Ear infections / Mites

[Cootz]

Maverick is a 95# 6 year old male yellow. My first. I was wondering how a person can tell the difference between ear mites and an ear infection. And what is an ear infection? Are there more types of ear infections besides yeast? He's had a continuing problem with his left ear mostly. I've had numberous prescriptions for I think it's called Otomax. Goes away and then comes back. Thought it was water related because I usually work him in water and not much on land. (My thinking is it might help save his joints.) After reading the "straw / cedar chip" forum I'm wondering if his straw in his house is actually holding mites? How would I find out? He's never had fleas or anything like that. I hadn't been changing the straw in his house ever, just kept adding to it. Last weekend I cleaned it out. Now I know where all the bones I'd been giving him have went. Must have pulled over three dozen out of his house he was stashing.

[Bexter]

I would say to just get rid of the cedar chips and staw and put fresh stuff in there. We had a chocolate lab that always had ear problems. She was an inside dog - but we had a dog bed for her and we would even wash that after mites or any kind of an infection. We could tell by looking at the ears how red they were and they also had a pungent smell to them. I can't explain the smell but you would just know that something was wrong. Good luck to you! But after you get the dog on some antibiotics I would change that bedding from the dog house. It just might be part of the problem.

[Bexter]

I forgot to mention how to recognize ear mites. You can take a Q-tip and get some wax on it from the dog's ear and look at it under a magnifying glass against a black background. The mites are white specks - very small, the size of a pin head and they will move.

Ear infections can depend on a few things. If the infections keep happening it is more than likely that the infection has gone deeper than just the outer ear. Some bacteria starts to cause it - and then if the bacteria is not treated properly it can get worse and move further into the ear. I would consult with the vet to make sure it's not an infection in the middle ear (otitis media). The vet can flush it and put some medicine in there right at the office and then send you home with drops to put in there a couple times a day (hopefully your dog is cooperative for you with this).

Hope this helps. I'm not an expert - but we did have some ear problems with our chocolate at one time and learned quite a bit from that.

[Esoxmn]

I use a cleaner once a week on my springer. It's a Hexadene flush w/spherulities. She has had cronic ear problems and this seems to realy help.

[Swamp Scooter]

Odds are it is an ear infection that you have not gotten to the bottom of yet.. I had a long term one in a couple of dogs over the years. The hardest thing is to get it totally gone. Make double sure you clean the ear EVERY day before you medicate. It will take a week or two of this to get the things killed out. If you get the smell you will know it is an infection and not just the mites. Mites can happen but odds are it is the infection. I had to go back to the vets a couple of times and then demand a rigorous treatment to get this problem gone before we cured it out. Flush it will with Oto-calm and then medicate it with the Otomax and you will be alright for the infection.