Ask Dr. Paola - Help! How Do I Break the Cycle of Ear Infections? (July 13, 2026)

Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” collection, the place each Monday we carry professional recommendation straight from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their canine’s well being and well-being.

Whether or not you are a brand new pet dad or mum or a seasoned canine lover, Dr. Paola is right here to offer solutions to your most urgent questions. From diet ideas and preventive care to troubleshooting widespread behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to provide insights that can maintain your furry pal glad and wholesome. Keep tuned for professional steerage on a spread of matters that matter most to you and your canine, so you may make knowledgeable choices and supply the absolute best care on your canine companion. ‎Have‎ a ‎question? Send it in here!

Assist! How Do I Break the Cycle of Ear Infections?

“Expensive Dr Paola,

I’ve had my greatest pal Insurgent since he was lower than a yr previous. He is now happening 8 years previous and has began having recurring ear infections that the vet stated have been brought on by yeast as a consequence of his meals. I’ve modified his eating regimen, used the meds, and it will go away for every week and are available proper again, in a single ear or the opposite. I deal with it, and the cycle continues. What am I doing unsuitable? How do I get my child boy higher, completely?”

– Leiha

Expensive Leiha,

Recurrent ear infections could be extremely irritating, and I utterly perceive why you are nervous about Insurgent. The excellent news is that this sample often means there may be an underlying trigger that has not been absolutely addressed, relatively than something you’re doing unsuitable. Whereas meals allergy symptoms can contribute to recurrent ear infections, they’re typically just one piece of the puzzle.

Environmental allergens are a extra widespread explanation for recurrent ear irritation in canine, and components like ear form, extra moisture, underlying pores and skin illness, endocrine problems, ear mites, and even small growths contained in the ear canal can create the proper surroundings for yeast to thrive.

Consider the yeast as weeds in a backyard. You may pull the weeds or use chemical compounds to kill them off, but when the soil circumstances keep the identical, they’re more likely to develop proper again. For canine with persistent ear infections, additionally it is vital for the veterinarian to look at ear samples below a microscope every time and, in persistent circumstances, think about a tradition to verify precisely which organisms are current and which medicines are simplest. It’s additionally vital to have an intensive re-examination on the finish of a course of remedy to ensure there is no such thing as a hint of an infection remaining.

Merely altering a canine’s meals is usually not sufficient to diagnose or handle a food allergy. Many over-the-counter diets include hint quantities of elements from different protein sources as a consequence of manufacturing processes, which could be sufficient to set off an allergic response in delicate canine. As well as, if Insurgent is receiving treats, flavored medicines, desk scraps, dental chews, or dietary supplements, he should be uncovered to the ingredient causing the problem. That’s the reason veterinarians sometimes advocate a strict elimination eating regimen trial utilizing a prescription hydrolyzed protein or novel protein eating regimen for 8 to 12 weeks, with no different meals throughout that point. That is presently essentially the most dependable solution to decide whether or not meals is really the perpetrator.

If Insurgent completes a correct eating regimen trial and the ear infections proceed, it turns into more likely that one other underlying situation is driving the irritation, with environmental allergens being the main chance. Allergic reactions to pollen, mud mites, molds, or grasses generally have an effect on the ears, and these canine typically want long-term allergy administration relatively than repeated programs of ear treatment alone. Working together with your veterinarian, or a veterinary dermatologist if wanted, to determine and handle the underlying trigger provides Insurgent the very best likelihood of breaking this cycle. Many canine with persistent ear illness can get pleasure from wholesome, snug ears as soon as the foundation downside is recognized and handled, relatively than merely addressing every an infection because it seems.

All the very best,

– Dr Paola