itching ears

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Our 35 lb. mixed terrier/sharpei dog scratches her ears and was licking her front legs.  Vet said ears were clean and healthy and recommended Benadryl which we give 25mg AM and PM. She continues to itch her ears and we wondered if it is all right to apply Clobetasol propiionate cream usp 0.05 in her ear to reduce scratching.
Answer -
Benadryl will not help a dog that has allergies.  Ask your vet to put the dog on cortisone tablets for a few weeks to see if it takes awy the signs of allergies. A topical medicine in the ear will not help treat the systemic problem. In addition, bathing twice weekly helps remove pollens
and other allergens on the skin.  Omega3 fatty acids are also indicated as a dietary supplement to help reduce the skin's sensitivity to allergens.

Does frequent bathing of dogs dry up their skin and risk increasing ear infections from water in the ears?

Answer
Allergic dogs that are bathed more frequently often have less skin problems that those that are not.  Water in the ears can be a problem, so use something like alcohol after bathing to help dry the ears or use something containing boric acid, which also dries the ears.