[nikita]

We all know how Labs can get yeast infections in their ears frequently but I'm wondering if anyone's Lab has experienced a bacteria infection in those floppy ears?

My Samson was diagnosed with a bacteria infection almost 2 weeks ago tho he's had it longer than that. At first, he had a yeast infection that his vet warned me was showing some signs of becoming a bacteria infection and prescribed the usual medicated ear drops. I was dilligent in dropping them in his ear every day. The yeast infection went away,...or so I thought till I checked his ear almost a week later and discovered the entire ear canal to be covered in this brown crust that would NOT come off. It wasn't waxy like the usual ear wax or yeast infection. It was a solid brown crust that coated the inside of his ear.

My dad took him to the base (Sam is really my dad's dog so he gets free basic vet services since Dad is retired US Navy) and the vet said it was full blown bacteria infection! She prescribed a different medicated ear drop that has to be kept in the fridge. For those curious, it's Tresaderm.

The first week, I did the 5 drops twice a day as directed and didn't really see any change. I am still keeping to the direction and as of now (this being the 10th day, this stuff is working miracles! The brown crust has started to soften and flake off. OMG, that stuff is so thick in his ear! If you're curious to know, there is no smell to the stuff. It's not like the yeast infection where that stuff stinks!

Sam has been shaking his head a lot because the brown gunk is flaking off and tickling the inside of his ear. He's got a follow-up appointment this coming Tuesday so maybe the vet can clear out that gunk (as I don't want to be poking in his ear).

 

[labby]

Oh good luck. Libby's had one for the last 7 months or so. We've had it cultured and the stuff it was supposed to be sensitive to didn't touch it. We finally put her on oral antibiotics and it seems to be helping some. I'm worried that as soon as we're done the antibiotics it will come back.

 

[millstonekennel]

Sometimes you just have to have them put under sedation to flush and clean all that gunk out of the ears out and start over. Tresaderm is good stuff and it also works on ear mite if use long enough.

 

[cinderbay]

My Gryphon has been battling one for a while now too. I've tried orals but maybe he needs a stronger dose for longer, because the stuff we've used for in his ears is JUST not working. I feel SO bad for him.

Laura, what were you using?

 

[labby]

We were on Ciprol (sp) for about 4 weeks. She's finally my Libby again. The poor thing couldn't swim all last summer because of her ears and she would scream in pain if anyone bumped her ears. I seriously thought about putting her down.

 

[millstonekennel]

Laura have you tried changing her food and treats to something totally different. Like get her off wheat and corn.

Blu had a nasty ear infection last May. It took 2 months to go away. I used zymox for 2 weeks. Then malotic for sometime. It was not until we flushed and cleaned his ears out under sedation that the ear infection went away. His ears were very red and so much gunk in there and smelled bad.

 

[labby]

Yes Alicia. I tried everything. Food, zymox, the only thing left was flushing the ears under sedation, but the vet wasn't sure it would work with a bacterial infection. Yeast yes, but he hadn't seen it work much with bacteria.

 

[millstonekennel]

She sounds like she is a candidate for lateral ear resection http://www.marvistavet.com/html/lateral_ear_resection.html I've seen 3-4 of these done were I work and the dogs are much happer. Is so much easer to keep the ear clean. I don't recall seeing those dogs back in for ear infection.

 

[labby]

The vet mentioned this but I'd have to go to a specialist at the cost of about $3k - $4k. No way we can afford that.

 

[cinderbay]

We were on Ciprol (sp) for about 4 weeks. She's finally my Libby again. The poor thing couldn't swim all last summer because of her ears and she would scream in pain if anyone bumped her ears. I seriously thought about putting her down.

That is just what he is going though.Poor thing. I will bring that up to my Vet.

Could it have been Cipro? Just like the human stuff? I've taken that before. Knocks out just about anything.

 

[labby]

That's prolly what it is Kim. I got it for free at Meijers with the vet's prescription.

 

[imported_kiddsmom]

Laura have you tried changing her food and treats to something totally different. Like get her off wheat and corn.

Another thing to consider other than the food is supplements, i.e., joint supplements, fish oil capsules, etc. Many of those contain corn starch and soy. If your dog has issues with those, then feeding a food free of those products aren't doing much good if you're giving it right back to them in the form of supplements.

 

[labby]

Betsy, Libby gets no supplements. I've never seen anything like this infection.

 

[imported_kiddsmom]

Maybe she needs HRT.

 

[Baloo317]

Baloo used to get horrific ear infections until we switched to raw and pretty much cut out carbs totally and completely. I haven't so much as cleaned his ears in almost a year and yet they remain clean enough to eat out of.

So, that's what worked for us.

 

[cinderbay]

Gryphon's ear infection was like nothing I have never seen before. It started out as the black gunk. I tried clearing it up as I have always been able to with the purple stuff, that did not work and then used otomax. No help. Next thing I know he has this thick almost maple syrup/tar like stuff coming out of his hears. We have gotten rid of that but we are still trying to get this black gunk out.
The only thing he gets is probiotics and he has been getting that for a few years.
I hope we can kick this thing out! He now is on a food with no corn/soy/wheat but I do not think this is a food related issue otherwise I would see more than just the one ear.

 

[labby]

Usually bacterial isn't food related.

 

[cinderbay]

Nope but that is the first thing the vet asked me. What I was feeding.

 

[Baloo317]

Usually bacterial isn't food related.

He had both, and how the vet explained it to me was that because he had such persistent, ongoing issues with yeast, it created a ripe environment for the bacteria to move in and flourish, thus bacterial infection. So, we treated the underlying cause, and now no more of either.

 

[labby]

That's the thing with Libby, she never had any yeast. I was surprised. I'm just hoping the antibiotics worked and it won't come back. Time will tell.