Help - drooping ears!

[Mavis]

Bambi's ears are now both drooping. I have no idea why and am very worried because I'm thinking something is going on internally. She's ten and this has just happened in the last two months. Her left ears has fallen over a week's time, which is very fast. We took her to the vet already and she had no suggestions. She has another appointment this afternoon and I am hoping for something! We have started to give her kefir a couple of days ago. It's too soon to know if it is going to help. We recently incorporated some Wellness food with grain in with her no-grain food (Brothers Lamb High Allergy, no grain).

Any ideas/suggestions?

 

[2bullymama]

I have no experience but I have a friend that is a Frenchy breeder and I’m going to send him a message and see if he has any insight for you


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[Mavis]

Thank you!

I have started kefir a couple of days ago and then this morning, added an egg to her food. Everything I read refers to puppies, not adults. Along with calcium deficiency due to teething, they mentioned it might be low protein (?). We feed premium food so I don't think it's that, however, I'll try anything. I'm just so afraid something is wrong with her.

I'll ask the vet today if they have an actual calcium supplement. Not going to ask about food because they push two grocery store foods that I know aren't good.

 

[2bullymama]

Thank you!

I have started kefir a couple of days ago and then this morning, added an egg to her food. Everything I read refers to puppies, not adults. Along with calcium deficiency due to teething, they mentioned it might be low protein (?). We feed premium food so I don't think it's that, however, I'll try anything. I'm just so afraid something is wrong with her.

I'll ask the vet today if they have an actual calcium supplement. Not going to ask about food because they push two grocery store foods that I know aren't good.

Any other changes in behavior... ? Anything off?


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[Mavis]

Yes and no. She has bouts of allergies (licking), and had an ear infection a couple of months ago but she did a two week course of antibiotics and it cleared. She is on Apoquel now every day (two/day for first 14 days).

Here are pics before her ears drooped.

 

[Mavis]

Here is a pic from December 2020.

 

[2bullymama]

Here is a pic from December 2020.
View attachment 14431

I sent pictures to my friend.... he does not think .it is Valium related due to age. Bu, said to have ears checked for an inner ear infection


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[LovingMyFrenchie]

I have heard to give them a spoonful of regular plain yogurt (with a little bit of water). I get mine from Walmart. If you feed them hard food like I do, it helps to also coat the food. They are less likely to get choked on it.

 

[Mavis]

Thank you, both. Had the vet appointment yesterday. I was very disappointed by her response. The good thing is is that Bambi does not have any kind of ear infection. Her skin is good, her bald patches have filled in, and the leather on her ears is disippating. Even her one cauliflower ear has gotten somewhat better. The bad news is that the vet actually said she has "no idea" why Bambi is "choosing" to let her ears droop!!!!! This is alarming to me on several levels, which I explained to her. Bambi is not "choosing" to drop her ears. Frenchie ears stand and continue to stand, if they have always stood since after puppyhood. The fact that this is a new phenomanon is very telling, and her left ear has fallen within ten days' time. I told the vet that when she is on alert or excited, her ears do sometimes stand, although, I don't think it is a "choice" that they stand or droop. Vet said that Bambi appears well, even though her ears have fallen and in her assessment, there is nothing wrong with her. (She had a blood panel done last time we were there 6-7 weeks ago and everything was normal.) I got the distinct "feeling" that the vet thought my main issue was with Bambi's ears not standing "cosmetically"!!! No way!!! I am concerned about the health of our beloved dog! I could give a s*&^ otherwise (excuse me), about how she looks! In addition, I have never experienced a vet saying "I don't know," without following up with "I'll ask my colleagues, or do some research, etc., and get back to you." She was also dismissive of hearing I was trying kefir and egg (for additional protein), after researching myself and talking with knowledgeable people on the "French Bulldog Forum," like this is quack science. Other than her ears and slight licking of her paws and forearms, I also believe Bambi seems well. Now that I know it is not an ear infection, I am going to continue doing what we are doing (kefir and egg supplement), and hope she continues to do well. In addition, I asked vet to check her teeth because her breath stinks. We give her an enzymatic ground rawhide chew (not a solid piece), once a day and it helps, but vet said she does have pockets and bad tarter in places, so we will schedule a teeth cleaning. I hope after that, she will do really well.

Not sure what to do about the issue with our vet. This is a large practice, but we always request this one doctor who we saw yesterday. I have been satisfied up to this point, but now am questioning if we should consider another vet.

I am feeling somewhat better in that I got confirmation that Bambi is "well," and will just accept that her ears may continue to droop - or stand - until we see signs that she is otherwise not doing well. Will also pursue a teeth cleaning and extraction, if necessary.

Thanks for your suggestions and concern.

 

[2bullymama]

Ugh... so dismissive! Sorry that has happened

The only other thing my friend said without seeing Bambi... possibly nerve degeneration

Maybe think about a second opinion?

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[Mavis]

Ugh... so dismissive! Sorry that has happened

The only other thing my friend said without seeing Bambi... possibly nerve degeneration

Maybe think about a second opinion?

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Thank you; I appreciate all opinions!

The only thing with this theory is I'm wondering why it is only manifesting in her ears? Her ears were up this morning. Not sure if it was from a good night's sleep, or maybe the kefir and eggs are doing something? She is scheduled for a dental cleaning next Weds. I am a wreck about that as she is ten and we lost a GSD about 25 years ago immediately following a dental clean. She was ten, too. I expressed my concern and they charted it. The vet performing the cleaning also works at the 24-hour Emergency vet place, which is huge, so I feel better about that.

 

[2bullymama]

Thank you; I appreciate all opinions!

The only thing with this theory is I'm wondering why it is only manifesting in her ears? Her ears were up this morning. Not sure if it was from a good night's sleep, or maybe the kefir and eggs are doing something? She is scheduled for a dental cleaning next Weds. I am a wreck about that as she is ten and we lost a GSD about 25 years ago immediately following a dental clean. She was ten, too. I expressed my concern and they charted it. The vet performing the cleaning also works at the 24-hour Emergency vet place, which is huge, so I feel better about that.

Keeping you all in my prayers... keep us posted


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[Jakeyjake]

I had a bull terrier whose ears drooped as she got older. She had multiple hematomas on her ears and surgery to prevent from filling up with blood again. Has Bambi had hematomas?

 

[davidh]

[MENTION=1070]Mavis[/MENTION] I responded to one of your other post about this. Sometimes when they age their ears will get thin. Plain yogurt may help (goat milk) yogurt is best if you can find it. Not sure about other calcium supplements. As I said JLO is aging and hers are getting thin and will sometimes flow backwards. I'm sure as she gets older, they may start to droop, but haven't yet.

 

[bigislandgrrl]

Ive already dropped a vet who got upset that I consider advice or suggestions from my breeder or other frenchie parents - she stated that it was because they are not "medically trained". I told her that I was not interested in her Ego, only in the health of my dogs and will consider advice wherever I can get it.

 

[Mavis]

THanks, David! I'm sorry I haven't responded, but my computer has been in the repair shop since Friday and I can't log in to the frenchie forum from my phone.

Anyway, this is all very curious. I went back in my phone because I have a million pictures of Bambi, and both ears started flopping at the beginning of Feb. Her one ear has a slight cauliflower pocket from when she shook her head too hard a couple of years ago. We thought it was a bee sting and didn't take her in. That has never flopped in spite of the cauliflower pocket.

We took her to the vet on Weds., Feb 24, for a dental clean. Although we give her a CET chew once a day, her breath was bad and they said she had several pockets and loose teeth. She has four teeth removed and a nerve drilled on one tooth that had broken at the base. Becaues of her age, they did blood work before to make sure she would be okay with the anesthesia. They said her liver levels were elevated, 400, vs. 300 in the summer of 2020. They said it was still okay, and that it may have been from needing her teeth cleaned and teeth removed.

She only has a few days left of gabapentin, another thing for pain and a course of antibiotic. (She aspirated some foamy spit on recovery and they wanted to make sure she didn't get pneumonia.) She seems really bright, and her breath doesn't have an odor. I am hoping that maybe her the condition of her mouth was a contributing factor to her elevated liver levels and that her ears will return to normal. We give her about 1/4 c. of kefir a day, but will switch to goats milk yogurt if I can find it. I don't care if her ears stand or fall; our main concern is that she is okay and healthy. To me, this isn't normal and I was alarmed.

Will keep you all posted if they improve. THank you!

 

[Mavis]

Ugh... so dismissive! Sorry that has happened

The only other thing my friend said without seeing Bambi... possibly nerve degeneration

Maybe think about a second opinion?

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I am researching another vet. Have found one, but he is not taking new patients due to covid, the amount of patients and that everything takes longer. My sister and her gf swear by him. I will keep trying him.

We took Bambi in for a dental clean/extraction on Feb. 24. They asked me to pick her up early because frenchies can get nervous upon recovery and do better going home early. They requested a pick up at 2PM, but I was afraid she would be out of it and asked if it could be later. We agreed upon three. Got a call at 2:20 that she was getting agitated and could I come pick her up. I left immediately. Got a call from the doctor while I was on the expressway, that she had an "incident," and they had to resedate her and reintubate her. Evidently, she was "gray," oxygen was very low, foaming, and had aspirated some of it. I was only five minutes away but was freaking out. We had lost a GSD twenty years ago the morning after a dental clean. Got there, they brought her out shortly to the car (can't go in the office due to covid). She was completely out and flacid. She had peed the towel they gave her to me in. Doctor showed me what her tongue and gums should look like (color), and we went home after sitting in the car for ten minutes talking to her and kissing her. That entire night, my husband and I were beside ourselves. Talked to the vet twice, and she was snippy. Basically reminded me that as we discussed, as long as her color was good, it didn't matter what her breathing sounded like (sometimes, she'd stop breathing for a few seconds, but I guess sometimes she can do that. Her nares are pretty tight.) She told us that there was nothing else she could do and if we were that concerned, we could take her to the 24-hour emergency place. I passed out around eleven, and my husband stayed up with her all night (she sleeps with us on the bed). When I woke up the next morning, she was pretty much back to normal. Thank you, Lord. That was five days ago and she is great - very perky, breath has no odor, and I think she doesn't have any more pain or mild at best. Will finish the course of meds, however.

I didn't appreciate the vet's lack of empathy or bedside manner, although my husband made some pretty emotional comments that I'm sure she heard when I was on the phone with her. He was not happy and accused them of letting her go when she wasn't out of the woods, or helping us much once we got home. I don't know what they really could have done, but I just didn't appreciate the treatment we received. I'm done with it. Our dogs are well currently and I'll stay until I find a suitable replacement, but I am looking.

 

[Mavis]

I had a bull terrier whose ears drooped as she got older. She had multiple hematomas on her ears and surgery to prevent from filling up with blood again. Has Bambi had hematomas?
View attachment 14435

Yes, she had one last summer. We thought her ear was fluid filled due to a bee sting and didn't take her in because of it. That ear healed with a slight cauliflower patch, but it never fell until Feb. 2021.

My gf just lost a bull terrier - she was very sweet.

 

[Mavis]

Ive already dropped a vet who got upset that I consider advice or suggestions from my breeder or other frenchie parents - she stated that it was because they are not "medically trained". I told her that I was not interested in her Ego, only in the health of my dogs and will consider advice wherever I can get it.

That's a bunch of b.s. This is the first place I go when I have a concern about something. I told the vet that I didn't care about Bambi's ears drooping for cosmetic reasons, but that it isn't normal. She kept telling me that Bambi was "choosing" to let her ears droop.

 

[2bullymama]

I am researching another vet. Have found one, but he is not taking new patients due to covid, the amount of patients and that everything takes longer. My sister and her gf swear by him. I will keep trying him.

We took Bambi in for a dental clean/extraction on Feb. 24. They asked me to pick her up early because frenchies can get nervous upon recovery and do better going home early. They requested a pick up at 2PM, but I was afraid she would be out of it and asked if it could be later. We agreed upon three. Got a call at 2:20 that she was getting agitated and could I come pick her up. I left immediately. Got a call from the doctor while I was on the expressway, that she had an "incident," and they had to resedate her and reintubate her. Evidently, she was "gray," oxygen was very low, foaming, and had aspirated some of it. I was only five minutes away but was freaking out. We had lost a GSD twenty years ago the morning after a dental clean. Got there, they brought her out shortly to the car (can't go in the office due to covid). She was completely out and flacid. She had peed the towel they gave her to me in. Doctor showed me what her tongue and gums should look like (color), and we went home after sitting in the car for ten minutes talking to her and kissing her. That entire night, my husband and I were beside ourselves. Talked to the vet twice, and she was snippy. Basically reminded me that as we discussed, as long as her color was good, it didn't matter what her breathing sounded like (sometimes, she'd stop breathing for a few seconds, but I guess sometimes she can do that. Her nares are pretty tight.) She told us that there was nothing else she could do and if we were that concerned, we could take her to the 24-hour emergency place. I passed out around eleven, and my husband stayed up with her all night (she sleeps with us on the bed). When I woke up the next morning, she was pretty much back to normal. Thank you, Lord. That was five days ago and she is great - very perky, breath has no odor, and I think she doesn't have any more pain or mild at best. Will finish the course of meds, however.

I didn't appreciate the vet's lack of empathy or bedside manner, although my husband made some pretty emotional comments that I'm sure she heard when I was on the phone with her. He was not happy and accused them of letting her go when she wasn't out of the woods, or helping us much once we got home. I don't know what they really could have done, but I just didn't appreciate the treatment we received. I'm done with it. Our dogs are well currently and I'll stay until I find a suitable replacement, but I am looking.

I would have lost my $hit on them!!! Thank GOD she is ok and doing well.
Definitely find a new vet I’d be hard pressed to return to the current.

Big hugs and kisses to you sweet girl


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