Poorly Cass The Springer

[Hilary & Hounds]

:wub: :wub:

Cassie has a recurring ear infection that only ever affects her left ear. :blink: She has it at the moment. I've just got back from the vet's where he hurt and scared her so much :rant: I'm covered in pee and anal gland stuff! :x She's got drops to clear it up and they usually help.

What I'm wondering is whether anyone knows of a herbal remedy or chemical stock in trade, available off the shelf, that works on ear infections in spaniels? I really don't want to take her back to the vet for this when, and sadly it is a "when", it re-occurs in the future. She's only 4 and has had this on and off since she was a puppy.

Cassie thanks you in advance for all your help!

Edited to apologise profusely for spelling Vicky's name wrong!

 

[Judy]

I expect it will depend on exactly what kind of infection Cassie's got in her ear but I have often heard of a product called Thornit as a sort of cure-all for ear problems. Lots of people swear by it.

Here is a link Thornit

and another Homoeopet.co.uk

 

[Juley]

Poor Cassie, sorry can't help but hope she feels better soon. :huggles:

 

[Hilary & Hounds]

Thanks Judy! You're the second person to recommend Thornit (which I hadn't heard of before) so I've ordered some. :thumbsup:

 

[anslinmcg]

:luck: Good luck Hilary with Cass :luck:

 

[Janimal]

Poor Cassie - Get Well Soon :huggles:

My Mams old Cocker Spaniel Ross, used to have recurring ear problems too Hillary - but its a long time ago now. He had several operations to clean the ears out too.

Hope Cassies not too uncomfortable.

 

[Zephyr]

Yes - another recommendation for Thornit - fantastic stuff :thumbsup: - it's a powder and you think it won't work but it does - after 12 years of my poor old white cat Lucy having ear infections and getting really stressed at all the yukky yellow stuff down her ears - I tried Thornit and it sorted it out straight away :thumbsup: - and it's clean, easy to use and quite cheap! Go for it!! :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[Vicky]

Seems a common problem in Spaniels, probably coz they're ears are sooo warm and lovely for anything yacky to grow in. We've used in the past otodex ear drops and they seem to do the trick as well as a good cleaning out, i know i've recomended it to a couple of friends too who have had some joy with it.

Hope Cassie's feeling better soon :luck: :wub:

ETA I'll keep the other stuff in mind, sounds like it's worth having in!

 

[Rae]

What about Jo - (Dorwest Herbs) she might be able to recommend something too?

Hope Cassie is OK :luck:

 

[Den]

My ckc spaniel has regular ear problems too, nearly always the left one and it has a black waxy discharge that often turns into an infection. I'm going to try Thornit too.

Hope poor Cassie is more comfortable soon

 

[kris]

spaniels and other breeds who have floppy ears dont get much fresh air in the ear so its an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.if its canker or ear mites you need to get it sorted at the vets,if its just a build up of wax,try warmed olive oil.otodex ear drops are similar,but cost a bit more than the olive oil.if theres any hair growing in ear canal then you have to pluck it out.use some eyebrow tweezers and sprinkle a bit if powder like talc to give them a better grip on the greasy hairs in the ear.just do it a bit at a time or youll make it red and irritated. :thumbsup:

 

[wild whippies]

Works on Persians too, although they ain't so co-operative with the plucking! (w00t)

 

[ILoveKettleChips]

Things that can help to prevent ear infections include plucking the hair from inside the ear (a good groomer will do this for you with minimal distress to the dog), avoiding swimming and using an ear cleaner solution. There are lots of decent neutral ear cleaners available, Leo being the most commonly used, but in the case of a dog with recurring ear problems it's probably worth using something like Sancerum (from vet, but they will probably give you this without seeing her!) a couple of times a week at least.

I have heard of Thornit powder, but to be honest powders are a really outdated way of treating ear problems. They don't penetrate as deep into the canal as a low viscosity liquid does and they can clog up an already narrowed canal and make problems even worse. Having said that, if it works, then great, but perhaps caution is warranted.

If the problems are really persistent and the ear canal is narrowed to the extent that infection is constant, then there is an op (vets again, sorry ) called a lateral wall resection which can dramatically reduce the pain and infection and make the problems much easier to control. I'm sure the vet will suggest this if they feel she's at that stage.

You have my sympathy, ear problems are horrible for dogs and owners, and they make the poor mutts sooooo miserable. Hopefully the drops will clear things up for now :luck: