# Ear Mites



## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

We recently took Chuck to the vet because he was scratching and gagging frequently. He was diagnosed with ear mites and an infection. I use the Eradimite daily and give him the antibiotic twice a day. He is still scratching quite a bit. Is there anything that will help soothe his itching until the mites are completely gone? I feel bad watching the little guy dig. Thanks.


----------



## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

No remedies for this at all?


----------



## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I feel bad that no one was able to help you out with this. I will give you my best guess. I would give fish oil to help the skin stay smooth and supple. I purchased CC Peace and Kindness to have on hand for problems like this (can't review it because it has not arrived yet). You might want to go to the drug store and look at sprays to stop the scratching. I would ask the pharmacist. You could also check with the vet. I know the vet gave me a spray for my Aussie when he had stiches to keep them from itching. I hope Chuck feels better soon.


----------



## DoeValley Poodles (Jun 12, 2010)

How did the Vet diagnose your dog with ear mites? Did they take a sample of the ear discharge, look under the microscope & see mites & eggs, were they actually able to see the mites with an otoscope? Unless dogs are in a household with cats who have mites it is very uncommon for dogs to get mites. It is very common for dogs to have yeast infections and sometimes bacterial infections. That would be a good reason why a mite treatment & antibiotic are not working as they do not treat yeast. Getting a correct diagnosis of the ear infection along with daily flushing with an ear cleaner soloution and the correct medication for the problem will get his ears better in no time.


----------



## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

DoeValley Poodles said:


> How did the Vet diagnose your dog with ear mites? Did they take a sample of the ear discharge, look under the microscope & see mites & eggs, were they actually able to see the mites with an otoscope? Unless dogs are in a household with cats who have mites it is very uncommon for dogs to get mites. It is very common for dogs to have yeast infections and sometimes bacterial infections. That would be a good reason why a mite treatment & antibiotic are not working as they do not treat yeast. Getting a correct diagnosis of the ear infection along with daily flushing with an ear cleaner soloution and the correct medication for the problem will get his ears better in no time.


Thanks for the replies guys. Chuck was adopted from a rescue, so it is possible he was exposed to both cats and other dogs at some point. His prior owner may have had a cat as he was fostered with her for a bit too. Our vet used an otoscope with a type of magnifier and said he had the mites. I did call the vet yesterday and they added Tresaderm drops to his meds. We also purchased Aveeno Soothing bath powder. I've read some folks have used it to sooth bites. Hopefully he will be better soon. Thanks again!


----------



## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

It is beginning to look like the mites and the skin itching are separate issues. I had his ears checked today and the vet could not find any mites, but advised me to complete the treatment as directed in case of eggs. The vet found a tick on his back and we ended up vaccinating for Lyme. He advised a switch from Frontline to Front Shield as well. They gave him GlenHaven medicated shampoo and conditioner, fish oil supplement (nice call CT Girl), and another antibiotic. 

They also gave a shot of steroids and Benadryl for potential reactions. The tick caught me off guard because we had just checked him and missed it completely. On the positive side, the steroids seem to have ended the itching for the time being. I am a little worried about allergies at this point. I'm going to have to re-budget for potential diagnostics and meds. The visit brought a new question to light. 

Chuck's anal glands were enlarged and the vet had to manually drain them. He said that we should add fiber to his food as this was probably due to his stools being loose. The vet recommended pumpkin pie filling. What do you guys use? His stool has only been soft a few times and we thought that there may have been times where it was difficult for him to go. Are there any other potential causes of this?

We feed Chuck Wellness Just for Puppy canned and dry. I've been giving more dry since he started the antibiotic to avoid issues with diarrhea. Hopefully we are on the right track here. There must have been skin issues with Chuck for a while because we've noticed how he will get ready to scratch and then remember that he doesn't have to now. We were never able to find out what the old food he had been eating was. Since he arrived, his paws have softened back to normal from being very rough at first and his coat has a nice shine to it. Maybe the old food was causing problems that have yet to completely resolve? Thoughts?


----------



## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I am never used pumpkin but I know many on this forum have mentioned that they do. Another thing you may consider in giving a raw meaty bone every other day or every third day. The bone will help firm up his stools and also is wonderful for his teeth. Swizzle's teeth are nice and white and all the dogs that I know that get raw bones are the same. I don't know your brand of dog food. You may want to look at some threads in the food section. There are a few brands that are consistantly mentioned as good. I would consider that he may have a grain allergy as it is very common. Perhaps you could consider switching to a grain free kibble and that may take care of the itching issue. I feed raw which I know some people are not comfortable with but I do hope that you try out the raw bone. Since your dog is on an antibiotic I would give him a little yogurt each day and you may want to consider a probiotic. The antibiotic will also kill off the good bacteria and the yogurt and the probiotic will help re-populate it. How long has Chuck been on his new food? If he is better (no more cracked paws)it is possible his new food has less grain then his old food so he has improvement but is not completely better. If you have not had him long perhaps his old food is still causing issues. My guess is if you have had him for over two weeks the itching would be better now if it was his old food.


----------



## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Grain free kibble is a very good idea in any case, but definitely for an itchy guy. Also, don't use "pumpkin pie filling" -- it should be simple "canned pumpkin," which is not quite the same thing.


----------



## dryce (Nov 10, 2011)

I like the meat bone idea. Is there a good place to buy online? His vet mentioned a tarter issue, so this would help in more ways than one. I did a little research and Wellness makes a grain free formula called Wellness Core. It is very similar to his current food, but is geared toward dogs one year and older. Chuck is ten months. Should I wait to begin the Wellness Core? The Core is a higher protein kibble and contains probiotic already. I'm not sure if he'll eat yogurt, but we will give it a shot. He has been on the new food for three weeks now and absolutely licks his bowl clean. I am aiming for the Core because it would keep the same types of ingredients that I know he enjoys. Thanks for all the insight!


----------



## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I would just go to your local supermarket. Chicken and turkey necks and chicken backs are good. If you have a quality pet store in your area they might also have them. I have a really good dog food store I get mine in. Unfortunately it is about a half hour away but it is worth it to me to get the commercial raw that I use. I get bones both at the good pet store and the market. With the raw bones your dog's tartar will soon disappear. I have seen some dogs with horrible tartar transformed in a two months with a lot of raw bones in their diet. One caution - if you see your dog's poop getting harder (we call them fossil poops) then give him a little raw meat with no bone. I keep a bunch of frozen chicken hearts and gizzards frozen. They are very cheap. If Swizzle's poop is a little too firm I just give him a little chicken heart or gizzard to keep things moving nicely. It works like a charm.


----------



## momof5sobusy (Sep 3, 2009)

I have used Zymox with great success. When I got my standard poodle he had earmites and a severe infection. I used the Zymox with hydrocortisone and it cleared it all up within a week. It has natural anti-microbials that kill anything! It can take up tot 2 weeks. I keep the large bottle on hand at all times and use it after his baths as well to restore the natural balance to his ears. I can not say enough about this product. It will clear yeast and bacterial infections. I buy mine from countryside pet supply. They are the cheapest I have found. Good luck to you!!!


----------

