[InkedMarie]

Boone’s my pbgv. He had alot of ear infections as a puppy. We changed food and he’s only has two problems in seven years. About a month ago, maybe little longer, he started having one gunky ear, the right one. Treated with Zymox with hydrocortisone for a week. Be fine for a week, then again.

He has been on Brothers Allergy for one meal, the other meal was Darwin’s, then Hare grinds, now back to Darwin’s. every few days is THK Zeal. Was on Darwin’s & Brothers with no problems, when he got the first couple ear issues, it was on brothers & hare but he’s been on Darwin’s for three weeks and he has a gunky ear again.

Any thoughts? I’d really rather not take him to the vets for an off & on ear issue. Maybe use the Zymox longer than a week? It says I can, I just haven’t. Just wish I knew why this keeps happening.

[DieselJunki]

If you think it might be food related perhaps going back to square one?

Try just feeding one thing for a little while see if that clears it up using the Zymox and stays clear after for a few weeks. Then add in another food and see if the ear infection comes back. Process of elimination. Then you will at least know if it is really the food that way.

[InkedMarie]

DieselJunki: I’m not sure what it is. He ate Darwins & Brothers at the beginning of the year and no issues. He’s STILL on it now. I did add in Hare Todays grinds but those have been gone from his diet for a few weeks. He also ate THK’s Zeal way back as well, no ear issues.

The ear issues started a month ago, nothing new was added at that time, he had been eating Darwins prior to that, was eating Hare prior to that as well, same goes for THK Zeal. Now, it has been a very wet, humid spring/early summer up here. Wondering if it has something to do with that?

I’d normally have no problem with the diet but I’ll be out of Brothers and already purchased a bag of NV LID turkey & duck, that’s he has eaten before with no ear issues. If any of these foods were new right before the ear issues started, I’d think it was the food.

As I’m typing this, I’m watching my brittany clean Boone’s ears. That ear. Hmm, wonder if that is helping to keep it moist? Darn dogs.

[theBCnut]

Hi Marie

What does the gunk look like and what does it smell like? If you think it might be yeast, then the humidity and dampness definitely affects it. The type of yeast that is usually found in ears is not known to be sugar fed like systemic yeast, so not feeding sugars will not necessarily knock it out completely. It helps when you have a dog that is sensitive to grains, because the grain sensitivity causes skin problems, which causes the skin to over produce oil, which feeds this particular yeast. This yeast likes warm moist non acidic environments all of which probably describe Boones ears.

What I would do is make some swimmers ear solution, 1 part vinegar and 1 part rubbing alcohol, and after you clean his ears, fill the ear canal half way with that, insert a cotton ball, gently massage the base of the ear, use the cotton ball to absorb any extra solution then wipe down the rest of the inner flap of the ear, make sure you get inside that little fold of skin along the back edge of the earflap. Repeat this every time you clean his ears, while he is showing signs. Then do it twice weekly and after every swim or bath for another month. Then do it weekly and after swims or baths for another month. Then whenever you do anything that gets his ears wet, bathing, swimming.

The swimmers ear solution acidifies and dries which makes it a hostile environment for a lot of the bacteria that like to grow in ears too. If there is any raw or broken skin in the ear, it stings like the dickens.

I hope this helps.

[InkedMarie]

Hi patty,
It’s brown but I can’t tell you about the smell as my sense of smell is diminished. I don’t notice much smell. I assumed its yeast, same stuff he’s always had, that was diagnosed as yeast from a vet. From what you said about diet, I believe what I’m feeding (Darwin’s, Hare, Brothers soon-to-be NV Instinct lid and Zeal) is fine.

I can’t remember the name of the cleaner I use, it’s cucumber is all I remember, but I’ve used it for years. Should I replace it with what you suggested above? I thought alcohol wasn’t good to use with ear issues?

[theBCnut]

If you have raw skin alcohol isn’t good, but it is drying if moisture is the bigger issue. Toxed would definitely say to not use the alcohol. And I have used it without alcohol, just vinegar, and had OK results, but my dog had prick ears and moisture was not much of an issue. So you kind of have to decide whether it is worth it. Does the skin look inflamed or normal? If the skin isn’t red then you have a very mild early caught problem or another problem all together. The cleaner you have is fine. What I’m suggesting is after you clean the ear you make sure it is dried out and reacidified, so that nothing re establishes itself in there.

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