My dog has chronic ear infections, discharge, and pimples. Allergies?

I am sorry to hear of Princeton's ongoing war issues. If you are concerned about possible medication side effects I would recommend discussing this with your regular veterinarian. I would also discuss with them the possibility of food allergies. Chronic/recurrent ear infections like you are dealing with for Princeton can often be secondary for a food allergy, a diet change may be what is needed for him. When considering a new food remember that the protein source is typically the thing that causes the allergy-look at Princeton's current dry food to see what the protein source is. You will need to look for a food with a protein source he has not been exposed to (remember that the chicken you feed mixed with his food is a potential allergen as well). Your vet can discuss any particular brands or products they recommend, and be aware that a food trial for allergies can take 6-8 weeks before any effect is seen. Also talk to your vet about culturing the material in Princeton's ears, if you haven't already. Sometimes the yeast or bacteria that is present becomes resistant. A culture will show what type of organism is present, and what medication is going to be most effective. Your vet can then help you tailor a new treatment plan to try and resolve the issue. I also recommend routine ear cleaning at home using a cleaning solution recommended by your vet. Keeping the ears clean of debris can help reduce the number of infections. Good luck-I hope you are able to get Princeton feeling better soon!

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.

The skin doesn't look too inflamed, but does appear more red than normal. Based on your description, I would also be very suspicious of allergies being the underlying problem of the skin flare-ups and recurrent ear infections. In these cases, allergy medication is very helpful. Candy's allergies seem relatively mild, so she may be well-controlled with an over-the-counter antihistamine medication. Your veterinarian should be able to prescribe you an antihistamine if they feel this is appropriate/safe for her. One other thing that should eventually be investigated is the cause of the allergies. Usually there is some environmental cause like pollens. Sometimes there are other causes. Your vet would be able to help you narrow-down the cause and provide options for allergy testing if needed/desired. I hope that helps and Candy gets better soon. Below are a couple of links to some useful information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/

I'm sorry to hear Sapphire is having itching issues. Dogs can have food allergies to grain, but it is much more common to be an allergy to a protein source in their food or treats. She could be having a food allergy, or she could have environmental allergies as well. I would recommend touching base with your veterinarian about what medications she may be able to take (short or long term) to help with the itching and a possible food trial to see if it helps as well. Good luck!

Hey there, Sorry to hear about Cleo's ear. I agree that an ear producing copious amounts of a foul discharge is infected. Sometimes chronic ear infections can be secondary to allergies to their food or their environment. Food allergies in pets often crop up in skin or ear infections. These allergies tend to be to an animal protein- such as beef or chicken. I would recommend finding a second opinion veterinarian to examine Cleo. They will likely recommend doing a swab of her ear, to see what kind of bacteria or yeast is present. This helps to narrow down the causes and pick the best treatment possible. The treatment for this will likely consist of topical medications, such as medicated ear wash or ointment, and possibly oral medications as well, such as steroids or antibiotics. They may also recommend doing a food trial if they notice any signs of food allergies. I like Purina ProPlan Hydrolyzed Vegetarian formula or Royal Canin Hypoallergenic as my two favorite hypoallergenic diets. Some dogs stay on these foods long term, while some dogs benefit from eating them for a few months to get infections under control before finding another select protein diet that they don't react to. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck getting Cleo's ear under control!

Zeeke is adorable! Thanks for including a picture. I have a few suggestions for you. First, if your vet has not performed an ear cytology to look under the microscope at the ear discharge, that would be a good idea to evaluate for yeast or bacterial overgrowth since there is a slight smell to the ear discharge. If there isn't any evidence of an infection or overgrowth that needs to be treated, then you might consider a product like Zymox. It is available as a cleaner or a medication. I usually recommend the medication Zymox Otic with 1% HC if the ears are itchy. As far as food, I am attaching a couple of handouts below with more information on food allergies and diet trials for food allergies. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=652 https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499 Food allergies are one of the most common reasons for ear problems, so I think changing foods is always recommended with ear problems. You could consider a hydrolyzed diet or a novel protein diet. I would discuss your options with your veterinarian. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi. I would be thinking allergies in her case. It can cause redness, itching, secondary infections, even crusts in the area. Pets can be allergic to the protein in their food, environmental allergens, or a combination of the two. When they are younger like Rey, i would lean more towards food allergies. They are usually allergic to the chicken, beef or lamb....the most common ingredients in most over the counter dog foods. I would make an appointmet to get her checked out and get her on medications for secondary infection and itchiness. And also discuss food allergies with your veterinarian.