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skin and ear problems

19 17:04:27

Question
Hi Kerri.  We, too, are avid lovers of those cockers...and have had 3 ...Heidi Sue, a 15-year old who passed away 3 years ago, and presently have a 15-year old and a 2-year old.  Both Bridgette (black) and Levi (chocolate) have skin problems and Bridgette has pretty severe ear problems.  We've tried every type of antibiotic available to man it seems, and cannot keep especially Bridgette's skin problems under control.  Her ears are not quite as bad.  The vet is pretty definite about it not being a food allergy.  Do you have any suggestions as to food additives, things to stay away from, bathing soaps, vitamins, etc. that we could use?  I hate to think of embarking with Levi on this same 15-year venture as we did with the older cockers.  The antibiotics seem to clear things up most times, but they come right back.  Just to give you a little more background, Bridgette has also been an epileptic since she was 2, and is now deaf and has cataracs.  Heidi went both deaf and blind at age 6...but lived a great, ahppy life for almost 9 more years after that.  We also have a little Lahsa Apso...he's just a few months older than Levi.

Thanks so much for any information you can give.  It's great to find someone out there to talk to this about.  I really LOVE my vet, but am really excited about the aspects of chatting with someone who has been in the same boat for many years.

Again, thanks.

Answer
Kelly,
My only suggestion for the skin problems is a tea or infusion made from Chamomile. It makes a great after-bath rinse for dogs with allergic skin conditions. This rinse is also soothing for flea bites and dry skin. Give it a try and see if this may help. It would be nice since it's natural. As for the ear problems, I'm afraid I'm as stumped as you are. Unfortunatley, due to their lovely long ears, they are very prone to infections since the bacteria thrives in moist areas. The ears keep the moisture in, and this is where the problems lie. My vet once suggested that if there was any way we could keep the ears up for a little while, to help dry out the ear, then we may have a fighting chance. Of course, my dogs won't hear tell of it to keep their ears gently clipped up for an hour, so I will sometimes try to flip one of their ears back when they are sound asleep. This way the air can get at the moisture and they don't even realize what's happening.
Hope these suggestions help. Take care and I wish you all the best with your "canine family"!

Kerri