Hello
I am new to the boards, and am having a lot of trouble with my 5yr old Newfie and his ears.
Both my Newfies swim regularly, and are generally fit and healthy dogs.
Except this poor chap and his ears. The infection seems to come and go, and now is at the stage whereby he has it more than not. The vet has been giving anti-biotics, and he has had them flushed a couple of times. The ear canal is showing signs of thickening, and the vet has told us about an operation that may be nessecary in the future, which opens the canal up. However, my hubby and i are not keen on this op as we know that there can be  afew risks, such as paralysis of the face and deafness, apart from the normal risks associated with surgery.
Does anyone have any other suggestions as to what to do about these infections, or any other treatments or operations?
I know there is an op that involves the use of sponges but am not sure on all the details.
Thanks in advance
Newfiegirl

The operation was a success for one of my dogs, we have discussed this very operation recently in this thread.  There is a link on there explaining the operation fully, the site may have information of the sponge one which unfortunately I have not heard of.

My 9 month old puppy has also had ear problems and been treated by the vet with antibiotics with not much success. I have (on recommendation) been using thornit powder which has in my mind been a "miracle cure". It is a white powder that you dust over the inside of the ear (not the ear canal itself), just a small amount; I have found it very good and it has saved Barney from many painful vet trips. Hope this helps. Have a look at http://www.thepetstore.net/thornit.htm

Julia

You need your vet to explain to you what is going on: if the ear settles with simple treatment, it isn't simply that the dog 'picks up' an infection. The bacteria & yeasts which cause the infection & soreness generally live down the ear all the time; what happens is that there is something that triggers their overgrowth causing a problem. Triggers include ear mites, excess wax, dampness (e.g. swimming), food allergy, dust/pollen allergy, hormonal problem etc. etc. Until you get the underlying cause under control you will get recurrent ear problems.

If the infection doesn't settle with simple treatment then normally swabs are taken to see what's preventing things clearing up - e.g. infection resistant to the current antibiotics etc.