ear infections

Question
my toy poodle gets ear infections it seems like every other week. The vet said change her diet, we did, that didnt work, then he gave us some pills for her and that didnt work any suggestions.  Thanks Adam

Answer
Hello Adam,
First off, make sure that your Groomer is pulling the hair out of the ears and cleaning them with a general ear cleaner when you take her in for a groom.  Dirty ears are a main factor in ear problems.  
If her ears are being cleaned regularly, then the reoccuring ear problem could be ear mites, which can be treated with an over-the-counter treatment.  It could be a yeast infection which makes the ear smell sour and the ear will have a yellowish colored waxy substance in it.  A yeast infection can be treated with the same treatment that women use for a vaginal yeast infection.  You can get the 7 day treatment and treat the ears for the seven days as stated on the box.  You will want to put a small amount of the cream in the ears and rub the ear to help distribute the cream into the inner ear canal.
Lastly, if your dog is shaking her head like crazy and if she seems in discomfort or whines when she scratches or shakes her head, she could have a Staph infection in her ears.  Your Vet will need to prescribe some medicine for you to put in her ears called Otomax 2 x a day.  There is another one that you use only once a day, but I can't remember how to spell it. (It may be Metamamax or something close)

If your Vet didn't already do one, your dog needs a culture done to see what is bothering her ears.  Your Vet needs to swab her ears and check under a microscope to determine what is wrong with her ears, then go from there.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.
Kim