my dog has a reaccuring ear infection. vet visits are to costly how do i treat this at home?

Question

after an ear infection 2 months ago (a $150 vet visit) my dogs ear is starting with the same symptoms, need help to get it fixed

2 months ago i took him to vet ($150) but now they want to see him again, won't give me a refill, clean it daily with ear drops bought at vets office, tried all ur awesome answers already, need penicillin but how and where can i get that

he is pit has floppy ears last time it was yeast vet said likely allergies due to food switched to chicken instead of beef less corn meal mix vet bill included benadryl a shot antibiotics and fatty acid capsules vet said all would help with steroid shot

Answer 1

I'd take him back or try a new vet. $150 seems quite high for a vet visit. Just like anything else you really have to be a smart consumer because part of dog ownership is treating medical problems. There's nothing you can really do at home.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

The vet will want to see him again because the infection could be yeast or bacterial in nature. The treatment will depend on which it is, antifungals for yeast infections and antibiotics for bacterial infections...could even be both. So, seeing a vet is really important. Incorrectly or untreated ear infections can lead to costly surgeries and even result in deafness.

One of our dogs had trouble with ear infections...yeast. The medicine would work, but they would come back eventually. We had him allergy tested and discovered he does have allergies...some grasses, some trees, house dust/mites, cotton, beef, carrots, potato, kelp, etc. I was shocked, because he has a nice coat and skin...it's just the ear infections. The test wasn't cheap ($250), but I can tell you it's worth every cent and it will save money in the long run. He's now on a special diet and is doing better. If any future problems (can't get rid of some allergens...grasses, trees, etc.), we'll probably start shots...but so far, so good.

Please note: If it is allergies, don't just use any allergy formula dog food. It could still contain something he can't have...even some well known and respected brands contain things my dog *can't* have. You have to avoid *his* allergens, not simply the most common ones.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Firstly, how do you know it is infected again?

Assuming it is an ear infection, they tend to be symptoms of other deeper issues like allergies to food. You could try switching to a different food with different protein sources. I am guessing you feed a commercial diet, so buy the best quality one you can afford. Common allergens for dogs are chicken, beef, wheat, soy and dairy.

You can make homemade ear cleaners that have antibiotic and antifungal (yeast) properties. One which is said to be really good is called Blue Power (link below). If your dog swims, it is important to clean the ears out afterwards with something drying; my vet recommended 1/3 rubbing alcohol to 2/3 white vinegar, just gently wipe the ears out with that using a cotton ball or cotton pad lightly soaked. Or you could add a clove of garlic to the white vinegar (apple cider vinegar works too), and that will also be antibacterial.

If the ears don't clear up with home treatment, you are better off to spend the $150 to get it treated by the vet because it is painful for the dog and can lead to deafness and other problems which will undoubtedly be even more costly!

Answer 5

Describe the infection? Is it mites or yeast? Does your dog have floppy ears? Floppy eared dogs often have reoccurring ear problems.

Yeast is the most common form of ear infection in dogs. It leaves a wet smelly black residue in the ears. You can treat and prevent that at home by cleaning the ear and pouring rubbing alcohol into it 2x daily for an active infection or 2x a week as a preventative. It will work to kill a fungal infection.

Mites are microscopic bugs that burrow into the ear. They produce a similar black smelly residue, but are not as common as yeast. To treat them you need to clean the ear and then put 2 drops of flea topspot into the ear. Do the same thing every day until they are healed and then do it about one time a week. Don't use a lot of the stuff. It should be just drops not a whole tube. You can just use the cheap OTC pyrethryn instead of the expensive brand name. An alternative is to use lice medicine or shampoo. It will also work. Mites are harder to control than yeast at home.

The antibiotics are used to control infections caused by dog's scratching their ears due to the inflammation of an underlying problem of yeast or mites. Antibiotics are not sold over the counter for canines. They are sold for livestock. You can check a farm supply store. If you can take care of the underlying problem of yeast or mites you won't need the PA or other antibiotics.

Finally-- you need a new vet. $150 for an ear infection is outrageous.

Edited---
If it was yeast that is very common. And very easy to treat and prevent at home. Use cottonballs with rubbing alcohol at least once or twice a week at home to prevent it. Or even pour a half of a cap lid of alcohol into his ear canal then make him lie for a few moments to let it saturate his ear. It will kill the yeast. It is exactly like swimmer's ear in a human or athlete's foot. Yeast is simply a fungus that grows in wet places. Floppy eared dogs (and wrinkly fat people) have many problems with it. You can smell his ears and actually smell when it is growing. It is the easiest ear problem to treat, but it always regrows just because the ear is wet and warm.
Food allergies have little to do with yeast. Do food allergies cause athletes foot or jock itch? Of course not. It's the exact same thing.

Answer 6

I'd give your vet a call and see if they can give you a refill of whatever was prescribed to treat the infection in the first place. They shouldn't have a problem doing that, and it'll be cheaper than taking him in and paying for another examination. They might also be able to suggest a cheaper "over the counter" product that might help as well.

Answer 7

My Rotties has the same problem. I get an ear cleaner from my vets office for about $10.00. I don't need to schedule an appointment either. A friend of mine has a Rottie with the same problem. She uses the same product as I do, but she actually has to get a prescription for it. You want a cleaning solution to clean, dry, and acidify the ear canal. Ask your vet for an ear cleaning solution, if he doen't give you one then call around to see if another vet will sell you the ear cleaner without a rx. Try 1800petmeds, they have a lot of things are are sold in the vet's office but it is "their" brand. (Desiree uses 1800petmed brand of Consequin, in the vet's office it's $80.00 bucks but I can 1800petmed brand for $40.00)

Answer 8

well for openers, you don't "clean" with ear drops. You clean with ear cleaner then put ear drops in. if you were cleaning with the drops that explains why they didn't work

It is probably a yeast infection & is caused by the food you are feeding him. switch to a holistic food such as California Natural & I'll be there is improvement.

If the dog has down ears, that creates the enviornment for infection & needs cleaning at least twice a week. Use a drying agent & when dry use boric acid pownder lightly.

this will clean them out

http://www.bichonfriseusa.com/ref/earsolution.htm

Answer 9

I have a dog who has this problem, also. But the Vet gave me medicine to use when his ears start acting up. I also clean his ears on a daily basis to keep them free of debris and odor. Your Vet can recommend a product to clean and keep the infection away, if he hasn't already. Good Luck !

Answer 10

Daily, take a kewtip and just wipe his ears clean for about 20 minutes.