as promised update on thunders ears and constant scratching.we are now in to 8th week on james wellbeloved food and we are still scratching like mad .and his ears are very gunged up .so i guess this is still not helping.i just dont no what else to do he has been at the vets constance for last 4yrs first antibiotics-drops-steroids.all that has done is i now have a pumped up akita.so to say i am at my wits end is a understatment.i feel so sorry for him but i dont seem able to help him.

Oh dear, poor you. Others may know better but I have a hunch that JWB food is now owned by Mars/Pedigree- I'm not sure it is the same food it used to be if you get my drift.

I'd be inclined to talk to your vet about an exclusion diet and to see if he is intolerant of particular foods, I'd also suggest perhaps making him home cooked. I do feel some dogs are just not made to eat kibble, assuming that's what he has . Aside from JWB what if any treats does he have?

There's also the possibility that it has now become a habit and severely scratched ears are still going to be sore and the dog scratches more to relieve the soreness. Does he chew on something? Dogs that are allowed to freely chew on a range of things- raw, meaty bones, bull's pizzle often have lower stress levels, the act of chewing is also a massive distraction which might deter him from scratching.

The vet is treating with antibiotics as though it is an infection but has he considered that it is now a habit?

Forgive me if you have done all this and I am on the wrong tack, I could not find the original information on Thunder.

>I have a hunch that JWB food is now owned by Mars/Pedigree- I'm not sure it is the same food it used to be if you get my drift.

Mars also owns companies that make vending machines and soft drinks ... ;-)

JG,
Yes, an unusual mixture of products, shall we say.

Not really - just profitable companies, so higher dividends for investors. The impact on each other is minimal. :-)

grannysmith,
Here's a link to one analysis/review but it is 2005 so a little out of date.  Also I don't know which type of JWB you are using but note the comment about use of beet pulp as a filler and what some consider to be a strong relationship between this and some ear conditions
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=381&cat=5

JG,
Yes, my reaction is a little knee-jerk but I always feel with multinationals that if there are savings to be had and the product loses some quality as a result that it will not worry them. I know many will disagree.

Have you considered a more natural diet such as Natural Instinct. The people there are very helpful and would be able to advise you on the best way to go.

http://www.naturalinstinct.com/

Has he ever had a blood test for allergies?  You really need to know what you are dealing with before attempting an exclusion diet as there are so many things you'd need to exclude (for at least 4 weeks, usually 6) that you'll be working on it til next Christmas!!  In particular you need to know if it's an internal irritant ie food, or external such as dust mites or pollen.

Talk to your vet about a York Test. Once you've identified the problem you'll have a clearer idea of what action to take

Incidentally has your vet swabbed his ears to check it's not a persistent infection - Pseudomonas.  Regardless of the initial cause, once this has a hold you'll need to hit it hard and fast, usually starting with having his ears flushed under GA.

thank you for replying as of yet the vets do not seem to be very helpfull apart from takeing our money i mentioned trying thunder on jwb and he just smirked .thunder did have a ear swab when we had a locom vet and that was yeast infection .the treats he has been haveing are also jwb plus 1 teeth cleaner per day this is pedigree.

Personally I would stop the Pedigree tooth cleaner immediately and put him on a natural or exclusion diet. I would want to check for allergies.
Second, I would get some Thornit Powder. I have a non-shedding breed and Sunday night is Thornit night ! I put the powder in the ear and also on the leathery flap. I know that this is for ear mites but in my case I think it is good for ear health - it's magic !

grannysmith,

Given you say the vet has been treating with antibiotics for four years I'd seriously consider changing my vet- he's treating symptoms rather than trying to get to the root cause, which is what needs doing. As you see from other suggestions there are many possibilities and so thorough, considered investigation first excluding medical causes is the way to go.

As he has had yeast excluding foods with grain would be a good idea.  There are many reasonably priced foods that use potato instead of rice, wheat or maize in their formula's.  Also Beat Pulp is an ingredient implicated in yeast issues.

As far as I remember JWB is a rice and meat meal food.

If your dog had not eaten fish as a regular part of his food trying fish4dogs might be worth a try (fish and Potato base).

Personally I would for a month try him on fish and potato made at home.  You can buy economy white fish fillets at most supermarkets.  These can be poached, and Potatoes can be cooked and mashed with the fish juice and the fish mixed in or given on top. A canine vitamin supplement can be given, but not one containing yeast.

This way if it is dietary your in control of his food, giving only very few ingredients.  Of course he must have nothing else, especially commercial treats and biscuits.

Has he been tested for ear mites ? I might be tempted to try a dose of Advocate to see what happens.

Also, don't forget about enviromental allergies. Is his bedding cotton and washed in non-bio powder, do you use air fresheners and carpet fresheners ?

I was thinking earlier about the fact that you use the dental chews. Don't !!!
I bought The puppy ones and was feeding half every night and her ears went red so I binned them.
Use natural treats like cheese and apple, and try the Fish 4 Dogs Sea Jerky as a tooth cleaner and healthy chew.

thank you i will stop the teeth cleaners from today.and try a natural chew

thank you for your reply every time we have taken thunder to see vet he looks in his ears and says they are very red and full of gunge but no sign of earmites we also treat thunder with stronghold flee and earmite drops but to no avail.this is our vets recomendation.

thank you from tomorrow i will try white fish and potatos i will work on 475grms per day as stated on his biscuits.i will update in 4 weeks.

> i will update in 4 weeks

Seriously I wouldn't waste your money on new foods each time - get him York tested for allergies and change your vets to one that takes this condition seriously.  After 4 years of recurring ear problems your dog will have scar tissue and narrowed ear canals.  It's far too long to keep messing him about with fixes that clearly aren't working.

I have a dog with allergies, I do know the pain of dealing with it - for the dog, for me, and for the finances - but you will continue to throw good money after bad if you do not know the precise cause.  Get him tested and only then decide what food is best and what other treatments are necessary.

thank you we are going to first find another vet and secondly get him tested .have you got your dog sorted .bless him-her if you are like me i have cryed and cryed as no (vet) seems to want to help thunder and he is such a good dog.

> have you got your dog sorted

Yes my vets are excellent and our first vet at this practice had a dog with a similar condition so she didn't delay when she recognised the symptoms.  My dog has allergies to grass and pollens but when he is in a 'raised state' he shows reactions to other things too.  He now has monthly injections, a daily wash to remove irritants from his skin and coat, and a series of creams potions and remedies that I know to work in certain situations.  He is also on a raw diet which improves his overall health and wellbeing but his ears remain an issue; I have to be very vigilant to control infection and have recently had to stop him swimming, after two episodes of Pseudomonas...

A York test isn't cheap but in the long run will save you that and more by enabling you to make the best choices for your dog, and it should be covered by your insurance.  However, it's worth mentioning that dogs with conditions like this become very expensive to insure - premiums for my 5 year old now cost just shy of £100 per month!

I have a dog that suffers from allergies.  I do manage to keep it under control most of the time but he does have a flare up every now and again. 

I would strongly advise you get a bottle of Thornit powder it works miracles.  You can purchase it off of amazon and a small bottle will last years.  I was constantly battling with sticky black infected ears and nothing I did worked.  Antibiotic drops from the vets temporarily cleared the infection but within weeks it was back.  He even had his ears washed but still it came back.  That was three and a half years ago and since finding out about Thornit powder he has not had any more problems.  I used it as directed (twice a day for 5 days) and it cleared out all the mites, infection and black goo and he has never had it back!  I now use it every couple of weeks or if his ears are a bit itchy I use it more often.  It may not help but it certainly won't make them any worse.

I was advised to use a natural diet - no gluten, wheat, or grains of any kind along with no soya or corn.  I had difficulty finding one that agreed with him so now I feed raw tripe and mashed potato. 

He is having a bad time this week and his feet are really itchy but I think it is because of the wet grass so am staying off the grass and out of the wet for a while and he seems to be a bit better.  I also have some herbal tablets and creams that I use when he gets bad but fingers crossed this only happens a couple of times a year. 

Sometimes you just have to take the plunge yourself despite what the vets say.  Most vets don't like raw and certainly don't like you using anything that isn't recommended by them. 

I hope you get sorted soon there is nothing worse that seeing your dog suffering.

many thanks for your reply.i hope hes soon better.did you at any point have him allergie tested .

Moose was getting yeast infections that would come back- very gunky ear- our vet said we would have to do tests because it was probably an
allergy to something and not a yeast infection. I always changed their kibble- all grain free.
We switched to raw and what a difference her ears cleared right up- so very impressed with the results and no more vet bills- so even better.
Junior's flaky skin and bad breath went away and T-Bone I have no need to empty anal glands so far- Fingers crossed there.

I no its not a cure but it seemed to work great for my kids- have to say I will never go back to kibble now.

Have you maybe given any of the freeze or hydrated food a try? CaniSource is very good or even Epigen.