Think we're gonna need lots of popcorn
for this one.
Posted on 01/21/2011 2:41:39 PM PST by Nachum
We have a black lab/golden retriever mix. We noticed that there was a smell coming from our dog's ears recently. After inspection, there was a lot of black ear-wax like discharge on the inside of her ear. She is not digging or scratching at her ears, but there is the discharge and smell.
After doing some research, the consensus seems to be that she may be suffering some kind of ear infection. Do the FReepers here have experience with ear issues? The site I linked to generally speaks of a remedy of apple cider vinegar and water in the ear.
After a long week of politicking and Obamanations, why not talk about something important- our pets. :)
Get thee to the vet.
What’s it taste like?
No offense but don’t you think you should get the dog to a vet?
Vet only. if she has something that has caused excoriation and you do vinegar it will burn her, and she may need immediate attention for something, besides the fact that this is her ears, you don’t know what that will do to her hearing
Or maybe not.
(One of the hamsters is off today?)
Yep. We are going to take her in. Just asking people here their experience, if they have seen this before.
Some breeds of dogs, including ours, have a tendency to build up some black material in their ears. It needs to be cleaned every once in a while, and if you can get your dog to relax, they don’t mind it much, and seem to be a lot happier afterwards. There is a solution you can get that helps with the cleaning.
Yes, similar thing with our Pug Jack, but I cannot recall the anti-fungal drops.
VetVetDoug will know.
Go to the vet.
yes do get to the vet, they will make sure its not a parasite or massive infection and can give you drops to help brake up the wax. Get cotton balls or non-woven cotton that you can pinch off and a pair of hemostats to remove the gunk. your vet will help you determine how deep you can go, quite deep actually.
BTW have them check for foxtails etc while there (which they will want to do anyway). BTW the cleaning ritual will be two or three times a week for the rest of the dogs life.
I’d go to a reliable vet. It sounds as if the dog needs to have the ears cleaned out, first, and then needs to go on medication for a while, until the infection has been cleared up.
I have taken a warm damp tissue to clean the outer ear. She doesn’t mind it at all. We will take her to the vet anyway. Bet he’ll say much the same as you recommended. Probably some anti-fungal drops.
Our black/lab great dane mutt gets yeast infections in the ears - especially after getting them wet. Black/brown, smelly, etc. My wife dries them off after out in the rain or water, and if bad has some ointment from the vet that she uses. With a rod disk-shaped makeup removal pad. Others have told her homemade treatments - but my wife doesn’t trust those. But I imagine trying a homemade version with an old rag isn’t going to hurt - and if it works, great! (And, isn’t vineager and water an old treatement for, uhm, women’s particulars? Similar thing I imagine in the dog’s ears)
Likely a yeast infection - black, gookey and smelly. Daily routine until the ears are cleared up: Nolvascan Otic cleansing solution, squirted into ears, leave for a couple of minutes and clean out with a cotton ball. Also: Call your vet for a prescription for Otomax and follow the directions. I’ve got two Goldens with nice clean ears.
Could have ear mites.
Just to be clear, you can get a dog groomer to do this, or just do it yourself. It shouldn’t require a vet unless some sort of secondary problem has set it.
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