Itchy ear

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi there Jay,

This is a toughie! Usually if there is an ear infection we will see quite a bit of redness, a huge amount of waxy brown discharge and a strong odour. I would agree that this really doesn't sound like an infection.

I agree with your vet that this could be an allergic response. However, I wouldn't go as far to say that this is due to allergies. There's a difference between the two. An "allergic response" would mean that he is responding to something like a spider bite or an insect sting. "Allergies" would mean that his whole body is reacting to allergens in his food or in the environment. This does not usually cause an all of a sudden problem. Rather, we would be seeing a gradual increase in redness in both ears and on his feet and likely around his bum as well.

Did your vet look deep inside the ear with his otoscope? A foreign object in the ear could do this as well.

I find that Benadryl doesn't work too well for most dogs. Some dogs do get a little sedated when they go on it, but it is a safe drug. However, I do find that if a dog has allergies then steroids are usually necessary. But again, it doesn't sound to me like this is due to allergies. It's not likely to be a chronic thing.


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Dr. Marie replied:

Most dogs with allergies have red skin between their toes, mostly on the underside, but it can be on top as well. They usually lick a lot at their toes.

I am doubtful this is connected to the new treat. It's in theory, possible but I just can't see it causing itchiness in one ear. Regarding the bathtub, I suppose it's possible that he got some water in his ear, but this shouldn't cause him to be itchy for more than a day.

It sounds to me like there was a small injury (i.e. spider bite perhaps?) and now it is getting better.

If the symptoms get worse then there are a few types of allergy tests that can be done. I have been using a company called SPOT testing lately. They do a great blood panel that tells us what a dog is allergic to - including food ingredients. Then, they can make up allergy serum to give as injections. It's not cheap to do the blood panel - around $450. I think we're a long way away from this right now. But if this problem continues or keeps coming back then it's worth looking into!

Dr. Marie replied:

It does sound like Max's ears are bothering him a little more. It's possible that when he saw the vet he had an ear infection that was so mild that they couldn't see anything. Did they do a cytology test? This is a test where they put a swab in the ear and smear it on a microscope slide and then stain it and look at it. Sometimes if I have a dog with an itchy ear and I don't think it is infected, I will do this test and find out that it actually is an early infection after all.

Dogs with allergies are incredibly itchy. The licking of the feet is usually non-stop. It's way too early to start getting worried about allergies. If I have a patient who has had several nasty ear infections in a year or chews at his feet all the time then I will broach the subject of allergies. The foot kicking thing doesn't sound like allergies.

Dogs don't get thyroid problems until they are older than 8 or so.

I'm thinking it's a good idea to have Max go back to the vet and have them do a cytology test. If this shows any bacteria or yeast then they can treat him for that.

Hope he feels better soon!

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am so sorry to hear about Edward. Please tell Rob and his family that they did the right thing. From what they had described, it sounded like Edward was very unwell.

Regarding Max, allergies are definitely possible but usually a dog is much more obviously affected when they have allergies. Of course, it is possible that these are early symptoms.

Changing foods is a tough call. Because, if we switch foods ot a hypoallergenic one and he stops itching, can we say it was the food? Or maybe he would have stopped regardless?

There's no harm in going to a different brand of food, but at this point I don't think Max's symptoms are severe enough to be talking about allergies. But then again, I'm not there to examine him so your vet may feel differently.

Is Max still just as itchy with his ear? If so, it would be good to have your vet take another look.

Also, although it's a bit early in the season you could talk to your vet about starting him on a flea preventative just in case. Some dogs are so sensitive to fleas that even one bite could set him off with itchiness.

Dr. Marie replied:

It does sound to me like the symptoms are getting better. I know this is hard to hear but I likely would wait a while more before investigating allergies. I'll explain why in a minute.

However, if he is scooting I'd recommend having your vet check his anal glands. They may need to be emptied.

I'd probably also start him on some flea prevention just in case this is a flea issue. Even if you can't see fleas, he could have one or two that are causing him to be itchy.

So, to answer your questions:

Should I test for allergies: I am starting to do a lot of allergy testing in my clinic. The one that I am recommending is called an Ultimate Spot test. It's a blood test that tells us about hundreds of different food allergens and environmental allergens. However, you'll get better results when he is more affected. If he has really mild allergies right now it's possible that the test may not pick them up. It's an expensive test (around $450) so I would rather do it when I am more certain that there are allergies present.

Should I put him on a food trial, and should I use benadryl? Again, I would wait. My reasoning is this: What if you put him on expensive food and a few weeks from now he is all better? Does this mean that the food worked? Or is it possible that the symptoms would have gone away on their own anyhow? Again, I would wait until we are more sure that there are allergies present.

If you are going to do a food trial it really is best to do it under the guidance of your vet to make sure it is done properly.

Regarding the benadryl, it won't hurt to try. But from what you have described, it doesn't sound like Max is terribly uncomfortable. It sounds like he is scratching occasionally throughout the day. Personally, I scratch more than that. :) (Probably too much information, huh?)

I think it would be great to have his anals checked and the vet can have a good look at his coat and ears and help you decide whether you need to go down the road of investigating allergies.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sounds good. I know it's hard, when I can't see Max, but it really doesn't sound like food allergy to me. It is relatively normal for a dog to scratch a few times per day. Here's a challenge for you...see if you can count how many times per day you scratch somewhere. I bet you'd be surprised. :)

But again, if your vet feels he is uncomfortable or has irritated skin then it's worth looking into it further.

Dr. Marie replied:

OK sounds good. Thanks for sending me that picture. It made me laugh...he looks like such a character!