Ear Problems

[barb macdonald]

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Hi there
I have a Westie who is 13yrs old now and is extremely prone to getting ear infections of late...
i feed him fresh food prepared by myself of mainly chicken and fish with fresh vegetables added which for the most part keeps the ear infections at bay as I know Westies are prone to ear problems but every now and then they flare up and it means a vet visit and expense...
I'm just asking if anyone has any tips on how to treat these flare ups myslelf rather than going to vets..
i use an ear cleaner regularly on him...

 

[JoanneF]

Sorry, other than keeping them clean (which you are doing) i don't have much to offer. Two things, which may not be a lot of help; if you get your vet to write a prescription you can get pet drugs online a bit cheaper than even the vet can buy them for. And, if it is the same ear, is it a repeating infection or the first one that keeps coming back because you have never quite killed it off? Because if that is the case you maybe need a stronger/longer/different antibiotic to totally eradicate it once and for all.

 

[JudyN]

I've heard good things about Thornit powder. I've never tried it myself though, so do read up on it and check with your vet before using.

 

[PWDmum]

I've heard good things about Thornit powder. I've never tried it myself though, so do read up on it and check with your vet before using.

Thornit powder is very good, I keep a bottle in and use it on a regular basis, in ear cleaning.

I think the first thing you need to do is make sure the ears ( inside ) is free from hair that clogs the inner ear up, if it is full of hair then it can’t breath, buy a bottle of thornit from Amazon and either use Q tips ( you can get large ones on line for dogs ) then you can either use the thorint in 2 ways, either pinch a bit between your fingers, and wipe and drop it into the ear and massaging it around the ear, do not allow it to drop down the ear, them maggage the ear so the thornit works around the ear.... OR dip the Qtip into the thornit covering it completely, and wipe around the inside of the ear, don’t go to far into the ear, then again massage the ear to spread around. Leave for 24 hrs then using. Cotton wool pad clean out the ear, repeat whole procedure as often as you need.

If there is an infection you need to get that sorted first with the vet, but once your dogs ears are ok, then doing the above on a regular basis, will hopefully keep the ears clean.

You can also use the thornit to help give you a grip when plucking hairy ears .

 

[Josie]

My dog also suffers with frequent ear infections. Usually I can keep it at bay but sometimes it flares up badly and it means a vet trip!

I just clean his ears with a cotton pad and try and soothe them with aloe Vera. As I wait for the clean out to work I also massage his ears for him as he can’t get to the deep itch himself.

I’m very interested in trying the thornit!

 

[PWDmum]

You need to know the type of ear issue your dog is suffering from first if mite related thornit will keep it at bay, if yeast or allergy I am not sure if it works as well, thornit has a very strong distinctive smell due to the ingredients, But regular use as a maintanence regime can help many ear issues. Just be careful not not overload the ear with it, apply an I explained , and you should be ok.

I use it to maintain healthy ears and as a aid when plucking ears

 

[leashedForLife]

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so far as i know, we have no access to Thornit in the USA - however, if it's a food allergy / intolerance, the best course is to get the dog OFF that ingredient, & that means finding the problem food. If they continue to eat it, no amount of cleaning or meds can fix the underlying problem.
Also, "diet" is anything by mouth - if it's beef that's a problem, the dog can't have bull pizzles or hooves, either.


Dogs with a food issue often produce dark sticky goop from inside-corner of their eyes, which is frequently the color of chocolate - it can be picked-up like a string, by pinching the end between thumb & index finger.
Dogs with MITES have a distinctive debris in their ears, it looks like coffee-grounds; when removed from the ear with a fingertip wrapped in paper-towel or toilet-tissue & then wet with H2O, the bits "bloom" into rusty-red spots on the paper. // They're the feces of mites, which bite & suck the dog's blood as their food, then excrete the cells.
Dogs with YEAST have a funky-sweet odor around their ears, sort of a cross between sweaty sox & rising bread; moisture makes yeast much worse, so keeping the dog's ears clean & dry knocks yeast down.
Dogs with stenotic ear-canals lack air circulation, & specific breeds are prone to this - but it can happen in almost any breed. // Brachy-breeds & those with tightly-crimped or very fleshy ear-pinnae, such as Shar-Pei, Engl Bulldogs, Boston [Bull AND] Terrier, etc, are all prone to ear-stenosis. Some dogs need a new ear-canal, which is permanent & opens the ear to the air, but sacrifices the hearing on that side.

Dogs who swim often are prone to swimmer's ear & yeast overgrowth, & a 50 / 50 mix of H2O2 & apple-cider vinegar is an excellent cleaner & preventative - U have to mix it fresh each time, a half-tsp of each is usually plenty, & U dribble the mixture into the ear WHILE HOLDING THE DOG'S EAR FIRMLY so they don't fire it back out like a missile!, then squoodge it around with a thumb mashing firmly & gently on the pinna; let the dog shake it out [doing the whole job in the tub / shower is a good option; failing that, do it outdoors].
Repeat with the other ear, & then gently & thoroughly dry each pinna as far down as U can SEE - no further!

Dogs have L-shaped ear canals, which go down vertically & then turn sharply into the skull; Q-tips & other implements that reach into the ear canal itself are a bad idea; U should not go further than U can actually *see* what U are doing.
Cotton balls, gauze pads, & one's pinky tip are all safe; things that poke into the ear are not.

- terry

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