violet Solution


Mix all ingredients in the alcohol bottle and shake well and administer it 2 times per day for the first 2 weeks, 1 time per day for the next 2 week and 1 time per month thereafter. Fill your dog’s ear with the solution and gently massage it in. Warning though, be sure to do it outside or in a room that is not finished in the basement as the Violet Solution will stain.


----------



## Geezer (Mar 29, 2007)

My previous dog was a Golden Retriever that loved to romp through swampland - we live beside a protected wetland area. It was nice that she was having so much fun, but the result was constant ear infections and hot spots on her skin. For the ears I used an Aluminum Acetate solution (we call it Burrow's Solution) which was actually used back in the Middle Ages and it seemed to do the job quite well. As for the skin, we used Melissa's Aloe additive to her food and it really worked well.


----------



## Pit_Bull_Lady (Feb 4, 2009)

I am a professional groomer, and also have an allergy-prone dog (with short hair).
It sounds like your dog is eating a good quality food, so I doubt if the food is the problem in this case.

Do you get your dog groomed professionally, or do you do it at home?
If you take your dog to a grooming shop to get groomed, I suggest asking your regular groomer to just shave really short around your dog's ear opening, and shave the underside of the ear leather also, when he goes to get his haircut...I normally do it for most cockers with heavy coats, anyway.
(I usually use a # 10 or #15 blade)

If you would rather do this yourself at home, I would suggest purchasing a professional quality clipper (Andis clippers are good brand).
These clippers usually come with a # 10 blade included.

You can purchase the clippers online at Petedge.com.

To combat ear infections with my dog who has allergies, I flush his ears twice a week with apple cider vinegar...That has worked really well for me to prevent constant trips to the vet.....Good luck.....


----------



## Allyfally (Mar 4, 2011)

Yvonne said:


> This recipe is your best friend for dog ear infections. I do suggest clipped ear hair as well since it helps the air flow and also cuts down on the weight of the ear.
> 
> "Purple Power Ear Solution"
> 
> ...


I've heard a lot of good things about this. I'm prolly going to end up trying it with Falcor. He also is always getting ear infections, and nothing the vet has suggest food wise or given us medical wise has helped.


----------



## hungover (Jul 9, 2008)

I have only one word to say- THORNIT

Erm... I am now passing my self imposed one word limit but please do research thornit. You may have to buy it from the UK.


----------

