# Ear Problems



## mylittlebella (Aug 20, 2004)

Bella's ears have been bothering her for quite a while now. When I took her to get groomer, they told me that they were super super dirty (more than normal) and that the vet should check them out. I had her spayed and that's when the vet checked them. He said that they were fine that they just had a lot of wax. Well almost two weeks later, they are still bothering her and they are super dirty (I've been cleaning them) 

I have an appointment with her vet again for tomorrow so we'll see what it is? Could it be an infection? If so, why didn't the vet treat it when he saw her 2 weeks ago. I'm so confused.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I think Cloud's Mom just went through this. You could go back and read that thread. She even posted pictures.

Healthy ears are nice and pink and clean smelling. "Super dirty" ears aren't normal, especially if they've just been cleaned. I'd be suspicious of either a yeast infection (so common in flap earred dogs) or even ear mites although it seems odd that a vet would miss it.


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## mylittlebella (Aug 20, 2004)

I just read Cloud's post and Bella's ears have that same brown looking stuff in them. I have an appointment to take her to the vet tomorrow so we will see.


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## Sylphide and Shrek's Mom (Dec 4, 2004)

I use an ear wash on Sylphide once every few weeks. Keeps her ears super clean, pink, and fresh. 

#1 All Systems Ear So Fresh

I buy it from a US based website. One bottle lasts a long time.


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## ButterCloudandNoriko (Aug 26, 2004)

Awww poor lil Bella. If it stinks like, I don't know, SH**, then it's ear mites. And if it smells sour or vinegary, it's yeast infection. Was the wax brown when you first showed it to your vet? My vet said that when the pH of their ear is off, then it could cause problems and you have to be careful with how often you clean them. You definitely should not clean them too often. It's weird. 

Same thing pretty much with me when I visited my vet. He said it was nothing and then a week later, I noticed an infection. Sometimes, you can't even smell it. 

It'll be ok. She'll be better in notime once you get the drops (2 wks to be exact).
Kisses for lil Bella!


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## mylittlebella (Aug 20, 2004)

I don't clean them that often at all. I hadn't even touched them until the groomer said something, then the vet cleaned them really well and she's back to being disgusting after only 2 weeks.

I haven't smelled them but I will now when I get home...gross! Oh well the things we got to do for our children


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## adorableaccentsdogbows (Aug 9, 2004)

Is the hair around her ears stained at all?


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## mylittlebella (Aug 20, 2004)

> _Originally posted by adorableaccentsdogbows.com_@Dec 29 2004, 05:53 PM
> *Is the hair around her ears stained at all?
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Yes, it's that brown color too. What does it mean?


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## adorableaccentsdogbows (Aug 9, 2004)

> _Originally posted by mylittlebella+Dec 29 2004, 04:54 PM-->
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Yes, it's that brown color too. What does it mean?
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I'd say it's probably red yeast although I'm not a vet. My little Minnie just got over one. My vet gave me an otibiotic ointment. The ingredience are (Gentamicin sulfate, Betamethasone valerate, USP and Clotrimazole, USP ointment) Maybe it's the same thing. It worked really well and only took a couple of days to make a big difference.


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

sounds like a yeast infection to me...does she lick her feet too?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

It is most likely an infection. The vet should look down the ears to make sure the ear drum is intact and also do a cytology of the discharge to see what the infection is.


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## mylittlebella (Aug 20, 2004)

I haven't noticed her licking her feet but I haven't really been paying attention to that. I'm on my way to the vet...I'll post when I get back.

thank you all!!!


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## mylittlebella (Aug 20, 2004)

Just got back from the vet and Bella has ear mites...how gross. He showed them to me under the microscope and they were disgusting. He gave her some medicine that lasts 2 weeks in her ears and she should be ok.


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## denise&chico (Oct 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by mylittlebella_@Dec 30 2004, 12:53 PM
> *Just got back from the vet and Bella has ear mites...how gross.  He showed them to me under the microscope and they were disgusting.  He gave her some medicine that lasts 2 weeks in her ears and she should be ok.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=26342*


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chico licks his front paws is that bad ?


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Ear mites are really itchy! Poor Bella. Good thing you took her to the vet. I wonder where she picked those up? The groomer? After Jongee's skin infection, I really question how sanitary some of these groomers are.

Denise, chewing and licking feet is a red flag for food allergies. What do you feed Chico? Anything with corn or wheat?


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

yes ear probs along with feet chewing are classic food allergy signs.

eww ear mites i hate them...u musta had more of a black goop in the ears than red. goes to show pictures speak a thousand words...easy to miss diagnose w/o seeing it. glad you brought her in and its getting taken care of. at least those little buggers are easy to defeat!


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## mylittlebella (Aug 20, 2004)

> _Originally posted by LadyMontava_@Dec 30 2004, 02:35 PM
> *yes ear probs along with feet chewing are classic food allergy signs.
> 
> eww ear mites i hate them...u musta had more of a black goop in the ears than red.  goes to show pictures speak a thousand words...easy to miss diagnose w/o seeing it.  glad you brought her in and its getting taken care of.  at least those little buggers are easy to defeat!
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=26355*


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The vet said the same thing. He said that this was much easier than a yeast infection so in that sence, I'm glad. Her ears were really black inside but did have a little red/burgundy color.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

For those of you who don't know what to look for, there are some good (but gross!) pictures here:

http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/em.html


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## Maltese_Lover (Dec 18, 2004)

I had a feeling they were ear mites! My rabbit once got ear mites...and there was this dark coloured crusty substance in his ear...which really was the blood from the bites that the ear mites did







My rabbit always moved his head around and tryed pulling his ears with his feet. But then I bought this medicine from the petstore and they fully went away in a week. I think ear mites are a bit different in dogs though. But there should be always the dark crusty stuff in the ear if they are ear mites though....ewww dry blood...poor doggie. I hope Bella get well soon!


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## sheila2182 (Nov 28, 2004)

Hope Bella feels better soon.


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## Laceys mom (Nov 12, 2004)

Bella should be feeling better real soon. Lacey had a yeast infection in both her ears about a month ago. Usually she doesn't have tearstaining but all at once she had tearstaining. Took her to the vet right away,vet was amazed that I caught it so early. Lacey is the first maltese I have ever owned and reading all the info here I knew something was wrong when she got tearstaining. 

I use to give Lacey a bath once a week but my vet told me that I should back off a little on the baths. Water in the ears. It has been 3 weeks since she has had a bath and tomorrow is bath day. She doesn't smell but she does need a bath.


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## ButterCloudandNoriko (Aug 26, 2004)

Awww. Lil Bella will feel better real soon. Don't worry.







XOXO's


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## pico's parent (Apr 5, 2004)

Pico just got his first ear infection, too. He is 3 1/2 and I had left him home in Texas with his Dad for 10 days while I visited my daughter and her family over Christmas.

When I got back and was kissing on Pico at the airport (my hubby knew who I wanted to see first thing!) I smelled a bad odor and thought he really needed a bath. When we got home my husband showed me Pico's ear (fortunately it was only in one ear) and I freaked! When I calmed down, I googled for ear mites but really couldn't tell if that was what he had or not but they said Panalog, or its equivalent, was used for infection and mites so I cleaned his ear as best I could then dropped a couple of drops of Animax (similar to Panalog) and continued that treatment the next day until I could get him to the vet.

Vet said it was not mites and it was confined to one ear and that the medication I used was the right one. So now, 5 days later, his ear looks normal again. I did bathe him after the first ear cleaning because all that gunk was in his fur and I couldn't get it out with a cloth. I tore a cotton ball into 4 pieces and used two of them to stuff his ears and kept his ears pressed down while I bathed him. He shook his head once and they flew out so I had to re-insert fresh ones. It did the trick in keeping his ears dry, though.

I will never again bathe him without cotton in his ears, even though I press his ear s down when washing and rinsing him. Just can't be too cautious. I was so glad to see this thread, though. Haven't seen much on ear infections, mites, etc. so I was pretty much in the dark.


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## ABgroomer (Nov 25, 2004)

When you clean the ears do you also pluck the ear hair? The last time I groomed a Wheaton and Maltese (same owner) I thought I was plucking shrek's ears. One solid wax cylinder came our with the hair from the inner ear. lol. It a wonder the dog could here, sad really.


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## Sylphide and Shrek's Mom (Dec 4, 2004)

> _Originally posted by ABgroomer_@Jan 1 2005, 01:18 AM
> *When you clean the ears do you also pluck the ear hair? The last time I groomed a Wheaton and Maltese (same owner) I thought I was plucking shrek's ears. One solid wax cylinder came our with the hair from the inner ear. lol. It a wonder the dog could here, sad really.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=26683*


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I pluck Sylphide's ears and use a A#1 All Systems Ear So Fresh cleanser once every 3-4 weeks...otherwise the stray ear hairs block her canals and create debris (gunk).


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

> _Originally posted by ABgroomer_@Jan 1 2005, 12:18 AM
> *When you clean the ears do you also pluck the ear hair? The last time I groomed a Wheaton and Maltese (same owner) I thought I was plucking shrek's ears. One solid wax cylinder came our with the hair from the inner ear. lol. It a wonder the dog could here, sad really.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=26683*


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It depends on the individual dog. If there is very little hair and the ear can breath, I would leave it alone. If there is a lot of hair, I would pluck some of it. Plucking a hairy ear clean in one sitting can cause lots of irritation and an ear infection.


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## Xango Annie (Dec 25, 2004)

I am glad you found out the cause ..nothing is worse than not knowing
that being said..I just discovered two bean like fleshcolored growth's in Song's ear..what could it be???
TIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## mylittlebella (Aug 20, 2004)

Sorry, I can't help but if it look weird to you, take him to the vet. Like you said, there's nothing worse than not knowing. Good luck and keep up posted.


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## saltymalty (Sep 14, 2004)

I have a question...how do you keep cotton balls in their ears during bath time? My puppy shakes them out every time. I get them way down the ear canal (the vet told me their ears aren't like humans...it's ok to go way down) but she still can get them out. I just gave up trying because it was taking twice as long to bathe. Any special tips or tricks to this?


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by saltymalty_@Jan 25 2005, 10:30 AM
> *I have a question...how do you keep cotton balls in their ears during bath time?  My puppy shakes them out every time.  I get them way down the ear canal (the vet told me their ears aren't like humans...it's ok to go way down) but she still can get them out.  I just gave up trying because it was taking twice as long to bathe.  Any special tips or tricks to this?
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=31309*


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I don't use the cotton balls, because I couldn't get them to stay in either. I use the "swim ear" stuff from the drug store in his ears after a bath. So far, no ear infections, and he gets a bath every week or two.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## Mystify79 (Apr 6, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Nichole+Jan 25 2005, 02:20 PM-->
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I tried the cotton ball thing too and they always fell out. So now, I save the head for last and I push the ear flaps tight to the head to make a "seal." So far, no problems.
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That's what I do with Tuffy too.. the cotton balls always fell out whenever I used them. I also clean his ears and use some ear drying liquid after every bath.


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## lani (Sep 14, 2004)

Same here.....


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## maltx3 (Dec 23, 2004)

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That's what I do with Tuffy too.. the cotton balls always fell out whenever I used them. I also clean his ears and use some ear drying liquid after every bath.
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What ear drying liquid do you use? I have never heard of this.

Pat


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I make my own mixture of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 alcohol and keep it in an eyedropper bottle. I put a few drops in after Lady's bath and (knock wood) she hasn't had an ear infection in nearly 5 years. She had a terrible yeast infection in both ears when I adopted her.

I also keep the ear out of the ear canal and use a little R7 powder to dry her ears.


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## maltx3 (Dec 23, 2004)

> _Originally posted by LadysMom_@Jan 27 2005, 07:58 AM
> *I make my own mixture of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 alcohol and keep it in an eyedropper bottle. I put a few drops in after Lady's bath and (knock wood) she hasn't had an ear infection in nearly 5 years. She had a terrible yeast infection in both ears when I adopted her.
> 
> I also keep the ear out of the ear canal and use a little R2 powder to dry her ears.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=31830*


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Thanks, I'm going to try this


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