PETS: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PUPPY EAR INFECTIONS

Things I wish I knew before our puppy got an ear infection!

We absolutely love our puppy, Griffin! He has surprised us in so many good ways, but we've had a couple bumps in the road! Griff is a Goldendoodle, which is a new breed for both my husband and I, and learning to manage his coat and hygiene are new for both of us. 

Growing up I only had short-haired dog breeds (Chihuahua mixes) that didn’t require ear maintenance beyond normal baths since they were shedders. We LOVE that Griff doesn’t shed (ITS THE BEST), but we didn’t know about cleaning his ears daily.

We were under the impression, that when he was groomed monthly that would be adequate for ear cleaning. WE WERE WRONG.

1. CLEAN YOUR DOG'S EARS DAILY.

Griffin got an ear infection because he went swimming at Deep Creek Lake and some moisture and bacteria got caught in the long hairs in his ears. After being treated for his infection I have been cleaning his ears out with Earwell wipes until there is no discharge, then wiping with witch hazel (an astringent) that acts as a drying agent. 

For healthy dog ears just the witch hazel, or another drying agent (it will state it on the side of the bottle) should be perfectly fine according to both the vet and the groomer!

Earwell wipes ordered from Amazon, witch hazel picked up at Target, and the antibiotic ear ointment prescribed by vet

2. PAY ATTENTION TO ANY DISCHARGE, SMELL, OR EXCESSIVE OIL AROUND THE EARS.

I had noticed that Griffin’s face and ears were particularly smelly after our weekend at the lake, so I took him to the groomer early. I figured after a bath he would be all good per usual! It was actually the groomer who brought the ear infection to my attention and explained how to clean his ears daily. (They really are saints, aren’t they?) 

3. OTHER SYMPTOMS MAY MANIFEST.

Griff was acting really lethargic and excessively vomiting a day later. I took him to the vet ASAP where they X-rayed his belly to make sure he didn’t eat anything abnormal. (Poodles are known for eating phones and such…) After he was cleared for obstruction the vet said it was possible he ate something, but most likely his ear infection was bothering him enough that he wasn’t feeling well and was off-balance, causing the extreme vomiting and lethargy.

Talk about a scary day. Bowel obstruction vs ear infection...

4. TWO OF THE THREE PRESCRIPTIONS HE WAS GIVEN I COULD HAVE BOUGHT OVER THE COUNTER:

The vet gave him  

    1) an antibiotic ear ointment- Qudritop Twice a day for 14 Days

Being a pharmacist I probably could have figured something out close to this to buy over the counter, but I love my dog, my pharmacy license, and I don't really want to break the law. So this needs to be a prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

    2) an acid reducer for the vomiting- Famotidine 10mg Twice a day for 5 Days

This is OTC Pepcid. JUST A QUICK WARNING: Never give a dog an antacid/anti-nausea medication if you don't know the reason for the vomiting. They may have a toxin in their system that NEEDS to be released.

    3) special soft food (which he LOVED)- ID Brand that is indicated for upset stomach

Boiled Chicken and rice would have also been an option in small quantities until his stomach returned to normal. At the time I just needed to give him something since he hadn't eaten in 36 hours and I didn't have time to make anything! So I took the easy way out.

5. THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION FOR PREVENTION:

Besides daily ear cleanings, and being aware of drying out our pup’s ears after swimming the vet told us there was another option for dogs prone to ear infections: laser hair removal!

Apparently if Griffin wasn’t already neutered she would have done this during his surgery. If we would have known this about his breed prior to surgery we would have requested it, to save any potential future problems.

She also stated that we could pluck one hair out of his ear daily FOREVER, but lets just see how the ear cleanings go first. I’d hate to put him in pain like that every day if I don’t have to!

I hope someone else could find this helpful so they don’t find themselves in the same situation we did with a sick, smelly puppy! But, of course we wouldn’t trade him for anything!!!

Love from Katie

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