ear infections

Question
i have a 7yr.old aus shephered she keeps getting a ear infection in one ear often, regardless of keeping her ears clean as possiable. what can i do to try and stop this from happening and what type of treatment do you rec.   thank you for your time.  Bill

Answer
Your first step should be to visit your vet to determine what is causing her ear infections.

Things that might be causing ear infections include:
Allergies to foor or something in her environment (especially in recurring cases); ear mites,foreign bodies (such as grass awns or foxtails), water and moisture trapped in the canal promoting bacterial growth and infection.

Once the cause is determined, the vet will probably provide you with antibiotic drops to help fight any bacterial infections and recommend a change in her regime--possible a food change and a method of cleaning out her ears that will help reduce the occurance of this problem.

Some dogs have chronic ear problems (the infection is not controlled by general medication or returns when general medication is discontinued).  In these cases, the ear discharge should be cultured so that the precise organism can be pinpointed and treated specifically.  Regular treatment at home with disinfecting ear washes should become part of the pet's grooming routine.

Further testing may be in order to determine why the infection continues to recur. Allergy is the most common reason for recurrent ear problems.

Chronic ear infections can eventually lead to deafness as the bacterial infection begins to cause scarring in the ear so this is not an issue to leave to home care alone.