Ear infection and food

I do believe that food can and does cause ear infections.  What do you feed now? If you haven't yet, you will want to look into high protein diets or even raw.

I have a weimaraner (not a designer breed ;) and they are very prone to ear problems. I just clean them out every few weeks... he's fed raw and his ears are fine.  I have friends who clean their weims ears out more often, though.  Just a personal preference.

I've heard that a solution of apple cider vinegar, applied with a cotton ball to the visible parts of the ear and gently swabbed around, helps keep things dried out in there.

If this is a really bothersome thing, you might have some luck going gluten free.  Gluten sources are small grains except rice, and any added "protein" source from a vegetable (such as "potato protein" listed on a food).  Also, dairy and sugars can be triggers for this sort of thing, and for some dogs, yeast (like brewer's yeast). 

It may not be an allergy per se, but rather a condition such as yeast overgrowth which is triggered by the food.  The fact that it's one ear, not both, points to yeast rather than allergy. 

One very effective thing I've found for yeast infections (I have a dog prone to moderate yeast problems), is daily probiotic doses with a high quality product marketed for human use - the type found in the refrigerated case of the health food store.  NOW 4X6 is my favorite, as it's a powder which is easy to give the dogs (they line up when I get the bottle out of the fridge for their daily dose).  But you can use any brand that's convenient for you, that has more than one BILLION CFUs acidophilus organisms guaranteed.  It's okay if it has other organisms (like bifidus) but acidophilus is the only one that has been researched and the effectiveness of it demonstrated.

The idea behind the probiotic is that if your problem is food-related, your dog's gi might be disturbed, and part of the disturbance is that the "bad bugs" are crowding out the "Good bugs."  Furthermore, a drop in the population of probiotics in the gut reduces uptake of mineral vital for immune health, and skin health.  Probiotics are central in that process and if they aren't there, your dog isn't getting any benefit from the zinc, copper, selenium, and other vital minerals you are feeding him.

It all gets very complicated but it's a relatively easy fix!!  Good luck!

My trainer's GSDs all got ear infections on Canidae, according to her.  My parent's Westie used to get yeast infections in his ears all the time until we switched him to a grain free diet -- he hasn't had one since.  Food allergies can cause a whole host of problems and the ears tend to be a big one.

Food allergies or intolerences typically show up in the ears, skin or coat.  Common allergens are corn, wheat, soy, grain fragments and the grain glutens.  You don't have to go with a grain free food, but at least find one without those items.  Innova is one I like, although I believe it still has some dairy, and you might want to avoid that as well.  Blue Buffalo is another good one and the grains used in that are the WHOLE grains.

My cockers had dreadful ear problems when they were being fed Vet recommended Purina.  Once I switched them to better quality food, the problems got less severe.

One thing I did with them was to keep the INSIDE of the ear shaved and to thin the outside of the ear as much as possible without making them look silly.  Removing some of that extra weight helped keep the ears somewhat less "glued" to the canals.

I've been told by various vets to use a white vinegar/water mixture or rubbing alcohol and water.  You never want those ear canals to stay wet when you've bathed, and in fact, when I bathed cockers I would use cotton batting to line the canals to prevent as much water from geting into them.  Those beautiful ears create a dark, moist breeding ground for infection.

My one golden retriever got hot spots and or ear infections about twice a year---when the live oak and pine pollen was thick, when the burmada grass greened and rainy season (fall and spring.)  She had no problem with food alergies, just the pollen, bermuda grass, mold, and fleas (they casued her to itch dreadful.)

stungerz

My dog has chronic ear infection in one ear.  If he is allergic to some type of food would the ear infection occur in both the ears?

When my lab was getting constant ear infections, she tended to get them in one ear far more than the other. I changed her from a chicken/rice or lamb/rice kibble to Natural Balance Duck and Potato and her ear infections stopped completely, so I know food can definitely be a factor. You could try doing an elimination diet of just one protein/one carb and see if it helps. You'd want to use something that he's not eaten before and you'd need to feed it for 6-8 weeks.

Lamb, oats, wheat, and corn are very high triggers for my Nova Scotia...even a small treat with either of these ingredients and his ears will be blood shot by morning.

Brown rice, Millet, and Quinoa are the only grains he can eat without reaction, but he very rarely gets them.

He eats a homecooked meal of HK preference pre-mix and a rotation of chicken, turkey and beef.

His ears were HORRIBLE when he came to us at 4mnths old; vet had to sedate him to do a thorough cleaning and get him on antibiotics...he had been eating Pedigree.

His ears, every now and then, will get red, but has not had a single infection since he was 4mnths old.....he'll be 2 in April.

I do think there is a direct link to foods and ear infections.  Both of my bichons will get yeasty ears, yeast infections in their feet around their toenails on certain foods.  I can't seem to find a common ingredient that would cause it, however when I take them off of kibble/canned and put them on a fresh food diet (I usually use sojos or follow the strombeck recipes) the yeasty ears and feet disappear as well as beard staining and tear staining. 

Of course, I have zero evidence but I suspect that something in the vitamin mix they use might be causing the trouble. 

They're currently on PetGuard Lifespan, which I usually rave about but their tear/beard staining has come back and Darby's ear is infected again, poor thing. Makes me think twice about the 'convenience' factor with kibble/canned and I am wanting to head back to sojos again.