Pup is shaking his head about 10-20 times a day

Dog Food Advisor Forums Diet and Health Pup is shaking his head about 10-20 times a day

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  • #137725 Report Abuse
    Cannoli
    Member

    Hi All,

    Just asking to see if anyone has had this experience.

    My pup back in January 2019 had a bad yeast infection in his ears. His ears stunk really bad, was shaking his head, and scratching his ears badly. Took him to Vet and Vet diagnosed a bad yeast infection. Vet gave me Mometamax Otic antibiotic treatment to use for 7 days. The smell went away and pup stopped scratching but still kept shaking his head. To this day he is still shaking his head. Besides the Mometamax OTIC treatment we have done:

    1) Food elimination diet- Currently on Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein Adult . On this diet for one month so far. Plan to keep pup on this diet for another month for a total of 2 months with no other treats
    2) Vet did another inspection in his ear and did a culture analysis from goop gather from his ears. Culture came back form laboratory.. Nothing resistant. The bacteria is staph pseudointermedius which he recommended another 10 days of Mometamax and continuation food elimination diet. Currently he is on day 7 but head still shaking
    3) Wash ears numerous and stop because they did not look dirty
    4) He plays and eats fine

    any suggestions?

    #137729 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member

    Call the treating vet and see what he advises. Leave a message for the vet to call you back when he has a minute, don’t accept an answer from the vet tech.

    If the dog’s problems continue and you don’t see improvement after a reasonable amount of time, consider going to a veterinary dermatologist. Ear infections are sometimes indicative of allergies.

    Wait a minute the ear drops were prescribed in January? Only 7 days?

    He may very well have an ear infection and need antibiotics (ear drops or/and oral)

    SERIOUSLY, GO TO THE VET! asap
    Consequences of untreated ear infections in dogs include: Hearing loss.

    I reread your post, check with the vet, he may need a different antibiotic.

    #137730 Report Abuse
    Cannoli
    Member

    thanks Anon101.

    let me recap. Sorry I think I go the dates all wrong regarding the vet visit. I had to go visit my vet website to look at the dates I visited vet. I noticed he had something going on with his ears back in January but since he seemed fine and normal in regards to eating and playing I did not take him to the vet until March. My mistake….first time ever owning a dog.

    So March of this year was the first Vet visit in regards to the ear infection. We did the ear drops for about 7 days in March. That cleaned up his itching and smell. Did not notice the head shaking as much then because of all his ear scratching back in Jan and Feb. So was happy to see his ears smelly good and pup not scratching.

    Later that month in March Vet did a recheck..ear looked good..the infection was almost gone. Still the head shaking was not bothering me as much but he was still shaking his head. Vet recommended ear cleaning for the next few weeks maybe that might help with the head shaking.

    Now in march and april I followed the ear cleaning regiment. Notice his head shaking was not going away but was eating normally and playing. No scratching of his ears.

    In April I contact vet and noticed that his head shaking was still going on. not as much as back in January or February where he was shaking every 20 minutes. Now his head head shaking was about 20 times a day.

    Vet put him on an elimination diet in beginning of April. Notice head shaking but now about 10-15 times a day. So it went down some what. Went back to vet at end of April and asked what I can do to stop the head shaking forever.. He stated he wants to sedate dog and look deep with his ears and do a culture analysis. Vet thinks it is allergy related but the culture analysis could rule out that out. Also vet gave me steroids for 7 days.

    Culture analysis came back in beginning of of May or so where vet stated the lab found staph pseudointermedius. Recommended me to put pup back on Mometamax for 10 days to finish the bacteria and informed me to keep him on elimination diet.

    i have been seeing the same treating Vet since March so is not like a new vet every visit. My vet is very responsive. I send him emails with lots of questions and he always responds. He states allergies are very difficult to treat.

    Now why should I visit a veterinary dermatologist if he is not scratching his skin? But it is within the ear. I can definitely setup an appointment if you think that would help

    • This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Cannoli. Reason: spelling
    #137732 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member

    I have a dog with environmental allergies. It started with ear infections, then pruritus, If you go to the search engine “environmental allergies” you will see my numerous posts.
    Of course there are other causes, get the dog properly diagnosed by a veterinary dermatologist.
    Or work closely with your regular vet, the steroids and antibiotics are just bandaid stuff. Get to the root of the problem.
    I am sorry but you may have a high maintenance pup.

    I hope this helps.

    http://www.mspca.org/angell_services/dermatology-allergies/Ear Diseases. excerpt below

    Otitis externa is the medical term for ear inflammation. Most cases of otitis externa also have an infection that is causing the ear inflammation.

    The structure of the ear in dogs and cats can make them more prone to ear infections. The ear canal in dogs and cats is longer than the ear canal in people. The ear canal is also “L-shaped” with vertical and horizontal parts.

    Because only some dogs and cats develop ear infections, other conditions often contribute to the development of otitis externa and ear infections in your pet. Allergies, parasites, and masses or tumors can all cause ear irritation and infection. Allergies are the most common cause of ear infections in dogs and cats. Since an ear infection can be secondary to an underlying problem, it is often important to diagnose and treat the cause of the ear infection while treating the ear infection.

    An ear infection can develop into a severe health problem for a dog or cat. Left untreated, ear infections can spread deeper into a pet’s ear (middle ear infection) and cause permanent damage to the ear canal (ear canal mineralization). Some chronic ear infections can develop resistance to antibiotics and become untreatable with medications.

    #137733 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member
    #137737 Report Abuse
    joanne l
    Member

    I wonder if he has a bug deep in his ear? Just a thought. Does his food have any chicken in it?? Even though it is Rx diet if it has chicken the dog maybe allergic to it. Check the ingredients. Hope you resolve this.

    #137738 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member

    Prescription food goes through a process. It is hydrolyzed.

    Meaning the dog won’t react to any proteins in the food despite the ingredients.

    That’s why commercial food does not compare.

    https://www.petmd.com/dog/what-hydrolyzed-protein-dog-food?mobi_bypass=true. excerpt below

    What Is Hydrolyzed Protein Dog Food?

    Protein is a vital component to any diet. Your dog’s muscles, hormones and disease-fighting antibodies are all proteins. To make what their bodies need, dogs take proteins from food, break them down into building blocks called amino acids, and combine those amino acids into new proteins.

    In some animals, dietary proteins can trigger an abnormal immune response. Hydrolysis uses water to chemically break proteins into pieces that are so small that the immune system no longer reacts to them. Veterinarians typically prescribe hydrolyzed protein dog foods to treat two diseases: food allergy and inflammatory bowel disease.

    #137741 Report Abuse
    Cannoli
    Member

    @joanne- I thought the exact same thing. I thought he had something stuck in his ear. I told the vet to sedate my pup and look deep within his ears. Vet said he did without sedation and found nothing. It told him money is no problem please sedate him and check his ears really good for something stuck in there before we go down the allergy path. Vet said he checked deep and found nothing. I guess vets can check dog ears without them being sedated

    • This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Cannoli.
    #137743 Report Abuse
    scott m
    Member

    My dog has been having the same issue. He’s been to different vets, who tried just about everything. He had the procedure done under anesthesia and the infection came back. Has been on drops and oral antibiotics.
    Going to another vet next week who is doing another culture to see if it is a resistant strain and what to do from there.
    I was in bj’s today and saw this food, and was going to try switching to this:
    https://www.bjs.com/product/berkley-jensen-grain-free-salmon-and-sweet-potato-recipe-for-dogs-30-lbs/3000000000001453815

    #137768 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member

    For best results I would go to a veterinary dermatologist, especially if this is becoming a chronic condition and has not responded to treatment by the regular vet. The veterinary dermatologist can do skin testing to identify the environmental allergens responsible then they will discuss treatment options.
    If you suspect food sensitivities then the only way to rule out is to have the vet prescribe hydrolyzed food, difficult to follow, commercial brands do not compare.
    There is no cure for allergies but there is effective treatment and management.

    https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/otitis-externa excerpts below, click on link for full article

    Otitis externa is an inflammation of the ear canal. Because dogs’ ear canals are L-shaped (Figure 1), fluid does not drain easily from canal openings. Additionally, the lining of the ear can become inflamed and thickened, blocking air and fluid flow in and out of the canal. Animals with otitis externa can also develop otitis media (middle ear inflammation). Similar to the problem seen in children (especially after airplane flights), fluid can build up behind the ear drum, causing pressure and pain. Otitis externa and media are common conditions in dogs, particularly in specific breeds such as the Cocker spaniel and German shepherd.
    In puppies and kittens, otitis externa is often caused by ear mites. These tiny parasites cause terrible itching and a thick brown discharge. In adult dogs, the most common underlying cause is allergies- sensitivity to something in the environment or to food. In older animals, tumors can cause blockage of the ear canal and secondary infection. Other predisposing causes may include foreign bodies (such as grass seeds), or small ear canals (often seen in Shar peis) or long floppy ear flaps (for example, Basset hounds) that prevent air flow. Hormonal problems, such as poor thyroid function, or other underlying skin disorders may also be present.

    #137769 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member

    https://www.justanswer.com/dog-health/215bj-hello-is-thing-ear-specialist-dogs.html excerpt below, click on link to find similar questions answered by a vet

    Hello, Is there such a thing as an ear specialist for dogs. I have a 4 year old Daschund who has a chronic ear problem.

    Dog Veterinarian: Dr. Andy
    Hello,
    Definitely.
    Veterinary dermatologists would be the specialist you want to handle this situation. Plus, they would be very helpful at getting to the underlying cause of the problem. Most ear issues are not just ear issues. Most are due to any underlying environmental and/or food allergy. That would be their specialty as well.
    Quite a few dermatologists out there as well.

    Use this website to find one closest to you.
    http://www.acvd.org/

    Good Luck
    Dr. Andy

    #137772 Report Abuse
    Cannoli
    Member

    thanks Anon I will schedule a Veterinary dermatologists since this has been going since January and I think my Vet is at his wit’s end.

    #137773 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member

    You’re welcome!

    We went back and forth to the regular vet for a year without results.
    We felt much better after one visit with the specialist and we knew what we were dealing with.

    Good luck

    #137774 Report Abuse
    Cannoli
    Member

    Just booked an appointment withe MSPCA Angel Dermatology team. They have good reviews in my area. Not too bad either regarding cost $160 for consultation. earliest appointment is May 30th and my current Vet is going to forward the medical treatment he has done so far.. I just want my pup to have a better life.

    #137775 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member

    Excellent!

    #139309 Report Abuse
    Cannoli
    Member

    Had a great visit at the Vet Dermatologist and it is pointing more to Food Allergies. Dermatologist notice some things that neither my regular vet nor I saw before. Specifically his paws and skin as I just kept concentrating on his head shaking only.

    Dermatology Physical Exam: Non-seasonal mild pedal licking lately shaking of the head and digging at the neck, tried
    apoquel in the past did not help ear symptoms.

    Skin Description: Mild erythema of a few areas under each ear and mild alopecia and oily seborrhea of the plantar
    aspect of the paws, subtle changes on his chin from prior pedal licking

    AS (left ear): Mild lichenification on concave pinna, no major excoriations noted AU (both ears)

    AD (right ear): No odor or pain reaction from ears AU, negative pinna-pedal reflex

    Otoscopic Exam – Left: Mild cobblestone hyperplasia on surfaces of all aspect of the ear canal, no stenosis and no
    ulcerations, mild edema and slight erythema AU

    Otoscopic Exam – Right: No excessive exudate note

    Assessment: We talked about how the diet trial would have to be a little stricter for the full 60-90 days to yield a
    conclusive answer… and if not seeing a significant effect over the next 5-7 weeks then we could potentially be going
    more towards environmental allergies as the likely life long trigger of the mild skin, paw and ear issues

    Also we looked within his ear canal and on the screen we saw his ear canals were red in irritation. Cool to see the inside of his ear cannals on a giant tv screen as he used his scope with a flashlight to go down deep into his ear.. The ear cannals were visibly red with mild irritation.

    #139310 Report Abuse
    anonymous
    Member

    I am so glad that you had a positive visit. Angell is the best!

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