# Lab ear infection



## ScotG (Dec 31, 2008)

My daughters black lab had been diagnosed with an ear infection a year or more ago. It is now back again. He shakes his head and I am positive it is the same thing again. Does anyone have a cure for ear infections without taking him back to the vet and paying an office visit to get the same treatment as last time?
Thanks
Scot


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## Dodgegal79 (Aug 29, 2008)

He may be allergic to his food if its back. Alot of dogs get yeast infections in their ears because of food allergies. What is he eating?


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## ScotG (Dec 31, 2008)

It is called SportMix. It is a new food from last year and supposedly it is a good food recommended by the feed store owner. Ingredient wise it is supposed to be higher quakity than brand names in regular stores. Before this I believe they were eating Pedigree.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Try swabbing his ear out with cider vinegar. However, I recommend he see the vet. The ear shaking can cause a hematoma. Our Black Lab, Drake, recently developed a huge hematoma that required extensive surgery. Then it got infected and he ended up having to stay in the hospital again.


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## DakWinds (Feb 15, 2007)

+1 on the allergies. Have your vet suggest a hypoallergenic food. Also, as someone suggested on here awhile ago try 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt for twice a day feeding. It worked miracles for my lab/wirehair when the mometamax wouldn't completely fix the problem.


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## oberhaslikid (May 13, 2002)

My Maremma had what we call in the goat world soupy ear.Which is a yeast infection.I tried everything and it wouldnt clear up. I did some searching online and found this and tried it. His ears have been clear ever since and has not returned.We did this for 5 days.put in a spray bottle and warm before using.
http://www.seefido.com/online-dog-vet/html/ear_infections.htm


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

Copied from a previous post I made in re: to ear infections (note: if it is a yeast infection, then you can use woman's monistat (or generic equivalent), injected into the ear canal and massaged in once a day for the number of days according to package (3 day treatment for 3 days, etc):

Here is the recipe for the ears:
> 16 oz bottle of Witch Hazel (isopropyl alcohol can be used, but my burn if the ear canal is red or irritated)
> 4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
> 16 drops Gentian Violet 1% Solution (or 8 drops of 2%)
> Mix all ingredients and shake well before every application.
> Treatment method: Fill ear with the solution (I use like 2 to 3 drops on my chi's) & massage gently for 30 seconds or so. Wipe with tissue or gauze. Repeat.
> 
> Treatment schedule:
> 2 times per day for the first 2 weeks
> 1 time per day for the next 2 weeks
> 1 time per month as maintenance
> (I usually only have to use it for the first week, unless it is so bad that I will continue it. I even use it to clean their ears every couple weeks. I put some on a cotton ball and wipe the ears clean)
> Witch Hazel is an antibacterial astringent and Gentian Violet is antibacterial and anti-fungal (often used to treat infants with thrush by painting mom's nipples. Messy, but effective) You need to be careful with the Gentian Violet because it will stain natural fibers ( and hands!!!) Boric acid has been used for years in products as varied as eye washes and cockroach killers. It is toxic in large quantities, but so is table salt.

Blue ear powder
"Blue Power Ear Treatment"

INGREDIENTS:
16 oz. Isopropyl Alcohol
4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%

Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well. You will also need to shake solution every time you use it to disperse the Boric Acid Powder.

To use, purchase the "Clairol" type plastic bottle to dispense solution to affected ears.

TREATMENT: Evaluate condition of ears before treating and if very inflamed and sore do not attempt to pull hair or clean out ear at all. Wait until inflammation has subsided which will be about 2 days.

Shake the bottle each time before using. Flood the ear with solution (gently squirt bottle), massage gently to the count of 60, wipe with a tissue. Flood again on first treatment, wipe with a tissue, and leave alone without massage. The dog will shake out the excess which can be wiped with a tissue, the Gentian Violet does stain fabrics.

The SCHEDULE of treatment is as follows: 
Treat 2x per day for the first week to two weeks depending upon severity of ears 
Treat 1x per day for the next 1-2 weeks 
Treat 1x per month (or even less frequently, depending on the dog)

All of these ingredients should be available at a pharmacy. People have found that despite the alcohol, the dog will not object to even the first treatment. The Boric Acid Powder soothes the ear. The Gentian Violet Solution is an ant-infection agent. The solution appears to work well on any and all ear problems from mites to wax to canker. After the 2nd or 3rd day you can clean out the ear with a Q-tip or cotton balls. Their success rate for this treatment is 95-99%. Those who do not succeed have usually not done the treatment long enough or have not been regular about it.

Dogs on the verge of ear canal surgery have been returned to normal with only the regular follow-up treatment to keep the ear healthy. If an infection seems to be remaining in the treated ear after the above course of treatment, you may also have some Pseudomonas bacteria in the site. This can be eradicated by using a gentle flush of raw apple cider vinegar and water (warm). Use 2 Tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of water, 2 x per week.

They have found the Blue Power Solution to be effective for treating fungus-type infections on the feet and elsewhere on the dog, for cuts on dogs or people, and for hot spots. You may find other uses for this simple anti-infective agent. Remember it is for external use only and be careful not to get into the eyes."


Domes Solution Ear Cleaner

(This one comes from a retired vet, who says it has to be applied at least every other day to be effective. Keeping the ear clean and free from bacteria is the main purpose of cleansing the ears of any long eared dog.)

1 tablet or 1 package (1 oz.) of Domes (Domeboro) powder
3 parts white vinegar (3 ozs.)
1 part alcohol (1 oz)

Combine ingredients, add enough water to make a pint. Use water that has been boiled at least 5 minutes, but cool the water before making the solution. Pour some of this solution into the ear, rub gently, and swab with cotton.



Homemade Ear Cleaner

Ingredients:

2 ounces White vinegar

Â½ tablespoon Powdered boric acid

6 oz Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)

1 teaspoon Betadine antiseptic (or generic equivalent)

Directions for mixing the solution together: Pour 6 ounces of isopropyl alcohol in to a plastic applicator bottle. Add Â½ tablespoon of boric acid powder. Add 2 ounces of white vinegar.

Shake the solution extremely well, until the boric acid powder is fully dissolved. Once the powder is dissolved, add one teaspoon of the Betadine antiseptic, and shake it up some more. Squirt the solution inside your dog's ear until the ear canal is completely full. Massage the outside of the ear to help slosh the cleaning solution around inside. Hold the dog still for about a minute. Be sure to shake the solution up really well before each and every time you use it.
The boric acid has a tendency to settle at the bottom of the bottle. Store at room temperature. Use the cleaning solution daily until you start to see some improvement. Gradually cut back to once per week when you it's doing some good. When the ear seems completely free of infection, you can go two weeks between treatments.



Essential Formula 

1 drop tea tree oil 

1 drop lavender oil 

1 drop chamomile oil 

1 teaspoon warm olive oil 

Remember to do a patch test 

Dilute tea tree, lavender and chamomile oils in 1 teaspoon warm olive oil and mix. Apply 2-4 drops of the formula with an eye dropper into the ear and massage around the ear for one/ two minutes and swab with cotton ball until clean. 
Shelf Life: discard after use 

Purpose: to cleanse, kill bacteria and break down wax build up. 

tea tree oil: natural antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal 

lavender oil: antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal 

chamomile: natural antiseptic 

olive oil: carrier oil 

Note: all ingredients can be found at your local health food store.
__________________


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Definately make sure the ear canal is clean before medicating. Medication will not work well if at all in a dirty canal. They could also try taping his ear up over his head to allow the canal to dry out. Some dogs will tolerate this, not all. Keep an eye out for hematoma as mentioned before.


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## ScotG (Dec 31, 2008)

WOW thanks for all the great advice.
Scot


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## snowshoehair (Jul 3, 2008)

Lots of dogs with the "hangy-downy" ears just need to have their ears cleaned out with ear cleaner on a regular basis. Willowynd's ear cleaner looks pretty good, and you can also buy ear cleaner already made. 

I used to put a little in a small squeeze bottle and keep it tucked into a pocket for a while before using so it was warmed for my doggie.


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