I have two dogs who constantly have ear problems? Vet gives me flushers/antibiotics, but it is a reoccuring problem. Any suggestions?

Has the vet looked for an underlying cause? My first thought is allergies as they often manifest with skin/coat/ear problems. Cut corn from the diet or jump all the way to grain-free with a new protein source (i.e. if they are chicken, go to lamb, if they are on beef, try fish). If they are swimmers, dry the ears out after each "dip". If they have pendulous, hanging ears like Bassets, consider a snood: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/images/dog_ears... that will hold up the ear and provide better airflow to the ear canal.

Ear infections often come on as a result of allergies. If your dogs are related, then they may be allergic to the same things.

Dogs with ear and skin issues make up a huge percentage of cases coming in to see the vet. Sometimes it is a seasonal problem, and sometimes it goes on year 'round.

Dogs can be allergic to anything, just like we can. We even had a dog test allergic to human dander. It can be food, pollen, fleas, dust, mold. There is testing for all but food, and allergy injections can be given. They work about half the time, but if they work, they are wonderful.

We strive to find out what will keep an allergic dog comfortable, and once that is figured out, our good clients can just call us for refills.

Infections in the ears need to be treated and then rechecked to make sure the medication worked. Your vet can give something like Temaril P, which is pred plus antihistamine to keep the itchiness down and thus keep them from scratching the ears and getting them infected.

Your vet should have some idea whether it is food related. If yes, then put them on a food trial, using a limited ingredient diet. Our vets have started to recommend Dick Van Patten limited ingredient diets. You cannot give anything else, though, for about 8 weeks. This is to rule out food allergy. Your dogs may be allergic to several things, such as food plus mold, for example. In that case, I would use a special diet and then call the vet whenever the dog first flips the ears.

If your dogs are small ones like poodles and are groomed, ask the groomer not to pluck the ears. We have found that to be bad and cause inflammation/scratching/infection.

We have had a lot of luck with Zymox products, which make the ears inhospitable to bacteria and yeast. Use either the cleaner or the otic medicine, but not both together. We tend to recommend the cleaner between infections and the otic solution for 10-14 days during infection, depending on what the ear swab tells the vet.

All this to say work with your vet. Ask if you can call for refills, rather than having to bring your dogs back over and over again for the very same thing.

Ear infections are super-frustrating for vets, owners, and dogs. Good luck.

vet tech

If it is a reoccurring problem, then you need to take the dogs back to the vets for them to culture what is going on in the ears. Yeast infections are treated differently than bacterial infections, ear mites ... etc.

You also need to discuss this with your vet. Since you have more than one dog with this problem, it could be a corn allergy or another food related allergy problem.

Ear aches are extremely painful, and you need to get this under control. Take your dogs back to the vet for a different treatment plan if what you are doing isn't working.

Second opinion from another vet.

find a new vet for a second opinion