jtrent6415
Omaha
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So we have a 11 year old Welsh Pembroke Corgi, Wrangler. About 4 years ago we moved to Omaha and he started having ear issues where he would rub his ears on the carpet until they start bleeding. We have been to the Vet several times and are sure he does not have ear mites. We have continuosly cleaned and treated with anti fungal and anti bacterial drops, which help his symptoms, but not the root cause. We have also given him some anti allergy meds, but those don't seem to help.
Has anyone else ran into this? I am not sure what else to try and I know it is bugging him. Thanks.
2011 Keystone Passport 2910BH
2005 Ford F-250 King Ranch (yes, the dreaded 6.0)
2004 Suburban 1500
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dturm
Munster, IN
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Chronic ear problems are almost alway allergy related. It can be very difficult to find and treat the culprit as it can be anything from pollens, dust, environmental chemicals or cleaners, various fabrics or foods.
What allergy medications have been tried? Has a culture ever been done? Sometimes it is necessary to try many different ones and (shock, gasp) cortisone. The fastest way to a cure is to find the exact culprit and treat with appropriate medication.
We can over clean and over medicate an ear too. Some cleaners irritate the ear canal causing inflammation and overuse of medications can lead to bacterial resistance. Choosing the "wrong" ear medicine can also lead to failure.
You are not alone in your frustration (I get frustrated at the lack of progress with some patients).
Keep talking to your vet, and perhaps it's time to seek an opinion from a dermatology specialist.
Doug, DVM
Doug & Sandy
Jill (11yr old Golden)& Charmin (16 yr old something)
Henry NOW a camping cat
2008 Southwind
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jtrent6415
Omaha
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We have tried Benedryl and Claratin. Also, he occasionally gets a hotspot on his skin. Maybe we did not keep him on the allergy meds long enough? I think maybe a trip back to our vet may be in order. Thank you for helping.
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tkzamp1
Vermont
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We have a 3 year old Shar Pei mix who has always had this type of problem. We have taken him to the vet and tried different types of medicines and treatments but just couldn't get rid of the constant irritation and scratching. We were also concerned as to whether our constant attention to his ears was causing more problems than it was solving. We read somewhere that yogurt in his food might help. So we tried it by putting a tablespoon in his food once a day. We have been doing this for about 6 weeks and it has worked for us. We now only have to work on his ears occasionally instead of daily. I don't know if this will work for you but it has done wonders for our baby. Good Luck
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sue.t
Ibex Valley, YUKON
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Joined: 08/05/2004
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Kodi will get mucky itchy ears if he eats certain foods. Fish products really set him off. Beef, lamb and chicken also trigger his allergies but not as much as the fish does.
I tried many different dry foods and fresh foods. Natural Balance's Sweet Potato and Bison combined with fresh cooked pork & cottage cheese work for him. No itching. No gunk in his ears.
sue t.
Pictures from our many RV Adventures to Yukon & Alaska from Vancouver Island. Now we live in Yukon.
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dturm
Munster, IN
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While I've used both benedryl and claritin in dogs, most derm specialists recommend hydroxyzine or doxepin as most effective antihistamines in dogs. They are both prescription, so that is a drawback. I'd pretty much keep him on the antihistamines constantly for several months rather than try to treat the flare ups. There really is very little down side risk to doing this.
If in fact this is allery related, there are some dietary supplements that can boost the immune system and act as anti-inflammatories. I usually start with a pretty high dose of fish oils. I'm sure Susan can chime in with other natural supplements.
Doug
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jtrent6415
Omaha
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dturm wrote: Has a culture ever been done?
No, it has not been done. What kind of information would you get from a culture?
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corgi-traveler
Bakersfield, CA
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In addition to following all of Dr Doug's advice, here's another long shot to consider. I would suggest a very thorough carpet cleaning with a good quality hypo-allergenic shampoo.
Like many herding breeds, corgis can sometimes become obsessive. He could have caught a whiff of something he liked in that carpet, and rolled till he made himself bleed. Or it could be something in the actual carpet he is allergic to.
Samantha (the poster)
Tim, spouse and driver of the Corgi-Bus
Buddy, Diva, and Pippin - Pembroke Welsh Corgis
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Pawz4me
North Carolina
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With a chronic ear issue and a lack of response to antihistamines, I'd be wondering about a food allergy(ies).
Me and the DH 
Two boys and two dogs (and two cats who prefer to stay home)
2008 Forest River Georgetown 350DS (bunkhouse model)
2001 Honda CR-V
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dturm
Munster, IN
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The culture & sensitivity (C&S) grows what ever is causing the problem, identifies it (e. coli, pseudomonas, staph, etc.) then runs antibiotic sensitivity to see what really should work to treat it. Most ear meds are a "best guess" at what usually works to get the infection. With chronic conditions this is an important next step.
It's pretty important to do this after antibiotics have NOT been used for a period of time.
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