Johanna Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I have two poodle mixes and both suffer from chronic ear itching and smell! I treat with epi-otic advanced...then I squeeze mometamax in them...but, it doesnt feel effective. I also keep them clean of hair (as much as i can)....any other tips?? I dont know what bothers me most: the smell or their discomfort! ...btw, its a schnoodle (min) and a goldendoodle:-)...great dogs~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkett Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I just had to put the dreaded cone collar on my beagle because he has scratched one ear so much that it looks awful. I plan on letting him have a couple days without the possibility of scratching and then go in for a good clean and put the collar back on for a while. Would've done the deep clean immediately, but he had just messed with it too much & it was too sensitive. The other ear looks great. Not sure what happened to the bad one. :confused: My little guy is not very happy with me right now. He's very good at looking pathetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 We have a golden labradoodle and we're dog-sitting a standard schnoodle. They are great dogs, aren't they?! I'm no help because neither dog has ear problems. They are adorable, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I know the spaniel rescue folks swear by this in the short term: http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/EarCleaner.html In the long term, many prefer to put the dogs on a raw diet as apparently this really helps, plus adding essential fatty oils like wild salmon oil. If you can't go raw, homecooked, staying away esp. from grains is another option. What I get from the floppy ear people is that diet is the single biggest factor & with the solutions etc, you're just dealing with symptoms & not treating the underlying prob. My girl is prick eared but I fostered a floppy eared male for 13 mos - he was on raw and his coat, ears, eyes, mouth were lovely and clean with no bad odor. Even his entirely white coat didn't have any tear stains or pink staining on the feet..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 My dogs are a different breed....but I just wanted to chime in that one of my dogs had ear problems - lots of itching and some yucky stuff coming out - and our vet told us to switch her to a lamb and rice dog food (I guess it's the most hypoallergenic?). So we did and the problem completely went away within 24 hours. Just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johanna Posted December 4, 2008 Author Share Posted December 4, 2008 the diet theory is interesting....I wonder what causes the scratching... ...you had mentioned oil....I wonder if vegetable oil (like a tsp in the food) would help??? Maybe its a dryness issue...but, what would cause the smell?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I'm a raw food for the puppy, convert;-) Grain for cows, and raw protein for dogs, cats and ferrets. I have a friend who had chronic ear infections with her dog. She feeds a raw food now, and no more ear infections. SO, even though she pays more for the food...no vet bills make up the difference. I feed my dog raw chicken, goat, sheep and cow...hearts, kidneys and liver. It's great! I can do it for about the same as the dog food I bought (taste of the wild) and it's great for his pearly whites. It took two months for me to convince myself to do it. It took one week for him to go from chewing 1 inch bites to just chewing up the leg or whatever I gave him. ( I work through the whole chicken, 1.3 lbs at a time.) I also bought a 23 lb turkey for $5.00 to give him. That's going to last over 2 weeks! Anyway, it takes a bit of getting use to, but after feeding him for the last 8 weeks, raw, I won't go back. It's not more trouble than buying dog food...and storing a big bag. Can't hurt to try:-) Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 When our dog had a similar problem we were told to eliminate corn from his diet. Most store brands use corn as a cheap source of protein, but many dogs are sensitive to it and will get yeasty ears. He hasn't had another problem since we did this. We were finally told this by a wonderful lady at the local feed store after paying a vet $250 and getting 4 differant prescription medications only to have the infection return 2 wks after finishing the meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Go to the Social Groups...Soph the Vet has an "Ask the Vet" forum. She checks it twice daily and answers all our questions. To get to the social groups, click "user contol panel" above. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBP Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 (edited) I've had success with this ear wash, which seems similar to the spaniel ear wash another poster mentioned. When I see my Labradoodle's ears getting icky, I use this for a few days and they clear right up. It's kind of a pain because the gentian violet stains horribly, so you definitely have to use it outside, and I always wear old clothes just in case she splatters me with it when she shakes her head. But on the plus side, one bottle of the stuff seems set to last me for years, and it really does work. I also have her ears plucked several times a year when I have her groomed. Doodle and poodle owners seem divided on whether or not this is a good practice, but it seems to help my dog, so we'll keep doing it. Good luck :). SBP ETA: I saw another poster mentioned Lamb and Rice - we did switch to that, and it might have helped as well. My other dog has developed chronic skin irritation in her old age, and I can't tell that the different food has made much of a difference with her, but I haven't had to treat the Labradoodle's ears much at all this past year. Edited December 4, 2008 by SBP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soph the vet Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Go to the Social Groups...Soph the Vet has an "Ask the Vet" forum. She checks it twice daily and answers all our questions. To get to the social groups, click "user contol panel" above. Ria I'm here! I'll post here and check the groups too. Recurrent ear infections/inflammation can be allergy related. Year-round problems tend to be food allergies and usually there are other signs like licking feet, inflammed armpits or inguinal area (inside thighs) or anal gland inflammation but not always. Seasonal problems are more likely an inhaled allergen (pollen, ragweed, etc.). Dogs are usually allergic to more than one thing and testing is available through veterinary dermatologist. First thing, no people food (table scraps). Replace dog treats with carrots. Try a new protein source (like if your dog has been on chicken for years switch to something he has never had like lamb, venison, etc.) Corn should not be in the top four ingredients. Nature's Recipe is a good brand that the dermatologists like. Raw diets are ok but not raw meats. Dogs are just as susceptible to E. coli and Salmonella poisoning as we are. Try the new diet for 8-10 weeks. Meanwhile treat ears and skin as needed. Epiotic is just a cleaner. If there is a lot of debris flush the ears once daily. Use the mometomax twice daily for at least two weeks. If there is not much debris do NOT flush the ears daily as it will only dilute out your meds and render them ineffective. Some ear infections are bad enough to warrant oral meds as well so seeing your vet is a good idea if you are not seeing a response to topicals within a few days. Some problems are bad enough to need steroids as well, another reason to see your vet. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Thank you Soph. I'm not the original OP, but your post may have answered a question I've had about our dog. We have known that he couldn't handle corn, but now I wonder if he has other allergies too.:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 We have a golden with a wheat allergy and if she even so much a licks a crumb of bread off the floor, her ears will erupt. We switched her food to Nature's Instinct (duck/potato) and clean her ears several times a week w/Mal-Acetic Otic and its helped tremendously, but not as much as making sure there are no crackers, crusts, etc she can wrap her lips around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Raw diets are ok but not raw meats. Dogs are just as susceptible to E. coli and Salmonella poisoning as we are. I just have to say, this isn't agreed on by all people. Dogs are not human and things that make humans sick, do not make dogs sick. Why have zoos switched the food they feed their animals? They feed species appropriate food. In other words, you would never feed meat to a cow, and think that was appropriate...and feeding grains to dogs....increases all sorts of problems including ear infections, coat problems, immunity problems, arthritis, and hip issues. Of course, homeschoolers are ones who think for themselves...on topics like vaccines, all sorts of education, and feeding their children and animals. I challenge anyone to go and look at a wolf eating a bowl of bread, when there's a dead rabbit available. My dog is doing great! And, his allergies are much better! Carrie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnetteB Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Our Giant Schnoodle has sensitive ears, too. A daily wash of vinegar and alcohol with a clean cottonball for each ear can keep the yeast infections away. The mix of schnauzer and poodle isn't really a very good one for their poor ears. They grow thick hair in their ears and the long ears hang down to block airflow...a bad combination. You can get ear powder to aid in pulling the hairs from the ear canal. When the ears aren't inflamed we use straight alcohol on the cottonballs since it dries quickly. We give him a small treat after the cleanings that makes it all bearable :) We don't think he is allergic to any foods, but he can only tolerate Purina brand chows with a little warm water. The schnoodles are prone to stomach twisting if fed dry food :O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johanna Posted December 4, 2008 Author Share Posted December 4, 2008 Thanks everyone for your help!! So awesome to have Soph the vet on the boards :D!!!! Thank you, Soph! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kacifl Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 baby wipes. We rinse, slightly, wring the wipe and swab out the dog's ears. We only do it when they start to smell. Works like a charm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johanna Posted December 5, 2008 Author Share Posted December 5, 2008 great tips!! THanks so much...nice to know that I am not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johanna Posted December 5, 2008 Author Share Posted December 5, 2008 I've had success with this ear wash, which seems similar to the spaniel ear wash another poster mentioned. When I see my Labradoodle's ears getting icky, I use this for a few days and they clear right up. It's kind of a pain because the gentian violet stains horribly, so you definitely have to use it outside, and I always wear old clothes just in case she splatters me with it when she shakes her head. But on the plus side, one bottle of the stuff seems set to last me for years, and it really does work. I also have her ears plucked several times a year when I have her groomed. Doodle and poodle owners seem divided on whether or not this is a good practice, but it seems to help my dog, so we'll keep doing it. Good luck :). SBP ETA: I saw another poster mentioned Lamb and Rice - we did switch to that, and it might have helped as well. My other dog has developed chronic skin irritation in her old age, and I can't tell that the different food has made much of a difference with her, but I haven't had to treat the Labradoodle's ears much at all this past year. I clicked on the link above, and I couldnt find where I am able to order it??? Is it orderable...or do you make it at home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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