# Chronic yeast infection in ear



## Hugo-licious

Hi....Hugo is 19 months old and has had chronic ear yeast infection for a about 6 months now. We originally treated it with meds at the vet's but the vet was of the opinion that GSD's are prone to it a lot and putting him on long term meds might impact other functions. She recommended cleaning his ears out once a week with Epi-Otic and it would eventually subside. 
I've gone from doing it once a week to every other day at this point. He has this black waxy **** in his ears and a lot builds up in 2 days. It has no odor but I can tell it is irritable since Hugo keeps trying to scratch the insides of his ears and shakes his head a lot too.
Hugo is raw fed and the vet thinks it shouldn't be food allergies for this reason. Now I do give him yogurt at least once a day with his meal but didn't that that would cause yeast infections. 
Anyone else have/had this problem? He has no other issues - no BO, no itchy paws, etc. What else can I do to relieve his misery?


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## Domenic

Are you sure that this dog is not allergic to the protein source you are feeding?I find it disturbing that a vet would tell you that it is'nt food allergies just cause a dog is raw fed because I also have a dog that gets that even when raw fed if I give him any kind of poultry.I would suggest trying another type of protein source,preferably one he has never had yet and give that and ONLY THAT.No yogurt,No treats etc because it may very well be the lactose that even yogurt has in it causing the problem.The only other thing I will add is that this should be done now while you hopefully still have sources of protein that the dog has not had yet cause this could become very hard to deal with if you dont nip it in the butt now.I want to also just say that if a dog is allergic to a particular ingredient it does'nt matter whether it is raw or not.If the dog is intolerant or allergic then it will not matter cause he will definetly react.Good luck and I hope you lick this problem quickly so your little one is more comfortable.Take care,Domenic


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## Elaine

Either your dog's infection isn't getting cleared up in the first place or, most likely, he has food allergies. He can be allergic to anything he's eating including raw food.


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## onyx'girl

It can also be from environmental allergies. 
Onyx has chronic ear issues and she is rawfed. I went thru elimination diets for over 2 years with no relief.
She's been tested for allergies and hers are due to dustmites and other environmental things. She is not food allergic, a bit sensitive to fish only. 
If you can swing the $ for a blood lab test it will be worth it in the long run.
Onyx developed an ear hematoma in July that cost $300 to repair...thats when I decided to pay for the testing and see if we could get it under control.
She is now on serum shots(every few weeks now) and benedryl daily. Still has ear problems, though


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## lrodptl

Worked for us.

Cure Your Pet?s Ear Infections


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## Dejavu

Has anyone used Zymox?







Amazon.com: Pet King Brand Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution for Pet Ears, 1.25 Ounces: Kitchen & Dining

I have just found out about it, and was wondering if anyone had any experience with it.


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## Heagler870

My first dog had had chronic ear infections in his right ear ALL the time. I had to clean it out at least twice a week. I fed him all kinds of soy, wheat, gluten, and corn freed food. The vet said it was probably something he just had and would probably have throughout his lifetime. He always loved getting his ear cleaned out though. He would lay down and groan and his eyes would roll back. You could tell he would eat it up when you were about the clean out his ear. lol


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## lrodptl

Ruth said:


> Has anyone used Zymox?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com: Pet King Brand Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution for Pet Ears, 1.25 Ounces: Kitchen & Dining
> 
> I have just found out about it, and was wondering if anyone had any experience with it.


I've read some decent reviews but haven't used it.


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## paulag1955

Dairy products notoriously produce chronic ear infections in sensitive humans. Just a thought.


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## onyx'girl

I've used the zymox. It works. But the ear infection will return if the cause is allergies. I've also used the blue powder ear treatment, I may give that a go again.


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## Lesley1905

How much does an allergy test usually run?


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## Dejavu

onyx'girl said:


> I've used the zymox. It works. But the ear infection will return if the cause is allergies. I've also used the blue powder ear treatment, I may give that a go again.


onyx, which one did you use? The one with hydrocortisone or without?


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## onyx'girl

I ordered the Otic enzymatic solution. I also ordered the topical cream for her belly(she licks her groin area) 
My vet sold me Xenodine and gentizol(cortizone) she had me rotate them daily one am one pm that seemed to help the best of everything I've used.


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## Hugo-licious

I haven't yet weaned him off any food since I assumed raw fed meant he was good and the vet was of the same opinion. I will try weaning him off one thing at a time but it will be hard coz he eats a lot of variety. 
It is definitely environmental too since he was a lot more "congested" for lack of a better word during the ragweed season in fall and I had to clean him out every day but not sure if it can be food and environment both. I do give him organic yogurt everyday since the probiotics help and I figured since yogurt was bacterial fermentation and this is yeast they shouldn't be connected. Guess I'll stop yogurt for a bit and see if I notice any changes. Only one change at a time else I won't know what helped 
Yes H loves having his ears cleaned out too - he will go limp and groan and close his eyes  ....just don't be around him when he shakes himself out....showers of saliva...uggh! 
Any idea how much a blood lab test or an allergy test will cost? If I can pin down the cause I might rest easy. I just bought him some benadryl yesterday. Today AM was his first dose. Hoping that relieves his itching and symptoms some.
Thanks again for all your suggestions and help!!


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## lrodptl

Local honey for dog allergies,it worked a miracle on my daughter.

Dog Allergies Can be Treated with Local Honey


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## Dejavu

onyx'girl said:


> I ordered the Otic enzymatic solution. I also ordered the topical cream for her belly(she licks her groin area)
> My vet sold me Xenodine and gentizol(cortizone) she had me rotate them daily one am one pm that seemed to help the best of everything I've used.


Thanks for the reply!

lrodptl, that sounds good. I just wonder if all that sugar won't affect them later?


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## lrodptl

Ruth said:


> Thanks for the reply!
> 
> lrodptl, that sounds good. I just wonder if all that sugar won't affect them later?


That I don't know but I'd be inclined to deal with what's in front of me first.We only did it for about 2 months with my daughter and that was 2+ years ago with no more pollen/ragweed issues at all. A lot of stories out there on local honey and allergies. The closer the hives the better,we found some about 1 mile away as the crow flies.


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## BUBBAGSD

Shepherds are notorious for showing any immune/allergic response in their ears. I have a couple that suffer from seasonal allergies and a couple that have food issues. Most are controllable with minimal meds. Since their allergies like ours can be anythign from dust, grass and pollen to chicken, beef, wheat, corn or rice, the first step is to determine if it is a constant problem or periodic...if it's periodic it is likely seasonal/environmental, if its is a constant than it is likely a food source. With Hugo your first big issue is to get the ears cleared up at least once completely...sounds like you have never got it under control. Oral antibiotics usually increase yeast buildup because they reduce the bodies ability to produce other organisims to keep it under control. In my opinion (I have tried numerous treatments) the best way to clean up and treat as needed is with Epi-otic cleaner followed by a few days treatment with Surolan. Surolan is prescription but is not overly expensive. I have recommended this treatment to other shepherd owners and friends with other breeds...they were in the same boat as you with chronic yeast and no success with treatment. The Surolan is an antibiotic, antifungal and anti inflammatory. Since it is topical it doesn't reduce the bodies normal immune function and only treats the issue at hand. I find within 3-5 days the ears are really clean again. From then on I then treat as I see dogs with ears drooping or the start of the scratching...catching it early means that I only have to do it for a couple days and all is good. My older girl was problematic as a young dog and much like Hugo went months on end with no relief, now I only do her ears maybe once a year....hope this help...I hate losing ears to hematoma's!!! Best of luck


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## Hugo-licious

Quick update for all those who helped me with this. Its been 8 days now and looks like Hugo is lactose intolerant. Yogurt/cottage cheese/cheese was the first thing I cut off and put him on 50 mg benadryl daily and he is starting to show a lot of improvement. I will still take him to the vet and ask about the Surolan BubbaGSD suggested but thanks again for helping out. Seeing how long most folks took to figure out what the cause was, I'm thinking I got lucky due to the responses on this forum. On my own, milk products would've been the last thing I would have thought of cutting out since I always thought yogurt = bacteria not yeast. Although both H and I are kinda disappointed coz now he will lose his fave treat - string cheese but it's all for the best!!


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## DoggieLover

I have a labrador with just awful ear infections that she's had for her entire life. I've done a bunch of internet research as the vet can't really seem to fix it. Some good info I've found here: http://www.canine-infection-information.com Good luck!


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## Chris C

Dejavu said:


> Has anyone used Zymox?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com: Pet King Brand Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution for Pet Ears, 1.25 Ounces: Kitchen & Dining
> 
> I have just found out about it, and was wondering if anyone had any experience with it.


Hate to say this guys, I but have used Zymox, both blue and red, and have always had the infection come back. Don't know how much I've spent on it. I have two GSD's and the only thing I've found is to use clotrimazole cream. Just a little on your finger and then rub it into the whole area and into the canal softly so as not to scratch the delicate skin. It works wonderfully. Not messy the way zymox is. Also, it costs $11.00 for six tubes on eBay, not $50.00 for that little bottle of zymox. I don't ordinarily post, but this is such an issue for so many owners, I really did want to share this. Clotrimazole is a purely a yeast treatment and nothing else. Also, she has had itchy, red paws forever. Combination yeast and bacteria sprays didn't work. So I tried this cream on her paws as well. For the first time there is no redness and darkened skin, and she hasn't touched them for days! Works like a miracle! Hope this helps anyone having these troubles.


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## Chris C

Dejavu said:


> Has anyone used Zymox?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com: Pet King Brand Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution for Pet Ears, 1.25 Ounces: Kitchen & Dining
> 
> I have just found out about it, and was wondering if anyone had any experience with it.


 I but have used Zymox, both blue and red, and have always had the infection come back. Don't know how much I've spent on it. I have two GSD's and the only thing I've found is to use clotrimazole cream. Just a little on your finger and then rub it into the whole area and into the canal softly so as not to scratch the delicate skin. It works wonderfully. Not messy the way zymox is. Also, it costs $11.00 for six tubes on eBay, not $50.00 for that little bottle of zymox. I don't ordinarily post, but this is such an issue for so many owners, I really did want to share this. Clotrimazole is a purely a yeast treatment and nothing else. Also, she has had itchy, red paws forever. Combination yeast and bacteria sprays didn't work. So I tried this cream on her paws as well. For the first time there is no redness and darkened skin, and she hasn't touched them for days! Works like a miracle! Hope this helps anyone having these troubles.


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