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can i give my dog clindamycin? He has an ear infection. I have been cleaning it to no avail with 1/2 peroxide 1/2 water and Bactine. Now he in running a fever 103.0. He is allergy prone/ear infection prone. I don't have much money and am looking for a local vet who will take payments, but haven't found one yet. He weighs 70lbs. 2yrs old
Optional Information: Pet's Sex: Male Pet's Age: 2 Already Tried: Cleaning his ear.
Hello and Thank You for contacting JustAnswer
I am so sorry your boy is having trouble.
Can you tell me what breed he is ?
Does he have any trouble with licking the feet or itching in conjunction to the ear infections?
What city and state are you located in?
Yes he is linking he feet and itching. He is a German Shepard/Golden Mix. We are in the Houston, TX area. Specifically Baytown, Tx. East of Houston
Ok, Give me just a few minutes to type up your answer I have several things I want to discuss.
Oh, the Clindamycin I have is 300mg left over from an infection I had 2 mths ago.
Oh, the Clindamycin I have is 300mg left over from an infection I had 2 mths ago.We have 5min before they make this question open to others.
Clindamycine is not normally used for ear infections so I would not suggest using this antibiotic. I also would not use peroxide as this is very damaging to the skin in the ears.
With a history of ear infections, itching and licking the feet it is highly likely that this is ALL due to a food allergy. I will discuss food allergies in just a moment.
To fully clear the ear infection you may need topical ear medications from the vet. You can try using a homemade ear solution that may help until you can have him seen. Here is a recipe we use for a lot of our cocker spaniel patients who often suffer from chronic ear infections.
Here is a link to making this ear solution
http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/EarCleaner.html
I am going to give you a list of low cost vet care in your area
Pet Care express has $9 exams and office visits
2501 West Holcombe Blvd., Ste. DHouston, TXNNN-NN-NNNNbr />Phone:(NNN) NNN-NNNN/strong>
Low cost pet clinic
Houston Humane Society has a low cost clinic
http://www.houstonhumane.org/dog-services/
I would try one of this to see if you can get him cared for.
Now for the food allergies. I can tell you that allergies are one of my areas of interest and as I said above your dog sounds like a classic food allergy dog.
The most commonly areas of the body effected by a food allergy are the ears the feet and the rear If this is due to food allergies this will continue to be a problem until you find a food he can eat.
Dogs can develop food allergies at any times even if they have been on the same food for a long period of time While most people think that food allergies are due to grains such as corn, wheat, bran as well as soy that is in fact not the whole truth. The biggest problem is the PROTEIN source. This includes chicken, lamb and beef.
The following article discusses how to do a food trial in-depth this is the same instructions we give our clients. It is recommended to try a different protein source such as duck, rabbit, kangaroo or Bison and grain free We often see dogs do well on a different protein only to develop an allergy to this as well later down the road. Purina HA or Science diet ZD are top of the line allergen diets. These foods have had the molecules broken down to the point that the body can not identify what they are getting thereby eliminating all chance of an allergic reaction
Read more here
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1587&aid=143
When trying a food trail it is very important that they get no other foods, treats or human foods as this will void out the food trial. This can take 6-8 weeks to show improvement so you must stick with it. Should you opt to try the trial and your baby is a treat eater here is a recipe you can make using his food as to not jeopardize the trial. These recipes are for science diet foods however any food can be used.
Using canned food:
Open the can and shake the loaf of food out of the can.
Cut the loaf into 1/4" thick slices, and then cut the slices into bite-sized pieces.
Bake the treats in a microwave oven on high for approximately 2½ to 3 minutes.
Store baked treats in the refrigerator and discard leftovers after 5-7 days.
Homemade treats should not exceed 10% of your pet's total daily intake because heat alters the nutritional characteristics of the food.
Do not freeze homemade treats.
For a conventional oven, follow the instructions above and place the bite-sized pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until crispy.
Using Dry Food:
In a blender, add 2 cups of dry food and grind into a powder.
Pour powder into a mixing bowl and gradually add about 1 to 1¼ cups of water, stirring until it forms a dough consistency.
Shape into individual "treats" or "cookies" and flatten the dough using the back of a spoon (the cookies will not flatten like standard "people cookies" do.)
Place treats on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until crispy.
I hope this has been helpful, I would love for you to touch base with me in 3 weeks if you choose to do a food trial and let me know how he is doing. Please reply back if you have additional questions or concerns.
Candy
Candy, I am feeding him Natural Balance by Dick V. Sweet Potato and Chicken. He has been doing OK on this, but has still been prone to the ear infections. I guess I need to change to a different Natural Balance with Bison or something else. They also have duck and fish blends with sweet potato.
Natural balance is great. This is what I feed my allergy dog, you can stay with the same brand just change your protein source, you can try either the duck, fish or Bison and see if this helps, I really think this will make a huge difference in both the feet licking and ear infections.
Experience: Practicing Veterinary Technician for 23 years.Former Veterinary Practice Owner, Technician Trainer
thank you. I am going to check with the suggested vet clinics in the morning, and I will try the ear wash you gave me the link to as well.
You are very welcome, Please let me know how he is doing. If none of these clinic can help please let me know and I will see if I can locate something else for you.
I think you will be very happy with the ear cleaner.