Dark brownish smear has started coming out of my sharpei's ear again. What to do?

Question

She has had this problem forever. It's a recurring infection and although I manage to control it for months of a time, it always returns with a vengeance. She doesn't seem to be in pain though. I absolutely don't want to have to go back to antibiotics! I would appreciate your ideas and recomendations, guys. Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Ear mites are very rare in dogs... and they typically don't cause any type of discharge but rather a 'dirt' seen inside the ear. If it is an infection (and been diagnosed as such before) there really isn't a lot else that you can do. Antibiotics luckily aren't as overused in dogs as the are with people, so that is likely your best option. Cleaning the ears using some of the above recommendations will help, but none of them will cure a major ear infection... and depending on what exactly is going on, some of them may aggrivate and irritate the infection making things worse on your dog.

Is there actual fluid coming out of her ears? If it is more just a brownish stuff inside the ear you might be able to treat it on your own (yeast infections are common), if there is actual discharge I would just let your vet treat it.

Do you routinely clean her ears also? Have someone (if they haven't already) teach you how to properly and safely clean her ears with a cotton swab and you can also add a disinfectant like chlorohexamine (sold in pet stores as ear cleaning solution) once a week. But after you have this infection under control. Some of the powders sold as ear cleaner can help too... keeping the ears dry and clean is the best way to prevent infections.

Answer 2

Antibiotics are the only way to clean up an ear infection.

I have one dog that was getting ear infections non stop for years. When she was 5 yrs old, I stopped all vaccinations. She is now 8 yrs old and has not had an ear infection in the last year and a half.
Vaccinations are good for many, many years. They are causing problems in our dogs because we have, without knowing it, been over vaccinating them.
Read the Wisconsin University weblinks and do some research on the net about it.
http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/articles/68/5/39
http://www.news.wisc.edu/releases/8413.html

Answer 3

Here is something you can make up for your dogs ears. I know what you are saying I groom a dog for a person and the dog had the same problem. I had this stuff made up and told her to give it to her dog. She did and the ears are all better now. Note you have to give this as a parvinitve to keep it away. I got this off of a cocker website and have seen it all over the place.

Blue Power Ear Treatment

INGREDIENTS:
16 Oz. Isopropyl Alcohol
4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%

Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well. You will also need to shake solution every time you use it to disperse the Boric Acid Powder. To use, purchase the "Clairol" type plastic bottle to dispense solution to affected ears.

TREATMENT: Evaluate condition of ears before treating and if very inflamed and sore do not attempt to pull hair or clean out ear at all. Wait until inflammation has subsided which will be about 2 days.

Shake the bottle each time before using. Flood the ear with solution (gently squirt bottle), massage gently to the count of 60, wipe with a tissue. Flood again on first treatment, wipe with a tissue, and leave alone without massage. The dog will shake out the excess which can be wiped with a tissue, the
Gentian Violet does stain fabrics.

SCHEDULE OF TREATMENT
Treat 2x per day for the first week to two weeks depending upon severity of ears
Treat 1x per day for the next 1-2 weeks
Treat 1x per month (or even less frequently, depending on the dog)

All of these ingredients should be available at a pharmacy. The Boric Acid Powder soothes the ear. The Gentian Violet Solution is an anti-infection agent. The solution appears to work well on any and all ear problems from mites to wax to canker. After the second or third you can clean out the ear with a Q-tip or cotton balls. Their success rate for this treatment is 95-99%. Those who do not succeed have usually not done the treatment long enough or have not been regular about it.

Dogs on the verge of ear canal surgery have been returned to normal with only the regular follow-up treatment to keep the ear healthy. If an infection seems to be remaining in the treated ear after the above course of treatment, you may also have some Pseudomonas bacteria in the site. This can be eradicated by using a gentle flush of raw apple cider vinegar and water (warm). Use 2 Tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of water, 2x per week.

They have found the Blue Power Solution to be effective for treating fungus-type infections on the feet and elsewhere on the dog, for cuts on dogs or people, and for hot spots. You may find other uses for this simple anti-infective agent. Remember it is for external use only and be careful not to get into the eyes.

NOTE: If your dog is sensitive to the Alcohol, you can substitute
"Yellow" Lysterine in place of the Alcohol

Answer 4

Go back to the vet, get an anti-inflammatory injection. Also, ask them to culture the discharge and find out once and for all what it is EXACTLY, that will lead you to the prevention and also the cure. If it's an infection, ask for Kenacomb otic drops.

Oh and don't put peroxide in the ears, if the eardrum is punctured, you will be fizzing the brain of your dog!

Answer 5

You can try hydrogen peroxide to keep it clean and dry. Water gets in the ear and causes the infection (at least that was the cause of my dogs ear infection) If left like it is it will eventually cause some deafness. You can also put antibiotic ointment to help keep it clear

Answer 6

I've got a friend who has this problem. Every time he rubs his ear a brown liquid oozes from it. This in itself is fairly disgusting but the problem is compounded two fold. First, the ooze is the owner of one of the most foul, putrid smells known to man or beast. Second he is a very sharing character who wishes to pass on the exciting experience to all he meets. He has no pain like you dog(?) but feels acutely embarrassed when strangers veer away from his smell smeared finger. To resolve this problem I simply suggested he stopped rubbing his ear. To no avail. I then suggested he rubbed his ear but did not put it under the noses of strangers ear. Again to no avail. I could bear his pain to more. The kindest cure was was the cruelest cure. I had no choice but to break his fingers. I do this every 4 weeks and he has never been happier. I hope this helps.

Answer 7

Try using Hydrogen Peroxide in the ear. It is safe, kills germs and bacteria, and will control the infection. Use it daily even when the infection has cleared up to prevent reoccurence.

Answer 8

if its an infections, anti-biotics might be the only thing to help her out a little...if its a virus they can give you all the anit-biotics they want but its not going to get rid of the problem, only maintain it, if you know the name of the infection look it up online and see if anyone else has the problem and what they have done to control it

Answer 9

maybe an infection or mites
using rubbing alchol on kleenex gently clean out ear canal then have vet check the dog out i had this with a cat worked great

Answer 10

Well, you have a shar pei so this kind of comes with the territory. If she gets an ear infection that isn't treated, it could make her deaf.