Head Shaking, Ear Issue? (aDork)

Consider that there may be a middle or inner ear problem, which would not be obvious when examining the outer ear.  The most common problems that cause head shaking are infections, ear mites, and allergies. 

You know there are TWO types of ear infections??  There's yeast - which 'smells' and which leaves gunk in the ear.  (ear mites look like coffee grounds in the ear - not infection but leaves 'gunk';)

But a **bacterial** infection leaves NO sign and they can carry them FOREVER.  I would take Mischa to the vet and **ask** for a culture and sensitivity done on that ear.  Bacterial infection are dangerous because they can be SO hard to detect - a dog can literally carry one for years and ultimately have **worse** problems (it can abscess and burst and you can lose your dog). 

If a vet knows a dog "runs a lot of ear infections" but never tries to go deeper (literally deeper into the ear canal where you can't see) that's not good.  Often they don't suggest a C&S because they run about $100 but it can be the BEST money you can spend.  Literally they "grow" whatever the culture sends and then use several different antibiotics to 'kill' it so they not only tell you what's in there but what it's 'sensitive' to.

I didn't know that it could be an infection without outward signs -- otherwise he would have gone to the vet a while ago. Scheduled him an appointment for 5 pm today. I tend to wonder how seriously things bother him because he has a history of exaggerating how much things hurt, for instance, I hit him across the snout with one finger while playing with him and he threw himself on the ground and yelped. I've seen him get hit harder by other dogs and run into things harder than my one finger. But this seems to really, really be bugging him and so... to the vet we go.

ETA: Went to the vet. He said that it wasn't an ear infection, at least, not of the outer ear, but it was at least ear inflammation. He has ear drops to soothe his ears and an antibiotic to treat whatever is going on deeper down -- which may be a deeper infection or a sinus infection as he's been coughing a bit lately.

Hmmm -- you likely would have been money ahead to ASK for the culture and sensitivity.  This has gone on a long time ... and even the vet can't SEE a bacterial infection. 

We had a cocker before Billy -- and when we adopted him he was constantly shaking his head -- we KNEW there was yeast and I shoved more tubes of Otomax in his ears ... but it never really went away -- it was back over and over and over ...

Bottom line -- I accepted the vet handing me "stuff" for a long time -- and then ultimately I got ticked off (the guy got a new laser and decided he wanted to 'experiment' on a procedure that I knew didn't work -- if anyone says "Zepp Procedure" to you RUN) and I switched vets.

Lo and behold -- THAT vet did a culture and sensitivity -- but by THAT time Muffin's ear canals were all but swelled shut and when there is long term inflammation like that even if you can see "in" the outer ear, the ear canal down deep can be ossifying -- and then blood vessels get kinked off and you can't even get drugs TO the ear.

I learned the hard way -- Muffin lost BOTH of his ears.  It was that or lose him (no joke -- if it abscesses it can kill them).  I will forever feel bad that I didn't stir up more of a stink EARLIER. 

But no one ever told me that there were different *kinds* of ear infections and that you can actually KNOW what it is via a culture and sensitivity test.  Often vets will say "Oh, that's probably not necessary -- let's try Momentamax" (or whatever) ... but by the time you have to go to the vet TWICE or three times and 2-3 different drugs?? You're money ahead with the test so you KNOW what to give them to **fix** it.

I don't mean to sound a know-it-all -- but dang, that vet did Muffin wrong ... and in my ignorance I let it go on too long.  so I always try to make sure folks understand -- this can be one of those places you need to really holller and insist.  If there is inflammation -- SOMETHING caused it. 

aDorkable

I figured trying to start something would be better than waiting for another 7-14 days for the culture

Just for future reference -- typically they will START them on the most logical choice as soon as they swab the ear and shove the swab in the test tube -- you don't have to wait for the results TO start anything.  But if it's not the right drug when the test comes back you can switch to a different drug then.

Typically they know within a couple of days or so what the bacteria IS ... and it's usually 2-4 more days for the "sensitivity"  You don't wait an eternity for that test -- it's something Antech or your local lab does.

And when you get it back it will say something like:

Nastybacterilostaphuswhatzit bacterium ... Rating R - resistant to 1 (least effective) to 5 (highly effective)
                                            Genticin ........................ R
                                            Cephalexyn......................2
                                             Amoxycillan......................R
                                             Baytril...............................3
                                             Ceftin.................................4

or something similiar -- and that's nonsense I purely plucked out of thin air -- but if a particular drug is just plain resistant and won't work you KNOW with the C&S.  And generally you want to go with the "least" drug that is effective even if you have to do a bit longer course of it.   i.e., you don't zoom for the highest rated drug -- leaving yourself somewhere to go if THIS particular animal doesn't respond to the lesser drug.

Good luck!!  and no I  didn't mean he couldn't hear -- just that it can happen.