# Chronic Ear Infections



## dianadunk (Sep 14, 2010)

Help! My golden, Bella, is 3 1/2 yrs old and quite possibly the best dog I have ever had! But, she has had over the last year constant ear issues. We go thru the course of antibiotics, she gets better and then it creeps back. Her ears will begin to smell and get very red, and of course she shakes those ears hard all night! I clean them every day with a cleaner from the vet, what can I do to keep this from being a life long issue. 
Thanks!
Diana


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

How much grooming are you doing?
Airflow can be really helpful when controlling ear infections...
Lexi had chronic ear infections for a long time between 10 months and 2 years....but hasn't had one in many, many years.

Do you trim the fur around the ear canal and under the ear flap?
Do you thin out the hair behind and under the ear (on the neck)?
Does your dog swim alot - do you clean and dry her ears and around her ears faithfully after each swim?
Is she staying on the antibiotics long enough?
Is she on the correct antibiotic?


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

My golden had chronic ear infections - one after the other. Ear infections can be a food allergy issue - especially when they keep recurring. I put Milo on a grain free , chicken free high quality food Orijen Regional Red and his ear problems have cleared up - none since switching his food.


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## Kally76 (Jun 14, 2010)

Charliethree said:


> My golden had chronic ear infections - one after the other. Ear infections can be a food allergy issue - especially when they keep recurring. I put Milo on a grain free , chicken free high quality food Orijen Regional Red and his ear problems have cleared up - none since switching his food.


Same thing here! Ear infection, after ear infection. The vet did a thyroid panel, and some other tests. Everything came back normal. We changed her to a grain free diet and haven't had any ear trouble for a year or longer. The food is more expensive but way cheaper than chronic ear infections.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I'd have a complete thyroid panel run, including free T3 and free T4, and understand that "low normal" is very low for a Golden. This is all classic hypothyroid symptoms.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Our guide dog (lab) had chronic ear infections. It was probably the food that she had to eat because she was sponsored by it. Unfortunately they are not allowed to change her food. Poor girl. Sitting every evening cleaning those ear, always on antibiotics. She was always miserable because of her ears.


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## hoggy_888 (Aug 6, 2007)

My retriever had a recurring ear problem (yeast infection) and our vet put us onto an ear cleaner that seems to have worked wonders so far. After the infection was cleared by antibiotics we have used the cleaner after every swim or bath and so far so good - nearly 2 years with no further problem. Its called MalAcetic Otic by DermaPet - no prescription needed. We just give his ears a wipe periodically or when they get water in them followed by a squirt of the cleaner and massage it in. Good luck. I know every case is different but this worked for us. (P.S. - I'm in Australia and don't know how widely available the cleaner is.)


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## Shirley J (Feb 21, 2019)

Our 7 year old golden Lucy started having ear infections around 20 months. 5 years of cleaning, shots, antibotics, packing, allergy meds(Apoquel), allergy shots, grain free food, exotic protein food, and hydrolyzed protein food and nothing works . Any one with suggestions?????


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Popping in to say in addition to my guide dog (see above) my Golden ended up with chronic ear problems too. Pretty much until he was 8 years old. Finally took him to a good (but expensive) Derm, he gave some anti-fungal and antibiotic meds I had never heard of before. After that we maintained with a cleaner (I had also never heard of before) and a cortisone spray. Ears have been find since the original anti-fungal and antibiotic treatment about a year ago. We continue with weekly cleaning and cortisone spray but I use it less than that probably in reality. 

I can send you the brand names if needed.

Note: Cosmo is also on other meds which may influence his ear recovery: he gets Cytopoint injections for allergies (these have never made his ears any better though) and is on oral pred and chemotherapy for slow growing cancer (oral pred helps his ears a bit but no significantly). Whether the chemo is what helped clear his ear issues - who knows, but I would doubt it.



So yea, if you haven't seen a specialist yet, I would do so.


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## Maggie'sVoice (Apr 4, 2018)

If your dog isn't swimming to get a lot of trapped water in the ear causing infections. I would have to agree with others and say it is extremely likely your dog has a food allergy. Paw licking and chewing along with chronic ear infections are the 2 most common issues with food allergies. So much so, after ruling out constant water in the ear from swimming is should be the first thing to consider.


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## Shirley J (Feb 21, 2019)

jackie_hubert said:


> Popping in to say in addition to my guide dog (see above) my Golden ended up with chronic ear problems too. Pretty much until he was 8 years old. Finally took him to a good (but expensive) Derm, he gave some anti-fungal and antibiotic meds I had never heard of before. After that we maintained with a cleaner (I had also never heard of before) and a cortisone spray. Ears have been find since the original anti-fungal and antibiotic treatment about a year ago. We continue with weekly cleaning and cortisone spray but I use it less than that probably in reality.
> 
> I can send you the brand names if needed.
> 
> ...


Yes please send the brand names. You were so helpful. Thank you.


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