Proper diet keeps ears and teeth healthy
DEAR DR. FOX: I have an 8-year-old Lhasa apso. She has a chronic ear infection. I am using Zymox Otic, but it doesn’t seem to solve the problem. Is there anything else I can use? I don’t have a computer. — J.S., Neptune, N.J.
DEAR J.S.: Chronic ear infections can be difficult to cure, often recurring when an animal is stressed or with a change of season, as with one of my old dogs.
Ruling out ear mites (often contracted from infected cats), many cases of otitis externa (inflammation of the ear canal) have an underlying food allergy. Bacterial and fungal infections develop subsequently.
Try changing the dog’s diet to a known single protein (turkey, lamb, etc.), or making your own dog food.
Visit www.twobitdog.com/DrFox/ for details, and www.dogcathomeprepareddiet.com for free recipes by veterinarian D.R. Strombeck.
(Ask a friend or family member for assistance, since you don’t have a computer.)
One excellent, soothing ear cleaner I use is called Micellar Solution from Sogeval. Bacterial and fungal infections are often present and sometimes cultures need to be taken when bacterial resistance to antibiotics is suspected.
I have found MalOtic from Vedco to be very effective for mixed fungal (yeast) and bacterial infections.
DEAR DR. FOX: My 6-year-old cat needed extensive dental work. The bill was $400. This came as a shock and there is no guarantee that he will not have to go back for more attention in the future.
I was given a brush and pet toothpaste and told to only feed him dry food to help keep his teeth clean.
I’m supposed to get him used to having his teeth brushed every evening. Help! — V.W.M., Palm Beach, Fla.
DEAR V.W.M.: Dental problems for dogs and cats are expensive and often risky because a general anesthetic is needed and because there is frequently tooth and gum infection requiring extractions and protective antibiotics.
Without annual checkups, at which time dental problems may be diagnosed and nipped in the bud, many cats and dogs suffer and sicken because their oral cavities are diseased. Halitosis is a common sign of oral health issues.
Difficulty eating, heart and kidney disease, and possibly diabetes and pancreatitis may develop when professional veterinary dental care is not sought.
A diet of only dry food, especially those high in cereal starches, may make things worse, not better, for your cat.
For details, visit www.feline-nutrition.org.
Giving the cat thin strips of scalded (to sterilize) beef shank meat, beef heart and chicken wing tips to masticate will help keep his teeth clean. A half-teaspoon of fish oil in his food daily (start with 1 drop to get him used to it) will help keep his gums healthy because of its anti-inflammatory properties. PetzLife Oral Care products, such as their dental sprays, may be an easier alternative to brushing your cat’s teeth.
Visit Dr. Fox’s website at www.twobitdog.com/DrFox.