Dog's Allergy - Ears

[EllyJ]

Hi, @Dr. Jeff, @Dr. Christina, @Dr. Sara, I'm having trouble treating my dog's allergy ears. He developed it roughly around 2-3 months ago. I have Dr. Pitcairn's Natural Health book, and so I followed the treatment plan in that: clean with aloe and/or almond oil, and then give homepathic treatments. I admittedly did not clean it after more than a few times. I gave him Pulsitilla 30c (it was supposed to be 6c). Didn't seem to do anything. Then Silicea 30c, and when that didn't work, Graphite. I was to wait a month. I waited a month and nothing seemed to improve. So I went back to square one and did the entire treatment over again, this time doing everything right: clean daily with aloe and/or almond oil, and then Pulsitilla (this time I gave 6c). It SEEMED to be a little improved, and as per Dr. Pitcairn's advice (he said to go on to Silicea if it's a little improved), I gave him Silicea 30c, but that didn't seem to do anything.

I've been giving him acupressure often -- K3, St 36, Liv 2 & 3.

Now it seems like the liquid is stuck in his ears because he's shaking his head like he's got something in his ears. I've stopped cleaning his ears. Yesterday he scratched his ears to the point of bleeding.

He is recently on a raw/home cooked diet. I give him Vit C, B12, and a few other things.

HELLLLLLLLPPPPPPPP!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Elly, and thanks for sharing your first post!

I'm sorry to hear about your pup's ears.

In order to see what your next steps might be, it would be awe-some if you'd share a bit more context.

For example, is this both ears, one then the other, did it start soon after a vet visit, what do you feed, etc.

Aruna's forum posting guide is a great way to start getting this context.

How to describe your case

When posting on forum, follow the guidelines below. That way you will describe your pet's case in detail and our faculty will not need to ask clarifying questions. Here are the guidelines: Create one forum thread per pet. If you have more than one case, create a thread for each animal. Your...

www.holisticactions.com

There's also an ear-only webinar, and lots of ear and allergy info. over in the resource area.

I look forward to learning more and helping your pup's BEAM (has the ear problem had much effect on his ears?).

Maybe start here (as your pup does more BEAMing and breathing his allergies and ears will improve due to an increase of the energy his cells need to heal):

The Happiness Protocol in Your Pet's Life

At HA! we are committed to much more than helping pets become dis-ease free. We promote restoring and maintaining vitality, balance, energy, & happiness.

www.holisticactions.com

HA! Happiness Protocol: 7 Ways to Optimize Your Pet's Life

How can you empower your pet to live their happiest life? Here are seven activities to implement and boost your pet’s behavior, energy, appetite, and mood.

www.holisticactions.com

Optimize Your Pet's Quality Of Life Using BEAM

4 simple symptoms - behavior, energy, appetite, and mood - could help you track and increase your pet's health

www.holisticactions.com

 

[EllyJ]

HI Dr. Jeff,

Thanks for this site!

Here's more info:

Pumpkin
15 yo neutered male
Maltese/Lhasa mix
~14 lbs
BEAM - (has always had some possessive aggressive issues around me [he protects ME], but other than that, his energy, and mood are fantastic. H, knock on wood, acts like a puppy. Appetite is great.)
Was on high quality kibble for his entire life until recently when I (2-3 months ago) put him on a raw/home-cooked diet.
Very few vaccines throughout his life. Mostly just rabies. Not much exposure to toxins. I avoided flea medication and heartworm prevention. Low EMF exposure. Not much medication. For the past few years he's had some UTI's. He might've been given medication for that but also Cranberry and other supplements.

Primary problem: Red, inflamed, itchy ears (both). It began around the time of the heavy antibiotic use/surgery of 3 months ago. He had surgery to remove a mass. (It turned out to be non-cancerous.) But he had a lot of rounds of antibiotics to treat that mass. Probably between 3-4 rounds, including an antibiotic injection.
I don't notice that the condition is better or worse from any factors.
No diagnostic work.
No other health concerns really.

Thanks so much!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks for the great info about Pumpkin!

It sounds like he is one happy boy (do you have any cute pics?). He's fortunate to have you as his mom.

Sounds like the immune imbalance from surgery, anti-biotics may have disrupted his microbiome. Bacterial imbalance can result in immune imbalance, allergies and ear problems.

What do you think the next steps might be?

 

[EllyJ]

Gosh, I don't know. (And thanks for the compliment, btw I'll share a pic soon. )

He's on a diet of meat, grains, fruits and veggies. I give him marrow bones sometimes. I don't think an elimination diet would do much b/c he's already on such a good diet.. and to be honest, that sounds like too much work..

Different homeopathic treatments?

Continue to do acupressure

I dunno, I mean, he's old. I feel like his liver is probably toxic right now and I don't know how much I could do. His new diet should help. I could -- and this is not ideal -- but someone recommended zymox -- it would make it easier on me b/c I have so much on my plate already; this has been exhausting.

If there are no other homeopathic treatments that I could try, I guess just keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully it'll pass?!? Do you recommend that I still clean them? I guess I'd have to put a lot less in b/c I think I put too much before...

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes, continued ear cleaning (with wiping out any debris) would be great. Perhaps try these ear wipes:

Amazon.com

You might also want to consider using probiotics to help balance his immune system.

There's lots of info about them in Dr. Knueven's webinar and throughout the member resource area.

 

[EllyJ]

Dr. Jeff, should I pull the hair out of his ears to help with cleaning? I recall a vet doing that once. I cleaned them with the hydrogen peroxide + water solution you recommended on your site, but it didn't get rid of the discharge. Should I clean them more roughly?

Also, I have some Aconite in the house. I heard you mention it on the webinar. He has a history of being a little jumpy. Can I give that to him and if so, how much and how often? And can homeopathy treat his possessive-aggressiveness?

Here's a pic of Pumpkin and I, about 10 years ago. It's the only one I have on my computer right now. It's been a challenge avoiding vaccines, etc over the years but I have no regrets.

 

[GinnyW]

Well, were it I, and just for trysies - you knew I'd say this, no? ...I would knock off the grains, fruits, and veggies Could you just feed meat, meat broth, some soft bones, for a week or two? All the above contain allergenic compounds, to which it sounds as if he is exquisitely sensitive. I'm not the homeopath, but I don't see a clear indication for a remedy just now, and it wouldn't hurt to try the elimination thing.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks for sharing that adorable pic Elly!

Regarding plucking ears, it all depends on how hairy they are and if it has historically been a problem. For example, would his ears bother him before a grooming?

Personally I've seen dogs both get better and occasionally much worse after an aggressive plucking (usually a gentle pluck is OK).

Aconite as an acute remedy is wonderful (and is one of the 4 Awe-some A homeopathic medicines that you can learn more about from your member resources)! However, this isn't really acute and the other emotional issues you mentioned are also more likely to be more chronic (the acute vs. chronic understanding is explained in much more detail in the Vitality, Balance and homeopathy seminars also in your member area).

Yes, it can be hard to avoid the vet focus on annual vaccinations. However I think it's worth reducing the chances of immune imbalances that any stressor (like a drug or vaccine) can trigger.

This article talks more about that model of maintaining balance and health:

The Return to Wholeness and Homeostasis

As the legacy of Decartes comes to an end, the principle of dynamic equilibrium is being rediscovered and gaining prominence in veterinary medicine.

www.holisticactions.com

BTW-I'd love to discuss more about this model and making mindful vet decisions during our next HMDM guidance call.

 

[EllyJ]

Well, were it I, and just for trysies - you knew I'd say this, no? ...I would knock off the grains, fruits, and veggies Could you just feed meat, meat broth, some soft bones, for a week or two? All the above contain allergenic compounds, to which it sounds as if he is exquisitely sensitive. I'm not the homeopath, but I don't see a clear indication for a remedy just now, and it wouldn't hurt to try the elimination thing.

That's a good point. Although I did feed him just meat and bones for about two weeks while I was figuring how how to do this new diet. But I could try again; thank you!

P.S. Does the thumbs up next to Dr. Jeff's name mean he liked your post?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes!

 

[MauraF]

Pumpkin is absolutely adorable and clearly full of Lhasatude! This past Friday, I just lost my Shih Tzu, Joli, three weeks short of her 15th birthday. I understand what you are dealing with. Last month, I took Joli to the groomer and her right ear was almost blocked with gunk. Holistic Vet cleaned it thoroughly with Dechra TrizUltra + Keto Flush, plucked most of the hair and then applied two dots of Vet One EnteDerm Ointment to the inside flap and smooshed it around, and then a small squirt into the ear canal, closed the flaps and gently massaged at bottom where ear met face to the count of 20. There are YouTube videos if you need to watch. Morning and evening I repeated this regimen until it totally cleared. I would put a squirt of the TrizUltra + Keto flush onto a swisspers pad, clean the inside flap and then with another flush moistened pad, cleanse the gunk from outside of the canal and just inside, following with the application of the Entederm Ointment; 2 dots to differing parts of inner flaps, smoothing over skin and putting a squirt into the canal, gently pinching together where ears met face and massaging to the count of twenty. I realize this was not homeopathic. That said, clearing was rapid which is important for the comfort of a very senior, ill dog. EnteDerm Topical Ointment for Dogs & Cats is available online at Chewy for $12.56 for a 30 ml tube. The Dechra Topical TrizULTRA + Keto Flush (12 oz) Basic pack was $32.49 from Fitter Critter on Amazon. As someone else mentioned, it may be very helpful to cut back on any unnecessary food carbs for the time being and limit the proteins to try and determine if there is a particular trigger. Don;t forget that you can serve Pumpkin two or three eggs per week. Many pups are allergic to chicken. Best wishes to you and Pumpkin for a full recovery and please update us.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I'm so sorry to hear about Joli Maura.???

 

[MauraF]

Thank you. Joli was one of a kind.