Chronic ear infection in dogs

[Geo0319]

My dog has had an ear infection for the past 12 weeks and nothing seems to help.  First it was a year infection, then it was a rod bacteria infection, now it is an enterococcus infection, or so they say.  She has been on 3 different medications, including baytril and postatex and 2 different antibiotics, has had a deep ear cleaning which required sedation and has had several ear swab/cultures.  Has anyone else had this problem and, if so, how did you finally treat it.  I am starting to doubt my vet's advice as she is now talking about doing surgery (to widen the ear canals - NOT an option to me), blood work, thyroid panels, etc.  Can anyone help ?????

[Geo0319]

Thank you, tonyb and deadgaegrrl.  I understand that this condition may return but if it does, I will take her back to a vet that I trust.  I didn't say earlier but the vet I was using was Banfield Hospital.  I have had issues with them before with another dog years ago and was leery about using them again but I did only b/c of their extended hours.  As far as their Wellness Plan - hell!  that *****.  Now I am obligated to pay monthly fees until Feb 2014.  Live and Learn!  I honestly believe they suckered me into that Level 2 Deep Ear Cleaning just so they could do a dental cleaning.  I refused that dental cleaning 3x before I finally caved but only b/c they said she REALLY needed a deep ear cleaning.  If they DID that deep ear cleaning there would not have been debris & wax a week later.  Sorry.  Don't trust them!

[deadgamegrrl]

Great news! Otomax is what I used on my bulldog's ears, and it really helped.

[tonyb286]

That's great. My only concern is that because only the symptom is being treated - and will hopefully go away, making your best friend feel a whole lot better - the cause of the reaction hasn't necessarily been dealt with (if it is an allergic reaction to something), and therefore it may well return in a few weeks or maybe a few months time. It's worth keeping this in mind, because if it does return, you will really need to find out what is causing it, if possible, otherwise you will just find yourself in a vicious circle. But it's great you have now found a vet that seems better and able to treat your dog properly. Tony

[Geo0319]

Hi and thank you all for your responses & concerns.  Today I took my dog (a Brussel Griffon mix) to another vet for a second opinion and he said her ears were not infected!!  Strange, since just two days ago my original vet said there was A LOT of bacteria there - shortly after a Level 2 deep ear cleaning, which required sedation.  I also told this new vet what my dog had been through over the course of 12 weeks and what my vet was now suggesting (surgery, thyoid panel, etc.) and he just shook his head.  The new vet gave me a demonstration of proper ear cleaning (which I had never seen before) and sold me some otimax just to calm down the mild inflammation (probably from all the poking) and explained this is a 'catch-all' drug (anti-fungal, anti-yeast, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory) just to treat something he could not see with the naked eye and explained that the previous meds were wrong and useless.  I now have a new vet and will report back to this forum in a week or so to update you.  Meanwhile, if you have a similar problem or have doubts about your vet, seek a second opinion.  My original vet is part of a corporation/business; my new vet is a small town, down-to-earth, practical family vet.  He doesn't have to follow corporate guidelines or meet quotas.  I was only going to the 'corporation' because of their extended hours and their wellness program but none of that matters now - if they can't be trusted.  

[deadgamegrrl]

I had an english bulldog that had chronic problems with yeast. It was largely due to multiple allergies and a suppressed immune system. Tweaking the diet helped a lot, as well as cleaning the ear thoroughly with a drying solution (prescription) several times a week.

I would try changing the protein source in the diet and picking a food that does not have many ingredients, as well as considering changes in the home and/or seasonal allergies.

I know how frustrating this can be. Good luck and please keep us updated!

[tonyb286]

Hi. I completely agree with everything skydnsr has said. Ear infections in dogs is very common, and almost always due to either mites or yeast infection and/or allergies of many kinds. The inner ears of a dog are fragile and susceptible to infection due to the close surface blood vessels. But the real question is, what is it that your dog has become allergic to (unless the reaction/inflammation has come from another dog or something else like due to diet). The reactive element needs addressing, otherwise even when the symptoms have been treated and cured, it will all start over again, if the allergen hasn't been removed from your dog's environment and/or diet.

The most common things need to be eliminated first. So, look up "dog ear mites" on the internet and read-up on it, as this is very common. Next, look up "dog ear yeast infection", as this is the second most likely cause. Finally, look up "dog skin allergies" ... though this is less likely, unless your dog commonly runs in fields with high grass or high pollen regions.

The next question is to try and remember exactly when this problem began, then try to identify what changed about your home environment, such as using certain cleaning materials and solutions, particularly on carpets or where your dog lies down. Or whether it was when your dog met up with other animals or stayed in the company of some other humans in their home. This is quite hard to work out, but something has caused this, and identifying the cause will be half way to solving the entire problem.

Tony

[skydnsr]

I had that same problem with one of my dogs, and it turned out that she had become allergic to the antibiotic in the ear medicine.  When I stopped the medicine so that we would be able to culture the infection (which had not yet been done), the inflammation stopped.  Whatever started the ear infection had been cured, but the allergy to the medication kept the inflammation going.

Also, dogs' ears get inflamed when they are allergic to something they are eating or to something in their environment, regardless of infection status.  When the ears are already inflamed from an allergy, the tissue is more vulnerable to infection of any kind.  The fact that your dog's infection has been from three different organisms suggests there is a more basic problem underlying the successive infections -- possibly some sort of allergy.  

[Margot49]

How old, what kind of dog? Both ears?