Question:
My dog is a shepherd/husky. He ended up getting surgery on his ear about a year ago. He is now 13 years old. The surgery went well, but his ear droops down, and he has a constant odor.
I have brought him to the vet several times and have been given the same treatment that does nothing. The odor is atrocious, and he is constantly shaking his head. I recently purchased cream for a female yeast infection over the counter to place small amounts in his ear, but even that is not working. Any suggestions will be truly appreciated.
R.M., Lagrangeville, NY Jun 05, 2011
Answer:
Once a chronic infection becomes established in the dog's external ear canal, it can be extremely difficult to eradicate. Your veterinarian might consider taking a swab to culture and determine if the main problem is bacterial or fungal, and run antibiotic sensitivity tests if it seems like a chronic bacterial infection.
The ear-canal infection can be aggravated in some dogs because of a food allergy (usually affecting both ears) and by poor ventilation as with droopy ears or, as in your case, by a crumpled ear. In many cases not responsive to medication, surgical opening of the ear canal is the only solution; otherwise, the dog's life is miserable.
Try giving him Vedco's MalOtic ear ointment
, available from your veterinarian. If conventional medications fail, a daily irrigation with organic apple-cider vinegar in equal parts of warm water may help. Dry with a cotton ball and then put a few drops of olive oil into the ear canal and massage gently. Wally's Ear Oil
(for humans) could be tried instead of olive oil and, with luck, your dog may not need ear-canal surgery.
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