Big Paws Only Dog Forums
BPO Medical Forum => Medical Conditions & Diseases => : EllieAndBlu April 19, 2007, 07:14:15 AM
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Ellie and Blu were both diagnosed with ear infections two weeks ago. This is the first for both of them and the vet said Ellie's was worse than Blu's. I have been giving them both drops and cleaning twice a week for two weeks as prescribed by the vet. Here is my question. Is it normal for their ears to be bright pink inside and warm to the touch? I noticed it both pups last night, but thought maybe it was because I was cleaning their ears... but Ellie's were still warm and pink this morning.
Thanks Y'all.
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I've never had a dog with an ear infection so I'm probably going to be no help! I just checked Koby's ears and they're a very pale pink, and they're warm but the same temp. as the rest of his body. Do they look swollen? If you don't think the meds are working you might want to go back to the vet and see if they have something a bit stronger.
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personally, i'd imagine it'd be like with people. how the ears are red and tender. i know my nephew's ears get a tad bit swollen when his get infected, and they're a little warm b/c of it, also. how long have you been on the antibiotics and how long do you have left?
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hmmmmm - I wish I could tell you what medication the drops are - all I can say is they have to be refridgerated. The two weeks of drops will be completed this Friday. Should they be taking an oral antibiotic as well?
Also - with Ellie's ears.. on the inside of the tips of her flaps (does that even make sense....lol) they had been crusty before starting treatment and that is better, however - she has a few tiny bumps that seem to be under the skin in the same spots.
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One of my cats gets chronic ear infections, and they get red and hot like that. This isn't really a medical tip, just a comfort one, but he likes to have his ears gently tugged on when they act up. He'll put his head on my lap and I'll kind of pull a little and he'll purr. Maybe that would at least help the kids feel a little better until everything clears up!
Interesting that you say that Jenn... cause Blu has been shockingly good while I've been fussing with his ears... I wonder if that is giving him some relief... either that or its the fact he knows there is always a treat coming his way at the end of my fussing! ;D
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It sounds like there could still be an infection there, so i would take 'em back to the vet, they may need an oral antibiotic too. Is it Malotic that you are using on their ears?
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It sounds like there could still be an infection there, so i would take 'em back to the vet, they may need an oral antibiotic too. Is it Malotic that you are using on their ears?
I will look on the bottle when I get home... and report back. Hmmmmm I can tell you - it seems to be oil-based. Does that sound right?
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yes, very greasy. lol is it a grean tube?
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it is greasy... but came in a white bottle with built-in dropper on the end.
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Ok these are this things I like to reply to!!!
All ear cananls of dogs are hot their normal body temperture is 100.0-102.5 degrees. With that said the paws and ears are the places where they release their heat to stay cool.
Now in general dogs with ears that stand up and have no hair on them seldom get ear infections. However once one develops and not treated correctly and a routine to clean the ears is not started then you will have problems.
Now for dogs with flopy ears!! Beacuse the canals are hot and ears develop wax it becomes moist and things grow. The most common ear infections in dogs and cats are either a yeast or bacterial overgroth. For the most part they do not get inner ear infections like us people. Their disconfort comes from being itchy and well.... ever had a yest infection??? That is how it feels.
I have seen pups as young as 5weeks have an infection. The key is to always smell the ears there should never be an odor. Always look at the ear it should never be RED pink is ok but not bright. Touch the ear it should never be painful. If any ONE if these are going on see your VET they can take a sample of the wax or discharge and determine if it is yeast or bacteria then get started on the right meds. 2-4 weeks or longer to clear up an infection is to be expected.
Now this is going to vary depending on each situation. Some treatment will include a deep cleaning with sedation or anesthesia if it is severe. If this is needed most Vets will wait until severe swelling goes down and the canal is open. Then at home you use antibiotics. Some vets send home an ear cleaner if they can see the ear drum and the canal is not shut from sweling.
Using a good ear cleaner with a drying agent in it is best! They clean the ear and dry up any remains. There are one and two step ear cleaners available your vet will be the best to figure out which to use. NEVER put q-tips in the ear! I have seen them get stuck and rip an ear drum!
If your dog swims or plays in the water or gets a bath often they can get infections as well. Using a good ear cleaner will help prevent this.
I am going to try to put a video together showing how to clean the ears. There is a right way and a wrong way.
Well sorry for the long reply I hope it helped. Feel free to ask away.
Monica
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Thanks Monica - that helps me a alot! The vet did say the infections are yeast based... and funny I've just noticed a smell in Ellie's years since using the drops. Is that normal?
Also - I do have a question... should I be focusing the drops in the canal or spreading around the ear?
The vet did give me some cleaning solution... of which I dumped half out yesterday when I knocked the bottle over - I am such a spaz.
Thanks everyone for all the help... I swear I would be a basket case without BPO! :)
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Ellie and Blu were both diagnosed with ear infections two weeks ago. This is the first for both of them and the vet said Ellie's was worse than Blu's. I have been giving them both drops and cleaning twice a week for two weeks as prescribed by the vet. Here is my question. Is it normal for their ears to be bright pink inside and warm to the touch? I noticed it both pups last night, but thought maybe it was because I was cleaning their ears... but Ellie's were still warm and pink this morning.
Thanks Y'all.
Lady was the worst for yeast infections. with treatment her ears would dry out and flake inside. we switch medicine right before i moved out and that one seemed to be less abbrasive on her skin. but during treatment they were always hot pink and warm inside. and sensitive. not a bad idea to keep up with the treatment with what you can find for wax buildup at the pet store.
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Good guestions!
No you should not worry about the smell right now some medications stink!!
Now For the ear cleaner do what I do, I always have one in use and another in the doggie box. If I could I would buy stock in this stuff. I like to use epiotic. If your in a pinch you can use a vinegar solution this is used when the ear canal can not be seen and or a large amount of discharge. It breaks it up well. please use only 5% vinegar dilute 4 parts warm water to 1 part vinegar. fill the canal and rubb the base of the ear to hear a suction.
Now the medicine should be placed in the ear as far down as you can get it in. This should be done after the ear is cleaned and all the head shacking is done. You can also place a thin layer on the inside of the pinna (ear flap) The medicine will get there as well. **** ONE very important thing if any long hair is around the base of the ear such as a dog wth long hair...BRUSH!!!!!!!! The medication will cause the hair to knott up and become a huge ball and possibly a hotspot!!
All topical medications or medicine that is placed on the skin or in the ear MUST come in contact with the skin to work. If there is lots of yellow creamy or blackish brownish stuff then clean those ears.
Do go back after two weeks for a recheck! Even if it was not scheduled. Have the doctor look in the ears again to see if there has been good progress other medications may be needed.
I have had to do Special how to classes for our clients. It's ok, cleaning ears is not an easy task but if done right the dogs love it and smash their head right in to you instead of WWF and the Rodeo!
Monica
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Good timing for me...Bo is having problems with her right ear today. The ear is always goopy with red-ish wax (?) in it. I was cleaning it out today with a vinegar/water solution (alcohol hurts...) and she cried out. I looked in her ear & there was a small red sore-like she'd scratched it or something. I haven't noticed her scratching, but she was shaking her head a lot, which is what prompted me to clean them out. This must be said: Bo HATES having her ears cleaned. She once knocked over 3 vet techs who were trying to hold her down so the vet could administer a cleaning solution! It was quite a site to see, three grown women knocked to the floor like bowling pins! Her performance is so notrious that the vet's office would prefer that I treat her at home!! I know that for a deep cleaning, it would require anesthesia, which I'm not too excited about. Perhaps a Valium or Xanax would help? Anyway, I digress. How do you treat yeast infections in the ears? I don't want to put her on oral antibiotics becuase I'm working to rebuild her immune system from a serious food algery issue. Any suggestions?
Jenn & Bo (with a sore ear) in CA
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Sorry to hear!!!
Your choices are clear either take her to a new vet who is more that willing to treat her anytime good or bad or,allow the sores and canal to become so enlarged that she looses her hearing. Surgery may be needed to cut away the the base of the canal to try to restore the hearing and ease the pain from the infection.
The only medication that works is the ones from the Vets! Trust me nothing at the pet stores work. Those ears need to be looked at first and tested to know what you are dealing with.
Getting knocked over like a bowling pin is all in a days work! I know!! I love the challenge!! Once the problem is fixed the pain will be gone and cleaning the ears should become a snap.
Good luck
Monica
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You are so right on the willingness to treat issue. Because Bo is so big & I am so millitant about her health, it seems that my vet is somewhat reluctant to "do what I say" because of ego (just my hunch). However, I'm reluctant to start with a new vet when she's in pain becuase there's the trust issue for me-no relationship has been built & even though my vet is persnickety, I still am able to communicate with them. I'm waiting to hear back from them to see if I can bring her in tomorrow or if they can give me something to treat her with. It's not an ideal situation in any respect. Thanks for the feedback, though!
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i know you love your dogs, there's no question about that, but. if your vet is reluctant about doing everything he needs to do, are you sure that everything that can be done is being done? we interview vets before we use them, and take our dogs to meet them before we even sign up for a check up. that way, i can see how our dogs react to them and i can also get a feel for the vet. we've managed to find some vets that our dogs wouldn't let within 20 ft without barking or growling and others that our dogs climbed right up in their laps giving kisses. maybe if you go and meet with a few vets you can find one that you can trust, and your baby will get better treatment. sometimes if the dog knows the people don't like dealing with them or are aggravated over working with them, it can cause unnecessary stress / nervousness and bad behavior when a person who loves the dog can do the same thing with little or no problems out of them.
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Point well taken. Honestly, I have been considering switching for some time now, but since Bo's been doing well, I have been less than motivated. The other thing is that there are few vets that practice with a somewhat holistic approach around here. I am not saying that I need an entirely holistic vet, but my experience with treating Bo's various maladies is that she often responds better to herbal/natural remedies than the traditional ones. For example, when she was suffering from chronic diarrhea, the vet had her on Flagyl for two weeks with not success. I put her on slippery elm bark & switched her diet and we had solid poop in less than a week. It might just be this vet (not sure), but I'd like to work with someone who has a open mind about pursuing natural remedies in conjunction with traditional medicine. Just my two bits...
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holistic vets are GREAT! we're looking for one in our area right now, but can't find one. we used a vet one time that when we hit the parking lot our dogs either pooped, peed, or barfed every time. we switched, come to find out he didn't like big dogs and it stressed them out :-\
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We use a holistic vet and we love them. Harley loves going to the vet. She runs right in and says all her hello's, gives big kisses and everything. She was just at the vet yesterday for her titre test and check up. When we got in the room she flopped over to get some belly rubs. She never did that with our old vet. Changing vets was the best thing we ever did.
Nina
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Ok, so I made an appointment with my old vet (the one I was seeing prior to my current vet) because he was good and is now back from a 2 year sabbatical. I told them what was going on & they're going to see Bo on Saturday and suggested that they might sedate her to properly treat her ears. Finally-someone who is speaking some sense to me!!
In the mean time, my current (soon to be old vet) gave me some medicine to treat her & an ear wash. Does anyone have any experience with Alocetic Ear Rinse and Mometamax? Just curious...
Jenn
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what great timing for him to get back! keep us updated!
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I forgot to ask: is there anything for pain relief for her? Clearly her ear is painful, and I know she has a very high tolerance for pain, so for her to cry out when I was cleaning it makes me thing it's very uncomfortable for her. Any suggestions?
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would aspirin help? as per "dog dosages" search, Buffered Asprin -- 5mg/lb, every 12 hrs.
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Okay.... so I looked at Ellie's and Blu's ears closely last night and seriously almost started to cry (I am such a dork) because their ears are hot, bright pink/reddish, inflamed and there are sores. And although my babies didn't complain at all, I can tell they suffering and uncomfortable. I feel sooooo badly! They are going to the vet at 4pm today.
Also - the drops prescribed are Tresaderm.
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Awww poor babies! I hope the vet can get them on a better medicine, so they can get over that infection! I'll be sending tons of healing vibes their way! :)
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boy, that must be one killer ear infection :'( so sorry for them, and i do hope they put them on a better medicine (s) for it!
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poor monkey's!!! I hope the vet fixes them, give them a get well kiss from me! :-* :-*
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would aspirin help? as per "dog dosages" search, Buffered Asprin -- 5mg/lb, every 12 hrs.
Hi all I had to cover a few extra shifts( lot's of co-workers getting sick) I do not think an asprin should be given until seen by the Vet. Asprin is a blood thinner! the skin in the ears bleed very easy when irritated and inflamed let's not make it worse! Also it is not true to dose a giant breed dog as a human or a med - large breed for medications.Gi ant breeds have a lower tolerance for some medications than others. Give only what a DVM perscribes after they physically see your pets!
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Bo is back from the vet...turns out that she has ear canal stenosis (narrowing) in her right ear. Not sure what's causing it, but the vet had to sedate her to get to the root of the problem. He cleaned her out & filled her ear with ointment. He said that she also had a hot spot inside her ear!! OUCH!!! Anyway, the infection was minimal, so that's good...no oral antibiotics. She's recovering from her hangover...boy was she LOOPY!!! I've never seen a drunk dog before! By the way, she's weighing in at 135lbs!! Looks like someone needs to go on a diet! I guess the salmon oil we've been giving her has been too good for her & plumped her up quite a bit! =) I forgot to ask about pain relief when I was at the vet, but I appreciate the feedback about aspirin. I'm just going to ride it out with her and hope that now that we know what the problem is, we can treat it.
=)
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So glad Bo is on the road to recovery!
I tool Blu and Ellie to the vet Friday. She was perplexed at the sores in their ears. She thinks it could be a reaction from the drops. The vet said Ellie's ear canals looked "fabulous" while Blu's one ear was clerly the worst of the bunch. She said he had some puss at the bottom of his ear canal. She analyzed some goonk she took out of his ear and said she didn't see any additional bacteria (though I cant recall the exact word she said) - she said sometimes the drops will clear up one bacteria causing additional underlying bacteria to surface. However, that was not the case. So now the cause of treatment is they are both taking a prescription antihistimine and I am to continue ear cleaning in several days.
I am wondering.... what do you all use for cleaning?
Thanks for all your help and for listening.
p.s. I am still a beamng mom as Blu was such a good boy while the doc spent extra time in his ears. :)
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I love Epi-Otic!
I may burn a little if there is open wounds.
And SHOULD NOT be used if the ear drum is ruptured!!!
It is toxic to the brain.