Problem with Beagles ears, any suggestions??

Question

I've posted this before in pets section and didn't really get any useful information. I figure there's got to be some hunters with beagles with the same problem. My dog gets these ear problems constantly, brown waxy stuff builds up, she contstantly scratches at them and the ears have a very nasty smell. One ear is good and doesn't have much problem, but the other one constantly needs cleaning.

Based on the advice from my vet I clean out the ears from top to bottom with AloeCetic and then use q tips and cotton balls to clean the ear canals and ear. Then I let it dry and put Neosporin on it. I have to do this once or twice a week. The vet took some cultures and determined that it wasn't an infection. In a nutshell, he said to keep the dogs ears dry. I explained to him this was an outdoor dog in a very rainy state (WA) that is in the field a lot, so this isn't too practical. Does anyone have any other ideas I could try?

Answer 1

I've had the exact same problems with both Beagles and my Labrador's in the past. Always one ear or the other and not both at once. After going to 3 different Vet's and having cultures done, it turned out to be Yeast Infections ...The 3rd Vet gave me two products OTI-DRY and EPI-OTIC, that both worked and cleared both breeds up within 3-7 days using it twice a day. The Vets told me the foul smell itself is an indication of an infection, be it Fungus,Yeast or Bacterial. The problem is
finding a Vet that will run tests on all three possibilities on a single culture. I spent over $400, only to find a solution from the last of the 3 Vets...who charged me on $20 for the medicine and another $35 for the clinic visit.

Point is if it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg, I suggest you get a SECOND opinion and/or cultures done again......

Answer 2

Growling: You need to keep taking her bones on her. When you see her quietly chewing go up and gently take it from her. Don't make it a pulling game, if you want it take it. It would be useful to teach her a drop command. When you take her toy from her, say "Drop" and give a treat. Beagles are VERY food motivated and will mostly do anything for a tasty treat. She is very young and you will have no problem training her if you are consistent. I recommend having a training session each day going over the tricks she knows and always work on teaching her new ones. If you feel she's getting too excited pick her up until she calms down. I know it can be frustrating but you can do it!! Barking: Are you sure she actually knows what no and bad mean? If you haven't taught her then she doesn't know. When you're trying to stop her from doing something bad it is often useful to get her to sit (with a treat). Above all be persistent, she is still a baby. Rough Play: Believe me, if your dog is fed up with the puppy, she will let her know. I currently have a new pup and he never lets up on my older dog. He wants everything the older dog has and chews on him constantly. If you other dog is initiating the play then it's likely she enjoys it! Older dogs have a natural instinct not to hurt young pups. As they become older they are taught it's not cool to chew on others constantly with a quick nip.

Answer 3

We clean our beagle's ears with a cotton ball soaked with 1/2 hydrogen peroxide & 1/2 isporopyl alcohol. It works great & stops the scratching....

Answer 4

Try boric acid or Bag Balm.* Ask your vet about this.* You might want to get a second opinion from a different Vet about your dogs condition.* I would.*