Leia the Rescue Pup With Itchy Skin and a Red Ear

[ErinR]

Hey everyone!

I'm Erin and my dog's name is Leia. She's a 9 (almost 10 yr old) mutt/shepherd hound mix, 40 lbs that I rescued when she was 11 months. I switched over to a holistic living about 2 years ago and did the same with her. She is now eating a raw food diet (Darwins) with kale and wild blueberries mixed into it. I put 1 garlic clove (for fleas and ticks) in her morning meal with Mirco C (Vimergy Brand). At night same dinner but add in Barley grass juice powder and kelp into her food. She was itchy before but it's gotten worse and her left ear looks looked brown and smells on the inside. I spoke with my holistic vet and she said to try apple cider vinegar and water mixed (equal ratio) and let sit in her ear. It's a little better and only started that yesterday. Have any suggestions? She's a healthy little girl and of course my goal is too make her live the longest, healthiest life possible! ?
Also I've had her on the raw food for about 6 weeks now and she's pooping less. Previously I had her on Honest Kitchen but I don't think she was absorbing the nutrients in that food and that may have been why she's was pooping more?
I had a consult with Dr. Jeff and he told me to post on the forum, so here I am!
Thanks and excited to be apart this.

 

[Dr. Sara]

Hi, Erin!
Your holistic vet has given you good advice for symptomatic treatment of the itchy ear. Another product that I will sometimes use is Zymox (without hydrocortisone), as its enzymatic properties improve the ear environment to decrease inflammation.

It is common for dogs to have a lot less stool when you switch to raw. Honest Kitchen is a good food, with high quality ingredients. However, if you compare those ingredients to your Darwins raw, you will see that HK has significantly more starchy and fibrous components, hence more stool.

Hope you are enjoying the group!
Sara

 

[ErinR]

Thank you Sara, I will definitely try that!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Erin-

I'm sorry to hear that Leia is having some health challenges.

However, I'm confident that her body will be able to re-balance and overcome them.

A great place to start when putting her symptoms into context is with her BEAM (Behavior, Energy, Appetite, Mood).

If her BEAM seems fine, then the inflammatory symptoms in her skin and ear are not harming her quality of life significantly.

Inflammation is an important part of the healing process.

For how long has her itch been worse or her left ear brown?

Did she have any vaccinations before her left ear developed symptoms?

Are you blenderizing the blueberry-kale and making them into a smoothie?

Please let us know when you're able to do so.

 

[ErinR]

Hey Dr. Jeff,

Yes, Leia's BEAM is fine! Now that I think of it she did have a boderatella vac and the vet said she had to take it bc she was getting a dental cleaning. I wasn't happy about it. It now makes sense why she's having the itchy ear now. Her ear has been better since I did the apple cider vinegar/water mix in her ear. She's itching it less but she still goes to town on it every now and then.
I'm just blending the frozen wild blueberries and kale together in the blender with no water added and adding it to her food. Shall I blend it with water?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Fantastic Erin that Leia's BEAM is fine!

There's no need for extra water since what you are doing is already working for you. Good job!