Accepted Answer

There are important things to know before deciding to use a medicine in a dog's ear.

You need to know if this is an infection or an ear mite problem as they are treated differently.

You can read about infections here

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ear_infections.html

and ear mites here

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ear_mites.html

You need to know if the ear drum is perforated or not as most over the counter meds are not safe if that is the case.

You need to know if this is something that will clear up with topical meds, require oral meds, or is related to a problem with allergies or a low thyroid problem.

If you know the problem is an ear infection and that the ear drum is not perforated then there are some things you can use.

You can see if your local pet supply store carries Zymox with cortisone or find it online. I've had good luck clearing up persistent infections with that. You can read about it here
http://animalpetdoctor.homestead.com/Zymox.html
This site goes over ear infections and has another ear cleaner mentioned that had good results
http://www.dermapet.com/articles/art-03.html
here is just the product info
http://www.dermapet.com/prod-09.html
Ear infections are a common symptom of allergies in dogs.
You can read about allergies and dermatitis in dogs here
http://www.lbah.com/allergy.htm

http://www.priory.com/vet/vetatop1.htm
Dogs can develop allergies to foods, and to inhaled items, and contact allergens such as rug cleaners, cedar beds, or chemicals including lawn chemicals or even flea bites.
You might want to try a different dog food that has no ingredients the same as what you feed now. Diets of Fish and Potato, venison, or rabbit etc. where the protein source is new and there are no grains in the food can work for many dogs for example. Another option is the hypoallergenic diet from your vet Hills ZD. Changing food does no good if you feed the same ingredients. Remember food changes have to include all treats and can take 8-12 weeks or more before you see results.

If this is an inhalant allergy you may find using a HEPA air filter in the room the dog uses most and wiping the dog down with a damp towel when it comes in helps reduce allergen exposure.

You might want to see if some plain Benadryl helps with any itching. A usual dose is 1mg per pound of dog. If you choose to use that please read here about cautions

http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/diphenhydramine-benadryl/page1.aspx

Or you may want to consult with your vet and consider doing allergy testing.
Dogs in this breed can also be prone to low thyroid problems which can trigger allergies and infections. A vet can test for that issue too.

As cash flow is an issue, check with your local humane society to see if there is local low cost vet care, ask your vet if you can do time payments, or see if you qualify for
Care Credit
http://www.carecredit.com/
A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care.
"With a comprehensive range of plan options, for
treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, we offer a plan
and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every
budget." They have a zero interest program if you pay within a certain time frame and they list the vets who work with their product.

Hope this helps you!

 

Expert:	NancyH
Pos. Feedback:	99.5 %
Accepts:
Answered:	9/8/2009

Dog Expert:Rescue, Train,Breed,Care

30+ yrs dog home vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior&training, responsible show breeding, genetics