Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 7/21/2005

Question
Dr. Gotthelf.

We own 2 chocolate labs, one of which has been diagnosed with allergy-related ear infections.  When infections occur we have been instructed to use an ear wash one time per day and Malotic twice per day.

Is there anything else we can do to either prevent or reduce the suffering of our lab?  One person has told me her vet recommended giving dogs 1 tablet of Benedryl at each meal during allergy season (our labs are the larger American hunting breed and weigh approximately 90 lbs.).  Is this effective?

Thank you,
Deborah

Answer
Antihistamines, like banadryl, have been proven to have no benefit in dog allergic skin disease.  The drug that does have the most benefit is corticosteroids.  Often seasonal allergies are treated with these drugs for several months per year. In addition, bathing frequently to remove allergens, using Omega3 fatty acid dietary supplements to prevent the over reaction of the skin, and keeping the dog's ears out of the water really help to decrease the allergic reactions.

As far as the ear infection goes, you did not tell me what type of infection there is in the ear, so I cannot advise you as to treatment.