[nagdu] Allergic reaction to ear cleanser?

Fri Sep 25 16:24:39 UTC 2015

Tracy,

Okay, this is how I understand it. It hink I'm remembering what my vets 
have told me over the years correctly.

Squirting the stuff directly into the ear gets it down into the ear 
canal. I also kinda massage and pull the ear to straighten out the canal 
so the goop will go further down, Then I wipe it out of the outer ear as 
it comes back outt. A lot of infections reside deep down where you 
wouldn't want to probe around with a cotton swab or anything else.

Swabbing the outer part of the ear and the outermost portion of the ear 
canal does keep dirt from traveling down and causing infections or 
blockages, so it's a good thing to do. I seem to have heard or read that 
cleaning too much with a disinfectant can also kill healthy bacteria 
that help keep the ear free of yeast.

Now you've reminded me I need to get busy and do some basic ear 
maintenance on our dogs. Poor neglected creatures.

Tami

On 09/25/2015 05:01 AM, Tracy Carcione via nagdu wrote:
> I have an ear cleaning question, too.
> The technique I learned in class is to put some ear solution on a cotton pad
> and gently wipe the ears, then dry them with another cotton pad.  But the
> method for the ear infection ointment, and the instructions for the ear
> solution I bought from Amazon, is to squeeze some of the solution into the
> ear, then massage the ear.
> The first way, with the solution on a pad, seems a lot easier to control the
> amounts, and to actually clean the ear.  So I'm a bit confused about why the
> other method is being recommended for the infection, when it seems like the
> ointment just stays in the ear, then I add more the next day.  I'll ask the
> vet about it today, but I wonder if anyone else knows.
> I sure am getting tired of trekking to the vet.
> Tracy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle
> Cyclorama via nagdu
> Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2015 4:13 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Danielle Cyclorama
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Allergic reaction to ear cleanser?
>
> I use an equal mixture of water and apple cider vinegar to clean my dogs
> ears. I don't miss those ear infection days. I was lucky that the first
> thing I removed from Thai's diet was the allergen, but it took a lot longer
> to get rid of pet dog's ear issues. Hope Jenny feels better soon.
>
> Danielle and Thai
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Sep 24, 2015, at 3:35 PM, Tami Jarvis via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>>
>> Daryl,
>>
>> Poor Jenny! Her system may be ultra sensitive, since you just recently
> changed her diet and things are still balancing out. I don't know if the
> oatmeal would be a factor or not. If there's a pattern of flare-ups when you
> use that cleanser, that is a clue. Intermittent recurring problems like this
> are so frustrating, since tracking down the underlying thing you need to
> change is a matter of trial and error, and it takes time to find out if any
> given change is the right one.
>>
>> I've used both Epiotic and Zymox and liked both. I think the Epiotic is
> more of a cleanser; it's been a few years, since I couldn't find it for a
> long time. I haven't tried the Zymox cleansing solution, just the medicated
> goop. Boy, does that clear things right up! Loki seems to have outgrown
> regular yeast infections. It seems like puppies are prone because their body
> chemistry is always changing and frequently out of balance. So I sniff his
> ears a lot. /lol/
>>
>> If it's a yeast infection, probiotics might help, since those support
> healthy bacteria that are unfriendly to yeast. Antibiotics can kill off
> healthy bacteria, making yeast infections more likely. I always eat a lot of
> yogurt when I'm taking antibiotics, so I give my dogs yogurt when they're on
> antibiotics. Nowadays, there are a lot of probiotics in pill form that are
> supposed to be better.
>>
>> hth,
>>
>> Tami
>>
>>> On 09/24/2015 11:05 AM, Daryl Marie via nagdu wrote:
>>> Hi!
>>> On the topic of ear infections... Jenny got another one last week. I
> inadvertently gave her treats with rice and grain in them... silly me didn't
> read the label!
>>> I've been cleaning her ears with a solution she's had before, but have
> gradually increased the time between cleaning to 2 times a week while the
> infection is present. Until yesterday, she was doing great!
>>>
>>> I cleaned her ears on Tuesday night. Admittedly, I may have put too much
> solution in them, but I did wipe them dry. About 18 hours later, both ears
> were hot to the touch, she was pawing at both of them, she kept pulling them
> away, and they were slightly pink and obviously irritated.
>>>
>>> This morning they are much less sensitive, less pink, and she's pawing at
> them less.
>>>
>>> So I have a few questions:
>>> 1) Is it possible to have a reaction to an ear cleanser? In looking at
> the ingredients, it looks like it's an oat extract-based cleanser. If so...
>>> 2) I've been told that a grain allergy is generally only if it's been
> ingested... but by flushing her ears out with it, is it not technically an
> ingestion?
>>> 3) Any ear cleanser recommendations? My vet carries Epiotic, and I've
> heard good things about it and Zymox. I've also got coconut oil coming, but
> buying it locally is insanely expensive.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Daryl
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