Treating Ear Infections in Dogs | Treating Smelly Ears

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Mites, ear infections and treatments for your dog.

If you notice a smell coming from your dogs ears, if you see a brown discharge, if your dog is scratching his ear or shaking his head, you need to to treat your baby for an ear ear mites or an infection caused by moisture and yeast in the ear. 

EAR MITES

Ear mites are a tiny spider like parasitic mite that usually live in the ear canals but can also live on other parts of a dog or cat's body. Ear mites are the most common cause of ear infections seen by vets.  More commonly found in cats than dogs, they are still a considerable cause of ear infection in the canine population. As they feed they bite through a dog's skin, causing discomfort and pain. Other symptoms of ear mites include black or dark brown discharge from the ears (this may resemble ground coffee grounds), sores or hair loss around the ear. Left untreated, they can cause your dog considerable pain and damage to the eardrums.


YEAST
The other common cause of ear infections is yeast-- caused by moisture trapped in the

ear.  Dogs with floppy ears are especially prone to yeast infections in the ear canal. Left untreated it can cause pain and even lead to hearing loss.  Hair can grow in the ears, causing moisture and wax to build up. This hair and wax needs to be removed.  I just had the groomer take a look at one of my Yorkies.  She took an instrument and took hold of the hair in her ear and gently twisted the hair out.  There was no pain to the dog, but I was surprised at the knot of hair and dark brown wax that came out of what looked to me like a clean ear!  Be sure to have your groomer or vet check your dogs ears periodically.  

DIAGNOSIS
An infestation of mites usually causes an allergic reaction in most dogs.  Since an infection caused by moisture and yeast in the ear can produce similar symptoms as ear mites, it is important to get a proper diagnosis from your Vet. 

TREATMENT
If your dog has mites, and there is a buildup of debris in the ear, the ear will be cleaned with an ear cleanser and gently swabbed out with cotton. Anti-inflammatory drugs or an antibiotics may also be prescribed to relieve infections. A routine ear cleaning once a month can inhibit the presence of ear mites. If your pet has recently recovered from ear mites, be sure to thoroughly clean his bedding and check your other pets for infection.

If your Vet has determined your pet has an ear infection caused by yeast, he or she will prescribe an ointment-- to be used twice a day.  The one I recently received for my dog is under the name "Tri-Otic Ointment" by Phonex and it has worked for him--my dogs have only had an occasional ear infection. 

CHRONIC EAR INFECTIONS

My mother's dog however, has had chronic ear infections for years in his floppy ears. My mother tried different foods, and diets--thinking his problems were caused by a food allergy.  He would improve for a time, and then the ear infections would start again, which would necessitate another visit to the Vet, and more meds. She was running up quite a vet bill-- on a retirement income it was becoming a drain on their finances. 

Every time Bailey had a new infection, the Vet prescribed the same salve.  My mother asked if there was anything else they could try since the infections reoccurred so often. Her Vet said, "No--this salve was the only medicine we use". 

Recently I was researching this problem for her and came across three products on Amazon that had a huge number of favorable reviews.  I placed an oder for all three and had them delivered to my parents. 

When Bailey recovered from his last ear infection, she began cleaning his ears weekly with Zymox Ear Cleanser With Bio-Active Enzymes, (see photos below).

For the first time in years, Bailey has had a long period of pain free, normal ears.  Gone is the redness and scabbing that used to plague him!   I also got her Zymox Topical Pet Cream with Hydrocortisone and Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortisone (both very favorably reviewed on Amazon) which she has yet to use because the Zymox Ear Cleanser has worked so well.

Regular cleaning once a week with a solution just for ears (especially after bathing), will help prevent an ear infection and keep your doggie happy and healthy. If you have chronic issues with your pet's ears, please do some research on these products.  They might bring relief to your fur baby and save you money and trips to the vet.

Here are some how to videos to show you how to clean your pet's ears.  Scroll down for how-to videos.

Be sure to give your doggie lots of TLC and keep them healthy!

 

New device for dogs -- The Poo Trap -- for dog poop/feces

Well, now I have seen everything for dogs! (Scroll down to see the video)


Have you ever walked the dog and forgot your poop bag?  Or, have you ever walked the dog and while picking up the poop, gotten some on your hand? It's a long walk home while keeping your hand safely away from your face or clothes until you can soap up!  Or do you just find the idea of picking up poop even with your hand protected by a bag just disgusting?

Although this might be an unpleasant task, picking up is a pet owner's responsibility-- especially here in the New York area.  A good pet owner always picks up the poop! RIght?

If you hate bending over and pulling that poop out of the grass, I may have found the poop solution for you!

I have had many conversations with my doggie friends joking about creating a device for collecting dog poop like they have for horses in NYC-- a bag that collects the poop right where it originates. 

Well, evidently some creative person has solved this long time doggie dilemma!  I haven't tried it, but sure it looks interesting.  My little Yorkies leave behind the equivalent of a cigarettes so it's easy for me, but for someone with a large dog--I suppose this could be quite helpful.

To order visit:  www.PooTrap.com


No poops, no opps!

Cleaning dog urine and removing the odor | Incontinence and dogs

Cleaning up after naughty doggies

Do you have a problem with pet smells in your home or yard? I have discovered a great solution for removing urine smell from the yard, as well as in your home. While bleach works great for removing urine smells from floors, you wouldn't want to use it outside where it could destroy grass or plants. There is a wonderful product called "Simple Green" (sold at Home Depot, Kmart, Staples, etc.) that will solve your pet odor problems inside and out!
For outdoors, I purchased a sprayer that can attach to the hose and filled it with a diluted solution of about 50/50 of Simple Green. I spray our deck, outdoor rugs, and anything the dogs might have lifted their leg on and the odors are gone!

For indoors, I keep a spray bottle filled with a 50/50 diluted solution for cleaning the floors after an accident. It is also a great product for removing soap scum in the bathroom and grease in the kitchen.

Give it a try, I am sure you will be pleased.