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Archived Message

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by loraine

I have had an ongoing problem with my little one. She has had a yeast infection in both ears for months. She has been to the vet MANY times. The treatment is always the same - Otomax and Liquichlor. I'm not sure if the problem is that I am not treating it for a long enough period of time or if these meds are just not working any more. Any suggestions?

DISCUSSION:

A home remedy one of my clients uses is a 50/50 solution of vinegar and rubbing alochol. She swabs in the inside of the ear with it twice a week and always after baths. Ask your vet if this sounds okay. I have not ever had a problem with using this with my dogs. I do always recomend that anytime anyone tells you of a home solution to check it out with your vet first.
-Tonia Holibaugh/Rhapsody Maltese

Loraine, I have found that chronic ear infections ususally have some underlying cause. Maltese are not known to have an anatomy problem that contributes to ear infections, but that is always a possiblity. The most common reason I have seen for chronic ear infections is allergies. Also, have you been cleaning the ears before applying the Otomax? It is best to purchase a product from your veterinarian for this, such as Epi-Otic. I have found that some medications don't work well in the presence of a lot of dirt or discharge. Keeping the hair plucked out of the ears also helps keeping the ears cleaner. If you have not read any of my previous responces, I am a veterinarian in Milwaukee,WI who also owns a spunky little Maltese named Casper.
-Anna

I have found that the 50% vinegar and 50% alcohol is the dream fix of them all. I will never be without it again. I used to have shih tzus and they were more prone to yeast in the ears than Maltese. I started using it back then and am still using it now. Like was said before a couple of times a week and always after a bath. Good luck, give it a try it really works.
-Sharon

I was told the vinegar/alcohol preparation was good to clean ears from my groomer. I would like to know what our "vet" thinks about using this preparation, and If you agree with it Anna, what is in this that makes it effective?

Milwaukee, WI. My brother lives there and I want to know where your practice is so I can refer him to someone that is familiar with malteses. He has two of them. How can he reach you Anna?
-Dana Whitney

I have one Maltese that had problems with her ears. I found that the hair grows more rapidly in her ears than in the others. I now check her ears weekly and remove any hair that is there. I use a cleaning preparation that I get from my vet and the problems have gone. (Remember that q-tips are only to clean the outer part of the ear. Some people use them to clean the inner part which pushes dirt down into the ear cannal.)
-Marsha A

Thank you for alll of your suggestions. When Noelle first got the yeast infection, my vet also recommended a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. However, the vinegar/achohol suggestion makes more sense, since the achohol dries more quickly. I am going to call the vet to see if I can substitute the achohol for the water. Thanks again.
-loraine

Dana, I work in a suburb called Menomonee Falls at a clinic called the Animal Medical Center. The phone number is 414-251-2904. Menomonee Falls is northwest of Milwaukee, so if your brother lives in the area, have him give a call. My feeling towards the vinigar/alcohol preparation is that alcohol hurts immensely when in contact with cut or injured tissue, so I would certainly avoid putting it into a dog's ears when they are infected. (Place a little alcohol on your next cut and see how it feels.) Most products sold at veterinary clinics do not burn when used so I still have to recommend them first. It is difficult enough to clean some dogs ears without adding pain into the equation!
-Anna