My dog has chronic ear infections. Could food allergies be the cause?

Allergies can cause dogs to have chronic ear problems. You could ask your vet about trying medications for allergies and see if that helps. I would also recommend an ear culture to make sure that he is doesn't have a resistant infection. You could also switch him to a hypoallergenic diet and see if that helps.

Hi there. Recurring ear infections, or persistently itchy, irritated ears, are indeed a common sign of allergies in dogs. This can be due to environmental allergies, a food allergy, or both. Apoquel is usually effective at treating environmental allergy problems - so if it didn't help much, I agree that a food trial with a prescription hypoallergenic diet would be the next logical step. If she responds well to the prescription diet, you may be able to cautiously switch her back to an over-the-counter limited ingredient food for long-term maintenance.

Recurrent ear infections are often a sign of food allergies. I suggest you get a second opinion from another veterinarian. Recurrent ear infections are NOT normal and not just something some dogs get. It is important, in this case, that your vet does an ear swab, checks that under the microscope or sends it in to a lab to check which bacteria or fungi are causing these infections. It may be necessary to also check for antibiotic resistance. A diet trial with hypoallergenic diet may also be in order.

Hello! It sounds as if Fergie may be one of those dogs that would benefit from regular weekly ear cleaning for maintenance. In order to confirm a food allergy it takes at least 12 weeks of adhering STRICTLY to the new diet. This means 12 weeks of only the specified food, absolutely no treats or other snacks unless they are the Hill's Z/D treats or the same novel protein. I say that to say that it will take time to see results if a food allergy is the cause. There are other possibilities that could be the cause for the itching and ear infections, but I think diet is a great place to start. Having an itchy dog is hard for all parties involved, but try to hang in there with the food. If things do not seem to be improving certainly after 12 weeks, its time to start investigating other options (i.e. medication, visiting a dermatologist). Hopefully this helps some! Hang in there!

Hi. Most likely your veterinarian is concerned about food allergies. There are several prescription foods to try. If he doesn't like the one, discuss with your veterinarian trying one of the others

Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry to hear about Arnie. Recurrent ear infections (usually otitis externa or external ear infection) are usually due to allergies, either seasonal or non seasonal, among a few other things including foreign bodies, anatomical problems, and even growths/tumors. All of this is most likely due to allergies- Atopy or inhaled allergies, flea allergy, and food allergy are all possible and ear problems (especially recurrent) are almost always associated with allergic skin disease. Your vet can take a sample from the ears and look at it under the microscope to diagnose the infection/cause in the ears. That's usually yeast, bacteria, and other causes such as ear mites. This will address the ear problem and your vet can present a sound treatment plan. As for the allergies, there are skin tests and blood tests to help determine the source of allergies. Again, diagnostics and treatment are often based on severity of signs, duration of signs, etc. Your vet can discuss this complex problem and advise many forms of treatment including ear meds, antibiotics, fish oil, allergy shots or oral drops to treat allergies, antihistamines, steroids, and others. If this is recurrent and severe, maybe it's time to talk with your vet about allergy testing. There are skin tests and blood tests to assess allergies. Some vets refer these cases to a skin specialist known as a veterinary dermatologist. Allergy shots or oral preparations can then be used to hyposensitize the immune system and dampen down the response to the allergens. Treatment involves oral antibiotics, anti itch medicines, ear treatments, immune modulating drugs, special diets, fish oil, allergy shots/oral drops, etc. I would advise checking out the following for fish oil and a skin supplement. http://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/?petcoach=1977951 Check out the Omega benefits and Cutaneo TruBenefits Good Luck!!!

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.