Best medication for yeast ear infections?

Matth3w · 04-09-2007, 08:09 AM

I need to buy the medication online because the vet bills are mounting just to get Geno (a mini Dachshund) to not have ear problems.

I had them swabbed a few times and they are always yeast problems. I was given Mometamax but you can only use it for 7 days and it came back almost immediately. I try to keep his ears pretty clean but you know how it is when they have big flip flop ears.

Any suggestions?

briteday · 04-09-2007, 11:08 AM

What are you feeding the dog, brand? How old is the dog? Yeast can often be harbored because of high sugar levels in the dog. This might be caused by the food you are feeding or a medical issue like diabetes.

I would be looking for the underlying cause of the recurrent infections at this point in addition to treating it.

cshellenberger · 04-09-2007, 11:09 AM

First, what are you feeding? My pug has a food allergy and it caused a continuous yeast infection. I would go to a hich quality Kibble (check the food forum) and then I would start cleaning daily with this

INGREDIENTS:

16 Oz. Isopropyl Alcohol

4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder

16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%

Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well.

Please shake this solution every time you use it to mix the Boric Acid Powder. Either a baby ear syringe or a plastic squirt bottle work well for putting the solution in the ear.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:

Evaluate condition of ears before treating and if the are inflamed and sore do not attempt to pull hair or clean out ear at all. Just flush and then wait until inflammation is gone, which will be about two days. Warm the solution and shake the bottle each time before using. The dogs will accept the treatment much better if you warm it up for them.

Flood the ear with solution (gently squirt bottle).

Massage gently, wipe with 100% cotton pad.

On first treatment: flood the ear twice, wipe with a pad, and leave alone without massage.

The dog will shake out the excess, which can be wiped with a tissue. (Note: the Gentian Violet does stain fabrics so you're best to do this outdoors.)

Treat 2x per day for the first week to two weeks, depending upon severity of ears.

After the 2nd or 3rd day you can clean out the ear with a tissue or cotton pad.

Treat 1x per day for the next 1-2 weeks.
Treat 1x per month (or even less frequently, depending on the dog).

Also, add some live cultures via yogurt or a product teh contains them from a health food store. Restoring the natural flora of the dogs system will fight off excessive yeast

Ginny01OT · 04-09-2007, 12:08 PM

My dog had really bad ear infections. I switched him to a raw diet, some lamb BARF mixer---no rawhide, limited beef intake. First he was on Otobiotic Ointment (an antibiotic)--that didn't clear it up so it was switched to another antibiotic Tresaderm--that worked wonderfully. Additionally I cleaned his ears (and still do on occassion) with Oticalm solution which is alcohol free (I am not a fan of alcohol in a raw ear...). The Oticalm solution and the is wonderful and it smells really good and my dog likes having his ears cleaned with it. You cannot get it in a petstore, you can get it through your vet or an online pet store that sells prescriptions (I really don't know how that works). I always clean his ears with cotton balls and then make sure they are as dry as possible by using additional cotton balls to soak up any liquid from the cleaning. My vet told me to stay away from powders: his reasoning is that a liquid can drain out of the ear but a powder may not and eventually it can build up and clog the ear canal. I agree with his theory. Good luck.

Wimble Woof · 04-09-2007, 12:12 PM

there are many ways to treat the infections but you really have to find the root of the problem causing the infections or they will be recurring.
Diet is most likely to blame for yeast infections but some breeds are predisposed to all kinds of ear problems ( ie, Cocker spaniels)

Alpha · 04-09-2007, 08:36 PM

I agree with the food change. Brutus used to get yeast infections at least every month. My parents switched to a step up in dog food and he hasn't had one since.

deanac24 · 04-09-2007, 09:02 PM

I recommend Zymox Otic With 1.0% Hydrocortisone. I always get my dog's meds from 1-800 Pet Meds. They seem to have the lowest prices. I am really happy with their service.

poodleholic · 04-10-2007, 01:10 AM

Carla's formula works wonders, and you can also substitute the alcohol with Witch Hazel. Dogs with heavy ear leather are prone to ear infections, and can be both bacterial and yeast - this formula will clear up both, so an antibiotic ointment isn't even necessary.

Since you have a breed with heavy ear leather, you're going to have to clean your dog's ears on a regular basis. I have Standard Poodles, and clean their ears twice a month with a solution of 50% Witch Hazel + 50% Distilled White Vinegar. They are 5 yrs. old, and haven't had an ear infection for over 4 yrs. A Poodle breeder told me about the formula (the one Carla posted) when my female had a terrible infection after a Rabies vaccination. Nothing the vet did or gave me to use cleared it up, but the Gentian Violet formula did. I used it, and we've never had another infection. I used to buy the cleanser my vet sold at his clinic, which worked fine, but was an additional expense that simply wasn't necessary. The Gentian Violet formula or Witch Hazel and Distilled White Vinegar are both very inexpensive, and can be purchased at pharmacies and many grocery stores.

Ginny01OT · 04-10-2007, 11:59 AM

I too have a standard poodle and had great success with Oticalm solution for ear cleaning in case you want to try something non-alcohol based. Witch hazel also is an astringent--if you buy it in a pharmacy it most likely contains alcohol--you must specifically look for a non-alcohol containing witch hazel, such as distilled witch hazel, I don't know how easy that is.

PS: Poodleholic, how great are standard poodles!!!!

poodleholic · 04-11-2007, 05:18 AM

Quote:

PS: Poodleholic, how great are standard poodles!!!!

Greater than great! LOL (Dogs drool, Poodles Rule!)

PS No offense to other breeds . . .love them too!

Tamara · 04-11-2007, 03:52 PM

We too have a floppy eared allegy stricken girl. The Carla recommendation has really helped. Another helper is getting air flow to the ears especially after cleaning. We have made a special snood that keeps her ears piled on top of her head (out of a stretchy gauze). We leave this on for about 20 minutes every evening.

Ginny01OT · 04-11-2007, 08:13 PM

that's a great idea--I have often thought of putting Riley's ears into a "ponytail" t o let her ears air out. I also forgot to mention--every few months I pluck some of the hair out of Riley's ears so there can be a better air flow (actually a lot of times I can just pinch some of the hair and pull it right out-other times I have special tweezers to do it).