My poodle has chronic ear infections. How to prevent them after baths?

These are definitively signs of a chronic otitis. Most common causes of persistent ear infections are: - underlying allergic disease (usually both ears are affected and other skin signs are present somewhere else); without resolving the allergy the disease will come back again and again; - resistant infections which requires more aggressive and specific treatment; - inappropriate treatment selection; Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely an ear infection and I am afraid that there is likely an underlying allergy causing him to scratch a lot and continue to cause further trauma to the ear. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated as soon as possible as this is likely causing him a lot of discomfort. They would be able to diagnose this and start therapy. Medications such as steroids may help decrease the itch. You may use the e-collar to prevent further self-trauma. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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!

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!

This is a very common problem with dogs. Especially if the dog has had several ear infections in the past. I would talk to your vet to see if they could clean his ears for you weekly. This may help to decrease the frequency of ear infections. Also ear infections stem from allergies so ou may also discuss apoquel, an allergy medication, with your vet to see if Skippy would be a good candidate. I have see some good results to help decrease the number of infections while using this medication. I hope this helps!

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can try putting cotton in his ears to prevent excessive water getting into the canal. The best way is to clean the ears with an ear cleaner with alcohol (not straight alcohol) to dry the water after. Kisses to Tux!