yeast infections in ears?

reenybean25 · 10-18-2012, 02:27 PM

I recently took Hugo to the vet and they discoveed he had a yeast infection in his little ears...he is only four months old. I was wondering if anyone else had this issue. My vet said it wsa because his ears were so furry but my groomer has trimmed his ears a few times. I know that Havanese tend to be more fluffy and furry than other breeds so i was wondering if this was a problem that was characteristic of the breed or if I just need to keep his ears trimmed better.

krandall · 10-18-2012, 03:47 PM

Kodi had a yeast infection in one ear when he was just about that age. The vet said that it probably was from getting water in his ear. (we'd been to the beach the week before) He also told me that it's not uncommon with puppies, but that many dogs out grow them, just because the ear canal gets larger as they grow, so there is more air flow.

We treated him that one time, and he's never had another problem. (oh, and I don't pluck his ears. It seems like some dogs do better with them plucked, others it makes no difference, and others do worse. So you really have to experiment with that. The dogs that have TONS of hair INSIDE their ears, probably should have some or most of it removed. Kodi only grows fairly sparse hair in his ears.

StarrLhasa · 10-19-2012, 11:08 PM

Pulling out the hair -if the ears are really furry - can help while trimming may not be as helpful for dogs whose ear flaps cover the ear canal (as opposed to ears that stand up). Have an experienced person (Vet Tech, groomer, your pup's breeder) show you how to do it correctly so it does not hurt (or hurts less). You want your pups ears to be as dry as possible after you are done treating the yeast.

I have read also that teething can cause ear issues in some puppies. Thankfully a dog grows out of that. Please keep us updated on how the puppy is doing.

motherslittlehelper · 10-19-2012, 11:49 PM

Augie had a yeast infection at about 4 months of age too. The vet cleaned out gobs of hair and gunk, it was treated, and (knock on wood) he has been free of infections since. I pull the ear out from the opening of his ear canal, a few hairs at a time, when it looks like it is covering the canal, to keep it open.

Finn also has had yeast infections - numerous ones - starting at about 7-8 months until about 16 months or so. I finally had him allergy tested, changed his food to one that didn't contain the foods he tested positive for, and I put drops in his ears a couple of times per week, per his vet's instructions. Since the food change and the drop regimen, he is doing much better in that regard.

Grienesoft · 10-22-2012, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reenybean25

I recently took Hugo to the vet and they discoveed he had a yeast infection in his little ears...he is only four months old. I was wondering if anyone else had this issue. My vet said it wsa because his ears were so furry but my groomer has trimmed his ears a few times. I know that Havanese tend to be more fluffy and furry than other breeds so i was wondering if this was a problem that was characteristic of the breed or if I just need to keep his ears trimmed better.

Ear infection is a common problem and hair trim and drops should do the trick. Dirt and moisture tend to accumulate inside their ear and thus these can be the precursor to bacterial and yeast infection. Aside from yeast infection treatment, you may also discuss the diet of your pet with your vet as this can be a contributory factor to the problem.

reenybean25 · 10-23-2012, 08:20 PM

thanks everyone! I've been giving him the ear drops the vet gave me for about a week now and he seems to be doing great. The first two nights we gave them to him he squirmed and wriggled and it was really difficult for us to give them to him. After those two days, though, he stays very still and lets us put them in which leads me to believe that he knows it's making his little ears feel better. He was just groomed two days ago and we were sure to tell them to thoroughly dry his ears and they also trimmed a little more hair inside his ears. I guess in the future I just need to make sure his ears are dried after he gets wet whether it be from a bath or from the rain, etc. On another note, I just went to a local pet store today that had come highly recommended from some people I know. I had been having some concerns with what Hugo was eating or not eating for that matter. They turned me on to a dry food brand called Avo-Derm. Hugo is super picky about food so you can imagine my surprise when i put it in his bowl and he destroyed it lol! I'm so happy I finally found a food that he loves AND that's healthy and nutritious. If anyone else has any problems with picky eating puppies, I highly recommend you try it!

ClaireVoyant · 12-04-2012, 06:32 AM

Hi Jenny

I'm happy to hear "natural" treatments are working for you. I prefer them as well, if they're known to work. However . . .it's a very personal decision and I wouldn't want to advise someone to seek natural and warn them not to use pharma meds and there be a negative outcome. That's really something that needs to be between the pet owner and vet.

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ClaireVoyant · 12-04-2012, 06:42 AM

Jenny . . I just checked your link . . .and not only was the book you refer to written for humans . . .but the review of the book was written today, making your recommendation appear spammish. (Not to mention you advertise the treatment in your sig.). If I'm mistaken, I apologize, but there was nothing in that review that would cause me to question the authority of a trained medical professional and treat a dog with an unproven human treatment. There are MANY foods people consume that are deadly to dogs. Advising people to forego medical treatment of their dog in favor of a human snake oil treatment is unethical. Sorry to be so harsh . . .

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ClaireVoyant · 12-04-2012, 07:30 AM

I see this Hope Foster also has a book called Natural Cure for Cancer.

Wow, just wow . . .

Jenny, you read a book yesterday, applied the treatment today and have determined your pet is cured. There's nothing in the review or book description on Amazon to indicate its for pets, yet you bought it in complete faith it would cure your dog and did in just one day. It's a miracle . . .

Miss Paige · 12-04-2012, 08:55 AM

Just a note-if your dog gets an ear infection-Please take it to a Vet-speaking from experience-my foster dog came to me with a horrible ear problem-years of infections had closed off the ear canal-the infections had become chronic-two years of treatments-diet changes finally got her ears clear & open again. Some of the ear meds I had to use were really powerful drugs-so to save your "baby" possible years of pain & problems-treat ASAP. I still watch her very closely and the minute she starts scratching & rubbing her ears we are heading to the vet's office.