My poodle keeps getting ear infections he is seven years old. I try to keep them clean and dry No Q.Tips. Does anyone else have any advice?? Thanks pamplin Deb and Preety BOy

-- Anonymous, December 23, 1999

Answers

My first thought would be, have you seen a vet? S/he can rule out exotic stuff, yeast, bugs and other yucky stuff.

That done, what is Pretty Boy eating? It's an old maxim in the poodle biz that people show allergies in their nose and poos show it in their ears. Pedigree, Come and Get It, those atrocious red burger things, and most of the cheaper dog foods contain fillers and dyes that many dogs are sensitive to. Some of the more expensive dog foods, while admirable in many respects, also contain common allergens.

So, read your label. I can't tell you what your dog is sensitive to but here is a partial list of common offenses: corn, wheat, beef, soy, beet pulp, tomato pomace, BHT, eggs, barley, and any food dye.

Your dog might be sensitive to lamb, rice, venison, rabbit, the type of bone or blood meal used, or any of a number of other ingredients. Lamb and rice is touted as hypoallergenic, but there are dogs who are sensitive. Also, if corn or soy are on there with the lamb and rice, and he is sensitive to corn or soy, all the lamb and rice in the world isn't going to make that a good dog food for him.

So, if you have eliminated the vet's suggestions from your list (oh, and by the way, if "yeast" is the diagnosis, it is almost certainly a symptom of allergy! You can clear the yeast from the ears for a while, but if there is an underlying allergy, it will come back.), you can move on to environment.

"Huh?" You say? Yep. Are his ears worse in the summer, or when the junipers are pollinating, or when the grass is a little longer than usual? Does he have a flareup right after a bath, when he rubs his face on the carpet? There are whole books written on things we can be allergic to; you may have to think on this one a lot.

So, check with the vet first. If it's not yeast, treat religiously and see if that clears it up. Then look at food; if you are feeding cheap dog food, contemplate the cost in your dog's comfort and health, then change to whatever works for him. Give each new food a 6 week trial, unless he is spectacularly allergic to it. Having the runs from a change of diet is not spectacular! You may want to consider starting him on boiled rice, then add one ingredient at a time till you have either got him on a good diet or found out what the trouble is. Ask your vet to guide you -- many of them have good ideas on how to manage this. Just remember that allergy can be a multifaceted thing, or it can be sneaky. Vets just hate to try and track down all the things a multiply allergic dog is sensitive to! It's so frustrating and unrewarding.

ONe website that I have found is a great help in tracking down quality dog foods in a relatively short period of time is:

http://www.aloha.com/~wolfepack/foodcht4.html

The guy who maintains it, Earl Wolfe, does a hell of a lot of work to create an exhaustive list of dog food ingredients. He also has some opinions on the subject which you may or may not want to learn about, as well as some home diets, some of which the vets pooh-pooh, and some of which don't make much sense if you ask me. However, dogs appear to be doing well on them, so who am I? :)

Check it out; please take the time to drop him a note if you find his work useful. It helps him keep going with this monumental task.

Good luck solving your boy's problem. At seven, he's due for a change!

Katherine and the Poodles of the Serengeti clean ears, every one! -- but we live in a dry clean climate . . .

-- Anonymous, December 30, 1999