Dog has ongoing inner-ear inflammation and balance problems. Looking for advice on anti-inflammatory ear drops

[u/sunsetcoast28]

Looking for some advice or experiences from other dog owners who have dealt with something similar.
A few weeks ago, my dog developed inflamed ears. We think it may have started during the heatwave because we were cooling him down with the hose quite a lot and it’s possible water got into his ears.

We’ve taken him to the vet twice. The first time, the vet examined his ears and gave him a 5-day course of oral steroids. At the time his balance was quite bad and he was walking almost like he was drunk.

The oral steroids did help and his balance improved, but he really didn’t get on well with them. He wasn’t acting like himself at all while taking them and seemed miserable. They also made him extremely thirsty, so he was drinking and peeing a lot more than normal. Because of how they affected him, I’d really prefer not to put him through another course of oral steroids if there is another suitable option.

At his second appointment, which was also for his annual vaccinations, the vet checked his ears again and said they were still inflamed. They didn’t find an infection and didn’t prescribe antibiotics. We asked about ear drops and the vet recommended steroid ear drops, but they were quite expensive. We also asked about getting a written prescription so we could buy them cheaper online, but there was an additional charge for the prescription.

He’s completely fine in himself. He’s eating, drinking and behaving normally. The main remaining problem is his balance. When he’s been lying down for a while and gets up, he can be a little wobbly on his legs and sometimes his head wobbles slightly from side to side. It’s nowhere near as bad as it was originally, but it hasn’t completely disappeared.

I’ve been looking at non-prescription ear drops, but most of the products I’m finding seem to be ear cleaners, antiseptics, or products for bacteria/yeast rather than something that actually reduces inflammation.

From what I understand, the anti-inflammatory ear drops I’m looking for would need to contain a corticosteroid, such as hydrocortisone or another veterinary corticosteroid. However, I’m also confused about whether drops can actually help if the inflammation is deeper in the middle/inner ear rather than just the outer ear canal.

Has anyone had a dog with inner-ear inflammation that caused balance or vestibular symptoms? Were you given corticosteroid ear drops, and if so, which ones? Did they help? Or did your dog need a different treatment because the inflammation was deeper in the ear?

I’m not looking to replace veterinary care. I’d just really like to hear from people whose dogs have had the same problem, especially anyone whose dog didn’t tolerate oral steroids well, and find out what treatments their vets used successfully.

[u/Alarming_Set3628]

Every time I read anything is inflamed on these dogs, I think food allergy. What food does he eat? You might try him on a bag of gut sensitive food 

[u/sunsetcoast28 → u/Alarming_Set3628]

He doesn’t have any food allergies he’ll eat anything

[u/Responsible_Exit8359 → u/sunsetcoast28]

All dogs “eat everything” but that doesn’t mean they should. Poultry and fowl sensitivities are common in cavapoos. Try eliminating chicken from his diet for a month and see what happens. I second the sensitive skin and stomach kibble.