Ear problems

[jillburd]

HELP! My dog, Isaac, has had a problem with his right ear for going on 4 months now. I took him to one vet, who treated him for an ear infection with Baytril otic....and mentioned that his ear flap was begining to thicken from all the head shaking. The treatment did not work so I took him to another vet who has a Newf herself. She said that not only is his ear flap starting to thicken, but that his canal was starting to close. (I thought it was just swelling due to whatever the irritation is). OK, she diagnosed him as having food allergies, put him on cyclosporine and gave him an injection to settle down his "allergic" reaction. She recommended that he be placed on a diet that is venison based (which she coincidentally carries at her clinic). I asked about putting him on a lamb and rice diet first, she told me that THAT diet isn't a diet for allergies because it's been used to death and dogs are sensitized to it. She also said that a healthy Newf should NEVER need to have its ears cleaned out, even if it swims regularly. I put him on a diet of rice and cooked ground beef a few days ago, so it's too soon to tell if that works. He scratches his ear, then moans and rubs it on the floor several times a day. My questions are: Why the antibiotics if he has an allergy, Why does it only affect ONE ear if it is an allergy, He's never had lamb and rice, so how can HE be sensitized to it? Is it possible that he has something like a grass seed stuck somewhere in his ear canal, that the vets are missing when they look? It seems to me that THAT would be more likely, but what do I know?
Any and all suggestions are welcome, I can't afford to spend $70.00/wk. on vet bills to no avail!!! HELP! Isaac is MISERABLE! Thanks! Jillian

 

[Khiori]

The reason for the change in food is to determine whether or not your newf has food allergies. Here's the reason for the food: Venison is very hypoallegenic. Meaning - there are very few incidents of allergic reactions to venison. On the other hand, lamb and rice can be high in allergic reactions. If your pup is having an allergy chances are it will be caught with food. Example: I've never been stung by a centipede - but I can almost guarantee an allergic reaction to it for myself.

Proteins in foods are differnt from one type to another. Venison is considered the least likely to cause a histamine reaction (allergy)

Chances are, for the antibiotic, is to prevent an infection from occuring. With all the scratching your pup is doing - it's highly likely to pick up an infection.

I would be concerned about the thickening in the ear. Sounds like it could develop into a hematoma (where blood collects in the ear flap)

I don't know why your vet said not to clean out the ears. I can guess why - over zealous cleaning can cause damage - but you'd have to ask your vet specically "why not?" to get her reasons. Then again, she did add the caveat of Healthy newfs. Ears on healthy dogs should be self-cleaning not requiring interference on our parts.

If there was a grass seed in your pup's ear, an exam should have spotted it. And since this has been going on for four months - it's unlikely it's a seed or foreign object. I would think the damage would be much worse at this stage.

Since you've seen two vets already you only have a couple options. Go to see another one. Accept what the two vets so far have said (or return to the first one) Begin to educate yourself on possible ear problems and causes (lots and lots of online vet manuals out there) Try to learn about allergies, signs of allergies, causes, etc.

Hope Isaac finds some relief soon. Sorry I couldn't be of much help. But it very well could be allergies of some nature (food, grasses, pollens, etc)

 

[misamala00]

Misha also had some ear problems - her ears started to smell and they were dirty all the time. My vet also said that it's not good to clean the ear canal - only with a fluid if there's a problem. He said that if you clean an ear, you can cause some infection by it.

I cannot help you with anything else as I don't know the medical terms in english for the drugs we used and the medicine that helped us.

Hope your dog gets better - ear irritation is really annoying for a dog.

Mirjam & Misha

 

[CHsail]

Ears seem to be a constant source of concern. But in my newfs that are healthy, they aren't. My first newf did have ongoing ear problems. The vet that I went to for years just treated the symptoms and not the problem. I finally switched to a vet that was recommended as someone that was good at diagnosing skin problems also. She also had hot spots. As soon as he(the vet)walked into the exam room he said "I bet she is hypothyroid". Never having had a reason to know about that particular problem, I didn't know to ask. So we did the thyroid panel and started the meds and she was a different dog. This is not to say that is the problem with you sweetie. I would go and interview some vets like some people do their own doctors. You might go and sit in the waiting room and just watch for a while. I would also ask around and see if you can get some input from some other people about the vets they chose and why. When my dogs are groomed and whenever we bathe them we take something and wipe out the part of the ear that can be reached. Good luck.

------------------
Chuck (Charlotte)
Calypso, Hootie, & Koko
Newf angels Shasta & Haddie
Downers Grove, IL

 

[Lynne]

I use an old country vet's formula to clean my Newfs' ears. Our old Gussie's ears kept going bad and we'd change meds every month or 2, but with this stuff, they stayed clean until we lost her. I use it as a routine cleaner on all of them, but it can be used as a treatment for nasty ears, too.

> Blue Power Ear Solution
> > INGREDIENTS
> > 16 oz Isopropyl Alcohol
> > 4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
> > 16 drops Gentian Violet Solution1%
> > usually available at pharmacies,
> > but they may have to order it for
> > you
> >
> > Mix together and shake well. (I use a hair coloring bottle.) Shake well
> > every time you use it to disperse the Boric Acid Powder. Flood ear with
> > solution, gently squirting bottle. Massage gently, then wipe with a
> tissue.
> > Flood ear again on first treatment, wipe ear, then leave without
> massaging.
> > BE CAREFUL!! GENTIAN VIOLET STAINS FABRICS!!!
> >
> > Suggested schedule:
> > 2X daily for first week or 2, depending on severity of ears
> > 1X daily for next 1-2 weeks
> > 1X monthly thereafter
> >