My Gab is suseptible to yeasty ears, mostly from swimming. I am more vigilant about cleaning and drying them and have added the Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar to her meals as suggested on another forum.
While going through this tedious process which she hates, I was curious to know how others do it . . . suggestions?
You might try putting a drop of rubbing alcohol in each ear when she's finished swimming. I know it worked for a rottie friend that had chronic infections as a prevention not a cure
Try flushing the ears with an ear cleaner after swimming. That will clean as well as dry any water that possibly finds it way into the ear canal.
You may need to use some Otomax in the ears, if the problem persists. That you will need to pick up from your vet.
There is a product called *Swimmer's Ear*. I bought it from my vet's office. After cleaning the ears with the solution, you insert the swimmmer's ear into the ear and this is suppose to be a long term prevention to keep the ears dry and protected from water. You still have to dry the ears after swimming. I have used this and it seems to help I have less ear infections going around.
What I am gathering from the response to this thread is that drying and cleaning are the same thing? I never looked at it that way . . . When I am told to dry her ears really well I thought it meant with the well worn, dry towel wrapped around my index finger, literally drying all of the ear and gently drying the ear opening. My routine is to do this and then, if she has been swimming consecutive days, use the "cleaner" inside the ear. What I have to do then is probably dry the ear and use the "cleaner" every time she swims.
**OUCHIE**!!! Drying her ears with the towel hurts! This is most likely why she doesn't like your routine!!! A towel is way too rough for inside an ear, as is a paper towel. *Always* use a cotton ball or a cotton pad used for taking off make-up...with a cotton ball you can use forcepts to grasp the cotton ball and wipe the ear, much easier than trying to use your fingers and hold those little things!
We gently wipe them out with witch hazel on a napkin. It has really reduced yeast issues here. We itch behind ears as we do it and the dogs actually look forward to it.
I get it at our local Meijer (a midwest store chain) in the pharmacy section right next to the rubbing alcohol. I get the Witch Hazel astringent 86%. I learned this trick from a breeder/handler/groomer who has had great success with it. It dries rapidly and causes the ears to dry rapidly like alcohol but less irritating.
I ordered the gentian violet and boric acid online and use it on our girl's ears. I get witch hazel at Target. We adopted this girl in April and she had horrible yeast infections in both ears, took us 3 weeks and 2 rounds of antibiotics to clear up. Using this solution has kept her ears free of infection.
I saturate a cotton ball (or 1/2 of one) with the solution, and put it into the ear canal. Massaging releases the solution into the canal, without having to squirt sol'n, which most dogs spaz out over.
Then just remove the cotton ball, and use it to wipe the area.
Maria~
I did read that you use the "well worn towel", however it is still too rough...any vet will tell you the same thing and recommend cotton balls or cotton pads~
I didn't intend to insinuate you are causing harm by using this method, but that is a sensitive area and a towel really is too rough, no matter how "soft" it feels to you.
