My Golden Lab gets infections under her ear flaps. Why does this happen? That is my question.
I want to add that I soak a cotton ball in Colloidal Silver and clean the infected area thoroughly. This works better than antibiotics; only a couple of times and she is on the mend. It can be bought at Health Food Stores. Expensive, but cheaper than veterinarians and medications. By the way, it can be taken internally also. I pour a tablespoon in a cup of water and top with a slice of bread. She may not be thirsty but always ready for a snack.
Glenn's Mom is right - it's because the ear flap makes inside the ear a great breeding zone for bacteria. I use drops from the chemist that are made for "swimmer's ear", which is prevalant here in beach-crazy Australia. It's the same deal with human and dog ears. I find they work really well, and aren't too expensive. It will probably keep happening, especially in summer, so always keep some of these drops around. Most "human" stuff is much cheaper than from the vet, but essentially the same thing. Clean with cotton balls or tips before putting in the drops. Leah from Down Under.
The last time my dog had a ear infection the vet checked his anal glands. After draining the anal glands and cleaning his ears he was much better. You can drain your pets anal glands at home i found information and diagrams online after doing a google search. Hope this helps.
Many doggy ear infections or problems are caused by yeast. If you clean the ears thoroughly, use a little diluted apple cider vinegar on a rag and wipe afterwards. Put a little diluted ACV on a q-tip to clean inside the ears. Also, let them dry as Glenn's Mom recommended. This should help.
If your dog won't let you shavve inside the ear, you can use blunt children's scissors to trim the hair back a bit.
My dogs roll in the dirt all the time, and that can lead to infections too. Use DermaPet MalOtic solution, it comes in a 16oz bottle and was like $12 (I got it at entirelypets.com) You use it every couple days on a cotton ball, its safe for all parts of the ear, and you can use it to keep scrapes and small cuts clean. We haven't had an infection as long as we've been using it.
"Flap eared" dogs are prone to ear infections because air can't get in and dry them. You can (if dog will allow) tape or somehow the ears up for awhile each day to let them air out. You can also shave the inside of the ear (harder to do) of most of the hair. To do this you'd just focus on the actual flap, not the crinkled part.
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