# Ear Infection...TECA?



## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I don't have much advice but just want to say I am sorry for you and your poor dog. 

One thing comes to my mind : have you tried keeping his ears up in the air with an elastic band, like in a pony tail, so the air can flow through his ears ? (You probably do it, but just in case...). Also I suppose you shave the inside part of his ears as much as you can and keep the outside part shorter ?


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## Sclowry (Nov 5, 2014)

We groom him every 6-8 weeks. Ears are plucked. We do try to keep the hair cut as best we can in and around his ears. I have never thought about the elastic band. I bet getting that air in would help. I wonder if he will tolerate that or rub the band off. I will give it a try.

Thanks.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

My old dog Rose had chronic ear infections for the first 3 yrs of her life. No prescription treatments worked on her at all. Like you, we tried everything.

Then I discovered an over the counter remedy which worked wonders. It is byLiquid Health company. Once I cleared up Rose's infection. with the Liquid Health product I used a home made solution to keep her ears healthy. 50% rubbing alcohol and 50% apple cider vinegar. I used the Liquid health product for one month then after that, once a month would use the vinegar/ alcohol solution. The whole rest of her life she never had another infection.

I will caution you to NEVER use this home made solution while the ears are infected as it would be extremely painful.

Best of luck, I know what you and your dear dog are going through.

If you can not find this ear treatment in a local store just order it online.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Before you go for surgery, I would recommend seeing a Veterinary Dermatologist. I had a dog who went through same kind of issues for years with no help from the regular Vet, but once we found the dermatologist , he compounded a formula for her that worked miracles - literally within hours of the first dose, her ears would seem remarkably better by the third dose, they were totally back to normal (although I still had to keep giving it for three weeks. 
They did reoccur every so often, maybe once or twice a year, but with those miracle drops on hand, it really was not a big deal!


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Did you have his ears cultured? Yeast infections are the hardest to get rid of because you must kill the yeast AND treat the infection.... which require two different types of meds.
Then you should take a look at your dog's diet and eliminate all sugars (Carbs) as they feed yeast in your dog's body..........A yeast free diet.
Last, perhaps you should stop plucking his ears. as sometimes the open pores from pulling the hair can also cause infection. Keep them open by clipping with a small pair of blunt tipped scisssors if they are very hairy! Also keep the hair at the entrance of his ears clipped close! Just a few things for you to think about and maybe do some research on before doing such a serious step as surgery!


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

Here's my advice after helping 2 friends with dogs who were facing TECA but ended up not needing them in the end.

Food: Fromm. Anything by Fromm. Their foods seem to be the least inflammatory of even all the limited ingredient diets out there! Surf N turf, or Salmon Tunalini or Lamb and Lentil are all a really good starting point. NO other treats for now, but you can add in plain yogurt or some cooked meat/fish/poultry as a topper if you need to.

Clean the ears with OxyFresh Pet ear cleaner. Follow up with Wonder Ear Powder (google chantilly kennel wonder ear). Follow the directions for wonder ear, except use the oxyfresh cleaner and NOT the wintergreen alcohol.

STOP plucking the ears. This leaves raw, angry, open pores and a perfect place for all the nasties to grow. What you can do is definitely get in there with cotton balls to clean, pulling the hair up and you go and then trim it at the opening of the ear.

Try German ears for a while. You don't have to go super short, you can do a long snap-on on both sides to lighten the ears so they let some air in around the ear canals.

This is what I do for my dogs when they have an ear issue, and what worked well for 2 different friends' dogs, saving them the expense of surgery. 

Hope this helps. <3


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Sclowry said:


> We groom him every 6-8 weeks. Ears are plucked. We do try to keep the hair cut as best we can in and around his ears. I have never thought about the elastic band. I bet getting that air in would help. I wonder if he will tolerate that or rub the band off. I will give it a try.
> 
> Thanks.


Hmmm...I don't know about the elastic band idea. I'd be concerned about it cutting off circulation. What I would do instead is shave his ears. This makes a huge difference in the amount of airflow that gets in. I bet he'd look great sporting a german trim or even tasseled ears and it will really help air get to his ears. 

I like to use TrizUltra for problematic ears. TrizUltra kills both yeast and bacteria. I flush with it twice a day until things are under control at which point I flush with it about once a week and I do use the Chantilly Kennels Wonder Ear powder to help keep things dry.

As far as plucking, it depends on the pet, as sometimes you do need to pluck and other times it causes more issues than it prevents. If the canal is getting clogged with hair down deep, you are possibly going to need to pluck. I always follow plucking with TrizUltra or Ketoconazole to prevent infection caused by plucking.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

I too would recommend seeing a dermatologist before doing the TECA surgery. It is an insanely painful and very intricate surgery that a specialist needs to do if you do decide to have it done. Good luck with everything. Poor boy!


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## Sclowry (Nov 5, 2014)

Wow....thank you all for the great feedback. What a terrific forum this is! I do clean his ears daily with TrizEDTA prior to adding his meds. The meds are from two cultures with extended panels. It took a designer blend of meds to attack his terrible infection. (I actually think my vet sent the future to a Dermatologist Vet to get the prescription correct. I will see about simply trying that Dr. next. 

I do not think the current meds are sufficient. I am sure its diet related (as many have stated), but I have tried so many different dog foods with no luck finding one that helps....that he will eat.

I am not a fan of plucking. We do it primarily to help keep things clean and dry. The last pluck (10 months ago) I am sure contributed to the issue.

If things were not bad enough, my sister (who is an Entomologist and avid animal lover) asked me..."how long has Zorro had MMM?". I had no idea what she was talking about. I will be getting him tested for that as he exhibits all the classic signs. I was going to start a separate thread on that issue.

Anyway, thanks for all the great suggestions. Here is my laundry list (before any more thoughts on surgery):
1. See a Dermatologist Vet
2. Cut hair in and out of ears
3. Fromm food (I have not tried that one yet)

Thanks everyone!


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

I haven't used this, but if you think it could be diet related have you considered Dr. Dodds Nutriscan testing? I have heard good things about it, and it might help you figure out what foods to avoid, rather than trial and error. I'd suggest that, and/or allergy testing by the dermatologist before surgery. I wish I had known about Nutriscan when I had my Chow...we did elimination diets with him to figure his food sensitivities out and it was pretty frustrating.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Have you tried Acana food ? My toy is the most finicky eater on earth and he eats it readily. One day out of two he leaves half, the next day he eats the whole bowl.


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