Itchy Dog Ear

[sabrinah]

For years now my dog has had one ear that bugs him. He holds it at an angle and scratches at it incessantly when it bugs him. The amount of time it bugs him for isn't consistent at all. Sometimes it's a few minutes every day for a week then nothing for a month, it could be for hours, it could be for days, it could be off and on throughout the day for a couple weeks, there really doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. It doesn't correlate with seasons either. He's been to the vet for it and they couldn't see anything. No mites, redness, swelling, irritation, odor, dirt, etc. One time the vet decided to put a medication in his ear just in case he had a bacterial infection way down in there but it didn't seem to do anything.

I don't think it's weather related because it happens no matter where we are. Desert with 0% humidity and 120 degrees, redwoods with 95% humidity and 50 degrees, and everything in between.

Any ideas? Food allergy maybe? He eats Taste of the Wild and gets such a wide variety of treats that it couldn't be one particular kind of treat. He's also had every protein I can get my hands on. I've considered switching foods but I just bought a bag so it wouldn't be for 2 months, and I have a strict budget so I don't have tons of options (looking at my list I actually have 19 options, which is a lot and I would have no idea which to choose).

 

[Columbine]

That really is a toughie My first though would be some kind of fungal or yeast infection deep in the ear, but that would have a odour. Logically, a food allergy would produce more widespread itching, rather than being focused in one place. The fact that he holds his ear oddly is concerning, as it suggests it hurts him a fair bit. I think my inclination would be to go back to the vet and ask for a more in depth investigation, possibly with a swab being taken for culturing. You may want to consider getting a second opinion too, if your regular vet is stumped. It certainly doesn't sound right, and it's well worth pushing to find out what's going on.

 

[neely]

You may want to consider getting a second opinion too, if your regular vet is stumped.

I completely agree that it may be time to look into getting a second opinion possibly from a veterinary dermatologist since the scratching is only occurring in one ear. Please keep us posted and let us know if you are able to find out what's causing the problem with his ear.

 

[sabrinah]

He never has any issues with it on the day of his vet appointment, of course. It's odd that it's not constant, just sometimes. If it was an infection shouldn't it bother him all the time? He's a huge baby and has never hidden any pain or discomfort. He would rather whine and pout so he can get cuddled!

Where I live now there are no veterinary specialists of any kind at all so I can't get him to a dermatologist. I would have to drive over 200 miles and I don't have the time or money for that. I'll also have to find a different vet to take him to because the one I took my cat to charges everything per minute! It gets ridiculously expensive fast! My dog hates his ears being messed with and always gets aggressive with the vet, which means they would have to bring in a vet tech to hold him and charge me extra for that. And the vet would say she wants to go in the back and do some research real quick and I'll get charged for that time too. It makes no sense, especially when the appointment already has a one hour slot because it was predicted to take a while. At this vet they charged per minute it took to extract her canine and it ended up at 20 minutes and over $80 for that one tooth. The last time she got extractions the price per tooth was based on how many roots it had. At the old vet, 4 teeth were extracted for less than this vet charged me for one tooth

I'll search around for a reasonable vet. I'm only a college student budget and already spent $1000 on my cat in the last few months and have to somehow come up with a couple hundred $ to get my dog more Comfortis. Very few vets have websites here so it's a bunch of calling around. No one likes to give their appointment prices over the phone and insist you bring your pet in for an appointment to find out the price I miss living in a big city where your first appointment at a new vet was always free

 

[Columbine]

Yikes! Your vet sounds crazy expensive I've never come across one who charges per minute before! I hope you're able to find a more reasonable one within a sensible area/travel time

With your boy's vet aggression issue, it's well worth working at home to get him more accepting of an ear exam. Clicker training is perfect for something like this. I might also consider getting him used to wearing a muzzle, just so he can have a vet exam without a tech having to hold him. I'm sure that'd be less stressful for him than a stranger holding him, not to mention cheaper for you (To clarify, I totally get this is a pain-avoidance issue, not any other aggression. I'm just thinking aloud about what I'd do if one of mine had similar reactions).

I guess a good way to find a vet might be from chatting to other dog owners on your walks. There's nothing like word-of-mouth recommendations I might consider going in in-person (without the furkids) too - you might get clearer answers about costings etc than over the phone. Just a thought

 

[sabrinah]

I can do whatever I want to him, including examining his ears, but he doesn't allow the vet to. Regardless of pain he always comes to me so I can make it all better. The last place we lived had a pine tree and a cactus, and every few months he got pine needles or cactus spines stuck in his pads. He always laid on the ground crying until I carried him inside to take a look and pulled it out. He's also been trained to wear a muzzle because I believe all dogs should be accustomed to a muzzle just in case there should ever be an emergency and they need to wear one. We bring his muzzle to every vet appointment just in case it's needed. I even bring the head strap attachment, although I've never had to use it. I won't let a vet put their muzzles on him. I'm not ok with something forcing my dog's mouth shut when he's already stressed and panting like crazy.

I can't talk to people on walks for a few reasons. He isn't dog-friendly so getting close to people isn't possible, and very few people actually walk their dogs around here. I'm usually the only one! Most dogs are locked in the backyard constantly and their only exercise is when they escape the yard. By that point, they have so much pent up energy they're out of control and aggressive towards anything that accidentally walks down that street. I've asked pet store people and they recommend the vet I'm already going to and a holistic vet that's nearly 30 miles away. In my experience, holistic vets are super expensive so that's not an option. The only other popular vet in a town/city that's reasonably close (less than 15 miles) is connected to the vet I've already used, so the pricing is more than likely the same. The most vets are in the largest city around here but frankly, I feel unsafe being anywhere in that city. I don't even like stopping there to get gas when I drive through it (which unavoidable because the major highway runs through the city and they refuse to let the county build an overpass).

Would you trust a vet with no website and only a handful of reviews? It's my only other option besides the city I despise.

 

[Columbine]

Ugh. My girl has (fear based) dog aggression issues, so I do understand the problems with walks. I was simply trying to come up with other possibilities for you I've had animals that flip out with the vet but are fine with me, too (horses in my case) so I really do sympathise. One thing I can say is that your guys are so lucky to have such a wonderful owner

I might well trust a vet with no website etc, or at least go meet them. Maybe call first though, to at least make sure its a different vet that you'd be seeing (sometimes connected practices use the same vet or vets). I'm sorry you're so stuck for local vet choices

 

[sabrinah]

I'll swing by next time I'm in that town during their hours and take a look around. It really sucks around here. I'm trying to make sure the vet has an emergency option since the vets here only do emergency services for their patients. If my dog got attacked by a mountain lion and I called the vet my cat goes to they would refuse to see him, even if it meant he would die. It's so screwed up around here. That's another reason I'm trying to get a vet that's not a 45 minute drive away. I may end up stuck with the super expensive vet just because they're close by in case of an emergency Driving normally it takes 15 minutes, but if a pet was dying I'm sure I could make it in 5.

Do you think there's anything I could do for his ear while I try to find a vet? I already use Zymox cleaner regularly and use the Zymox Otic when it gets bad. I like to think the Otic makes it go away faster, but maybe that's just wishful thinking since Otic is what the vet put in his ear and the bottle was expensive. It's supposed to be used for 7 days when there are ear issues, but maybe doing it a few times a month would help since his ear acts up sporadically? Or maybe I should try doing it for a week every couple months as a precaution? Heck, maybe I should do a 14 day treatment, take a week break, then do another 14 day treatment. I don't know what to do. He likes me to rub it when it's bugging him but I'm not sure if that could make it worse?

 

[1 bruce 1]

I can do whatever I want to him, including examining his ears, but he doesn't allow the vet to. Regardless of pain he always comes to me so I can make it all better. The last place we lived had a pine tree and a cactus, and every few months he got pine needles or cactus spines stuck in his pads. He always laid on the ground crying until I carried him inside to take a look and pulled it out. He's also been trained to wear a muzzle because I believe all dogs should be accustomed to a muzzle just in case there should ever be an emergency and they need to wear one. We bring his muzzle to every vet appointment just in case it's needed. I even bring the head strap attachment, although I've never had to use it. I won't let a vet put their muzzles on him. I'm not ok with something forcing my dog's mouth shut when he's already stressed and panting like crazy.

I can't talk to people on walks for a few reasons. He isn't dog-friendly so getting close to people isn't possible, and very few people actually walk their dogs around here. I'm usually the only one! Most dogs are locked in the backyard constantly and their only exercise is when they escape the yard. By that point, they have so much pent up energy they're out of control and aggressive towards anything that accidentally walks down that street. I've asked pet store people and they recommend the vet I'm already going to and a holistic vet that's nearly 30 miles away. In my experience, holistic vets are super expensive so that's not an option. The only other popular vet in a town/city that's reasonably close (less than 15 miles) is connected to the vet I've already used, so the pricing is more than likely the same. The most vets are in the largest city around here but frankly, I feel unsafe being anywhere in that city. I don't even like stopping there to get gas when I drive through it (which unavoidable because the major highway runs through the city and they refuse to let the county build an overpass).

Would you trust a vet with no website and only a handful of reviews? It's my only other option besides the city I despise.

I think it depends on the vet.
We have two holistic vets we use regularly. One is pretty much the same over all price of our regular vets, and one is MUCH cheaper. MUCH cheaper and delivers better results IMO.
The only thing you could do is call and ask what a basic consultation fee is and get a feel for what they'd recommend, would the itemized list be an exam, some cleaner, maybe a consult about diet or the structure of the ear? (FWIW a holistic vet we have never visited personally but have read their books and we like very much admits to having a much BETTER rate of reversing cancer than he does in "curing" chronic ear problems. Not to discourage but sometimes they can be so, so challenging.)
I actually would not trust a vet with no site until I called up and got a feel for their practice. Reviews are good, but lots of idiots will post any stupid thing they can and take joy in dragging down a business they've never even visited, or competitors will do so. Lots of people will be a happy customer for 20 years, never say a good word about it on a review site, and the minute something annoys them they rate them 1 star with a nasty review despite "forgetting" they have been happy for many years. I take online reviews with a HUGE grain of salt.

 

[sabrinah]

I try not to put too much weight into reviews but they still affect how I feel about a place.

There's one vet I like the sound of that's Fear Free Certified but it's 30 miles away (45 minutes) and their emergency options aren't great. They rotate with other vets in the area for emergency services and since that area isn't my area at all I could end up going an hour and a half or more in an emergency, which could be detrimental if it's a life or death situation.

The holistic vet offers both medical/surgical services and alternative/holistic options, which is nice. The drive is the same as the Fear Free vet but it doesn't appear to have an emergency service at all. Since the emergency vets won't help unless your pet is a patient, that's a huge drawback.

I'll have to call the vet with no website that's close by and have a look around. They don't even have an official facebook page! Usually, if they don't have a website they have something on facebook.

 

[MeganLLB]

My sister's lab had a problem with one of her ears. she wouldn't hold it up and it drooped down. Vet said it was allergies and gve her drops to put in her ears.

 

[neely]

I'll have to call the vet with no website that's close by and have a look around. They don't even have an official facebook page! Usually, if they don't have a website they have something on facebook.

Can you do a search to look up their educational background, i.e. where they graduated college and veterinary medical school? Also if they did a fellowship program, have any research experience or received any special awards, etc.

 

[sabrinah]

Can you do a search to look up their educational background, i.e. where they graduated college and veterinary medical school? Also if they did a fellowship program, have any research experience or received any special awards, etc.

Somehow I managed to miss your reply. Sorry! I had to look through yelp and google reviews to find out the name of the vet and I can't find any other information about her. The extent of the information is that she's a veterinarian with a Ph.D. No backgroud, schools, awards, or anything.

My dog's problems just keep getting worse apparently. His ear took a break from bugging him in exchange for an itchy neck, an itchy base of tail, and regular butt licking. Apparently, this food can't keep the anal gland problems away anymore and something is bugging his skin. It's irritating because Taste of the Wild originally helped most of his problems and the price is great, but now it apparently isn't working for us.

I'm trying to find a new food in case that's the issue, but to keep his anal gland issues at bay he's needed food with 4.5-5% fiber (5.5% is too much, 4% is too little, both make the anal glands worse). Most foods are 4% and below, so it's actually pretty darn hard to find food. Adding fiber to his food never worked as well as using a food with a higher fiber percentage. On top of that, my budget is pretty strictly $2/lb. I can go up a few more cents, but even $2.30/lb is just too much. Taking my cat to the overpriced vet completely killed me. American Journey is fitting the requirements the best, but I'm wondering if I should try a LID diet just in case?

 

[neely]

I'm trying to find a new food in case that's the issue, but to keep his anal gland issues at bay he's needed food with 4.5-5% fiber (5.5% is too much, 4% is too little, both make the anal glands worse).

What about Fromm Heartland Gold Large Breed Adult? Here is an analysis breakdown - Fiber is 4.6 to 5.0%
Typical Analysis

 

[sabrinah]

What about Fromm Heartland Gold Large Breed Adult? Here is an analysis breakdown - Fiber is 4.6 to 5.0%
Typical Analysis

It's at the very top of my price range but I'll look into it! Thank you!
I looked through the food options and Chewy and found Dr. Tim's grain free, Horizon Pulsar grain free, I and Love and You grain free, Whole Earth Farms grain free, and Zignature (only one or two flavors in the price range). Any thoughts on these? I know some people don't care about it being grain free, but I notice he's much less itchy and there's less dandruff in general when on a grain free diet.

 

[neely]

I know Fromm has a frequent buyers program but it's only at specific retailers. However, they state if your retailer does not currently participate to have them contact Fromm: Frequent buyer program

Some retailers, for example the one I use, has their own rewards program in addition to participating in the Fromm program. Last month I earned a $10.00 reward for anything in the store. Good luck with your search.

 

[sabrinah]

Ya know the vets here are really making me angry. The one I wanted to try that has no website and is only a single vet wasn't accepting new patients, so I went to a clinic farther away than the one I take my cat to. I knew the pricing would be the same because the two clinics are part of the same system but I really prefer not to have to drive an hour for the vet and be screwed in an emergency. The whole point was to see a different vet but I'm cursed apparently. The same vet my cat saw was at the clinic I went to today. What the heck? How do we manage to get her every time even at a completely different clinic? She also said this clinic will send information to 1800petmeds, yet I got an email from 1800petmeds saying the vet is requiring me to get a written prescription. This clinic is completely out of the way so I'm annoyed I have to drive back out there. In terms of treatment for his issues, it wasn't super helpful. He looks fine so she recommended giving him Benadryl

 

[Columbine]

Ugh. That sounds like a total nightmare I'm so sorry you're having such a rough time finding a vet you feel confident with. that things improve, and that your boy's ear issues ease up soon

 

[neely]

I'm really sorry you keep seeing the same vet despite going to a different location. Is there any way to make an appointment ahead of time so this doesn't happen in the future? Regarding the mix up with the prescription to 1800PetMeds, can she fax the script to them so you don't have to go back for a written one?

And, last but not least, can you ask the single vet who does not have a website and is not accepting new patients if there's a waiting list in case a client leaves the practice?

I can appreciate your frustration and hope your dog feels better soon.

 

[sabrinah]

All appointments are made ahead of time but they won't always tell you who you're seeing. The clinic will not have any contact with 180petmeds and won't fax them or mail them the prescription. They were supposed to call me Saturday when the prescription was written but I never got a call and I'm not happy. Since the two clinics apparently share the same vets I'm going to ask if I can just get it from the one closer to me.

The single vet doesn't do a waiting list. It's pretty much just a keep calling if you want in type of system. The vets here suck.