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Advice from the Experts

Griffs are a very very healthy breed of dog. In fact, they are one of the best kept secrets in the dog world. And that is exactly how most Griff owners would like it to stay. They were bred to hunt and are hardwired to chase small prey. Griff puppies usually "point" instinctively (Zoe pointed Robbins and Butterflies) but they need to be trained to be effective field dogs. They have beautiful long ears ( kinda like a setter) so not much air gets into them and they can be prone to ear infections. If your dog starts to scratch the ears and shake the head it probably has an ear infection. Actually, at age ten and a half it is the only health issue Zoe has ever encountered. There are two wonderful FaceBook groups of Griffon lovers. The members include Griffon breeders, hunters, new Griffon owners, old Griffon owners and even a Vet that has Griffs.Unlike the old Yahoo groups, FaceBook has no place to save files. So allthough I knew the topic had been already addressed, Zoe got another ear infection and I went to the Group for help. I am going to post all the wonderful responses so that all the information will be in one place regarding Griff ears.

Two breeders of Griffs use Posatex , Mometamax or Otimax  to clear Griff ear infections. These all require a trip to the Vet. However Harvey suggests Zymox which does not require a prescription and can be ordered on line. Our one Veterinarian group member also commented this was a good product.

Harley said Zymox seems to be a good over the counter solution. They make a cleaner and drops. The drops are supposed to cure both yeast and bacterial infections. They are an enzyme based solution so when the ears are messy you just put the drops in on top without cleaning and the repeat for seven days. Seems to work.

 

Linda commented she moved up to Pos and/or Momet, as "we have a dog who had an absolutely intractable infection. Posatex and several homeopathic supplements and she's golden." I know Linda does go to a homeopathic Vet for some problems. She is also lucky to live near Tufts Veterinary Hospital.

Joyce uses Panalog once a week or when the dog swims a lot. "No problems at all with ear infections".

 

Shannon posted "we also use zymox cleanser & treatment (treatment used on another dog with good results)..we flush his ears with the cleanser after he swims, like a preventative paws crossed, no problems yet!!"

 

Michael suggested a change of diet. Said he had a Britt and a Braque that had ear issues till we got them off food with corn in it. Personally I’ve never fed corn based food. He is correct on that issue. Actually, a corn based kibble once caused my Komondor to become very very sick.

Lisa our group member who is a Vet shared some terrific information.  "Zymox is really a great product. First of all though, you need to make sure that there isn't a foxtail or something in the ear. If the infection is in both ears, that is less likely. If there is no foreign body present, then it is important to know if it is yeast, bacteria or both that you are treating. You can smell yeast (usually) - like bread dough. The product needs to match the type of infection. Sometimes, dogs can have resistant infections as well. So -- here's my preventative advice: 1. After swimming (in the evening), make sure you use a product like Epi-otic that has a drying agent in it. If the ear already has an infection, make sure there is NO alcohol in the product. It will hurt. 2. Use a soft cotton ball only where your finger can fit. 3. Zymox is a really great product. 4. Food allergies can certainly contribute to ear infections, especially true if you see foot chewing as well. 5. Untreated, ear infections can affect hearing. 6. Do not use cotton tipped applicators to clean ears! When cotton tipped ear swabs are pushed into an ear canal full of exudate, the material is pushed further toward the eardrum making cleaning more difficult and possibly causing a weakened eardrum to rupture. Cotton swabs are also very irritating to a friable epithelium and their use results in painful abrasion or ulceration to the canal epithelium. Care must be taken in the selection of a flushing agent, since so many ear cleaners contain materials that are potentially ototoxic when the eardrum is not intact. Ingredients such as many organic acids (salicylic, malic and lactic), detergents and alcohols are ototoxic. Prior to using an ear cleaner, read the label to see if it can be used if the eardrum is damaged. Many manufacturers are now placing a warning on their labels."

Lisa also made the following suggestion," For an uninfected ear, the BEST ear cleaner and preventative I use is 1 pint green Listerine with 3-4 heaping tsp boric acid. mix in a sports bottle and use 2-3 times weekly on non-infected ears."

 

And advice from Dave:  Don't forget to remove the hair!!! Personal comment here. Zoe loves to have her ear hairs pulled out. Koms actually will get cords in their ears if the ears are not properly maintained. She saw his ears being fussed over and thought she was missing out on something fun.

Carol also recommended rethinking the diet.. "My guys don't do well on any type of grain or corn."

 

I will keep updating this link as I learn more about maintaining Griff ears. Many thanks to the members of the Good Griff Club that contributed their thoughts and experience.