Update on my "Giardia" dog

[JMM]

Grabbed my bottle of the Chlorhexiderm
It does have chlorhexidine gluconate in it.
For the average, healthy dog for maintenance cleaning should we still be concerned?

Anybody have opinions on Corium ear cleaner?

[Traci]

Below are otics you can use that are not ototoxic:

Any of the following can be used for normal routine ear cleansing:

Epi-otic
Otic clear
Otic calm
Oti-clens
Otocetic

Most topicals and ointments are preceeded by a mild ear otic cleanser, but as with all treatment, each case is individual and must be addressed, monitored by your vets to determine the efficacy of the product used. (things to take into consideration, owner unable to treat at home, dog unwilling, serious infections, etc)

[Kristin]

I now clean her ears with a product called Malaseb, which is not only a cleaner, but also an antifungal for yeast.

Are you aware that the chlorhexidine in Malaseb is ototoxic? It can damage the ear and cause deafness. There is a very strong warning on human products that contain this chemical about not using it in the ear. I searched on the web to see it the same applied to dogs, and found this article:

http://www.spinone.net/discussion/_health/000000ab.htm

The pertinent info from this article follows:

"One of the more ototoxic substances, though, appears to be chlorhexidine. Some dogs may have an abnormal susceptibility to this ingredient found in some ear cleansrs. Anecdotal accounts have shown that it may damage the cochlear and vestibular hair cells. Chlorhexidine also has been implicated in fibrosis and ossifiction of the middle and inner ear. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for otic solutions."

"Chlorhexidine should be avoided even in the presence of an intact eardrum because it can be absorbed across it. The so-called "bubbling" ear cleansers use the eardrum as a base to apply a bubbling effect to flush out healthy ears. This beneficial effect can turn tragic when the base--the eardrum--is diseased and ruptures causing the bubbles to be trapped in the middle ear where they can do significant harm."

Oh No! The vet never mentioned this to me! Now I am concerned and will discontinue use of the Malaseb.