How to treat Labrador's chronic ear infections and seasonal itching?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Zoey. It is possible that allergies are to blame for her ongoing skin disease especially if her problems are somewhat seasonal. There are two great new allergy medications used to control itching and licking. They are both very effective. Typically if the itching can be controlled and medication such as an antibiotic can be used to treat any secondary infection, the skin will heal. This will take away the odor. The two medications I used most commonly for environmental allergies are Apoquel and Cytopoint. It is important to rule out other allergies such as fleas and diet. She may need a prescription diet trial. I hope this information helps!

Hello, and thanks for your question about Mya. Allergies are very common in dogs, and they can be frustrating to control! I recommend asking your vet about Cytopoint, which is a monthly injection, and Apoquel, which is a daily pill. These are very effective non-steroid allergy medications that can either be given individually or (in more severe cases) together. For young dogs like Mya, I usually prefer the cytopoint injections, and then add Apoquel if necessary. If the a strict feeding trial with the Royal Canin Ultramino diet didn't help, then her allergies are less likely to be related to food, and are more likely environmental. Of course, also make sure she's kept current on a high quality flea/tick preventative, to make sure an external parasite can't be complicating things! And if a skin scrape has never been done, that may be advised as well - I've had skin mites get misdiagnosed as allergies before! If it comes to it, I've certainly had patients who did best on steroids - and that can be done pretty safely if you're weaning to the lowest effective every-other-day dose. Hopefully this helps! Of course, I'd defer on all points to a vet who has seen Mya in person!

Chronic ear and skin infections may have an allergic component as stated by your veterinarian. It may be fleas, but the likelihood is reduced with regular flea control. Even then though, in a sensitive dog, one flea bite may be enough to cause a serious allergic reaction. The steroid (Prednidale) and antibiotic (Rilexine) are temporary fixes, treating just the symptoms but not the underlying condition. There are also environmental allergies and food sensitivities that may responsible. The sheer number of potential allergens is what makes diagnosing allergies so frustrating. Discuss allergy testing, hydrolyzed diets and food elimination trials with your veterinarian. A consult with a veterinary dermatologist ma be indicated. You should also discuss antihistamine use, either seasonally or year round, with your veterinarian. Atopica and Apoquel are prescription medications that may help treat allergies and can be dispensed by your vet. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement, such as a fish oil, to Irish's diet to promote healthy skin and coat. The EFAs may also help some with the itching and inflammation. DermCaps or EicosaCaps are two recommended products.

HI, sorry to hear you're having a problem with Coal. In my experience, usually dogs are allergic to a type of grain or meat, not milk. But if that's the case, there may be something else he is allergic to that you have not tested for yet. I would put him on a special prescription diet for dogs with allergies. Also, ask your vet about medication to use when he is having flare up. Steroids can be helpful for this, but they need to be prescribed by a vet. there is another medication called Apoquel which may be available to you that is a great help. Good luck, i hope this helps!

I would recommend starting an oral anti-fungal therapy as well as treatment with Apoquel for allergies which is most likely the primary cause of this problem, both medications are prescription only that you can get from your vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know without knowing more about the case and examining him. However, if these infections are recurrent, I would have to assume that this could be due to allergies. An examination and gathering more information would help tremendously. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello! Thank you for your post! It sounds like junior is suffering from quite the ear infection?! If jr. Has been dealing with this for several months, what might help identify the responsible organisms would be a culture of the ear material. This would help determine which antibiotic is going to be most efficacious in resolving this infection. There are multiple ear medications and depending on the Animal Hospital, all vet clinics carry different types of ear medications. If he is so itchy, there are medications that can also help with that. Apoquel is an anti itch drug which may provide junior relief from the itching. I would ask you vet if this is an option. As for the ear infection, you should really consider a culture to pinpoint what bacteria is responsible so it can be treated appropriately. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me with further questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation