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Lab with ear infection that won’t clear up. Help!

My daughter has a 2 y/o male Lab who has had an ear infection for months.

He has been on Antibiotics, ear drops and ear washes. He does not go swimming. The Vet told her Labs have on-going ear infections.

Is this true?

He cries when you touch his ears.

What can we do to help him?

Thank you

Shirley
NY

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2 Responses to “Lab with ear infection that won’t clear up. Help!”

  1. Joe - Customer Care VetLocator.com says:

    Hi Shirley,

    Ouch! Ear infections are no fun – and your vet is right, Labs are prone to them because of their floppy ears and their love of water. It sounds like your daughter’s vet gave medicine and good advice for treating this cause of ear infections.

    There are a few other reasons the condition may be persisting. Here are some that are listed on Dr.s Foster and Smith’s website.

    Allergies such as atopy or food allergies (atopy means the allergic reaction appears in an area that was not in contact with what the dog is allergic to – like a rash that appears somewhere because of a food allergy)

    Parasites – ear mites

    Microorganisms – bacteria and yeast

    Foreign bodies, e.g., plant awns (slender plant spikes that can get stuck in fur and work their way under a pet’s skin)

    Trauma

    Hormonal abnormalities, e.g., hypothyroidism

    The ear environment, e.g., excess moisture and ear anatomy

    Hereditary or immune conditions, and tumors

    As I said, there can be many reasons. Ask your daughter to speak to her vet one more time, and if she feels that she’s not getting helpful answers, have her check with someone else. We have many pet professionals listed in our directory that can help.

    Best Wishes,
    Joe
    Customer Care
    http://www.vetlocator.com

  2. Mac Kecskes says:

    Ear infections do occur from time to time. You can use some home remedies that includes herbal anti-microbials as wells as over the counter antibiotics. Xylitol is also great agains ear infection. ‘.**’

    Kindest regards

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