[Dailydrool] Bosley and his ears

[Kenneth Miller]

Hi All

I mostly lurk, simply because I don't have time to write often. I do read the digest and follow with all your adventures, hurt when a loved one passes on to the bridge. I am so glad Nigel is doing well with his wheels! Healing drool to all in need.

Sorry this is overlong, but I need some expert basset advice, if I could.

I need to get a bit slung Bosley's way if possible. Bosley is now 7 years old. I've read with great interest about the dog rage. Bosley seems to be an occasional player too. He just occasionally will just seem to attack for no real valid reason, he has not drawn blood on me, but has snapped and clamped pretty hard, he had bitten my mother (now 90) and father (passed away two years ago at 90) but both had typical thinner skin with age.

I adopted Bos five years ago, he is a beautiful boy, but I think the previous owner did a real number on him. His first owner was an older lady, who passed away when he was about a year old, her sister took him in, already with one of the little chiahauha (-5 spelling) and what I'd guess was a mean son. Bosley did not like men, but was immediately drawn to me. He was never socialized with any other dog, and barks and lunges to this day with other dogs. He most certainly was not fed well, he weighed about 52 pounds when we got him, for his size, painfully thin looking, over the next few months we got him up to a more healthy looking 61 pounds. His right front leg is crooked, don't know if he was born that way or it was broken when he was little.

Anyway back to my original subject. Bos has had a horrible ear infection for a year and a half, we first tried him on antibiotics, and I was supposed to clean his ears twice a day and put some drops in. Well, he was having none of that, and would easily take a finger off when I am trying to do that, not to mention that I had hurt my back at the same time, and really could not handle him. The vet said it was, and I really don't know how to spell it, sudamonas, and he may have the problem the rest of his life. I had his ears deep cleaned at the vets then. 

The infection has really never left, but in the last few weeks has gotten much worse, we've bathed him weekly, and managed to wash out the ears very well each time, drying them good, and flushing them with the cleaner, but it has gotten worse.

So, I had him to the vet for his yearly, and today he was dropped off for a dental and ear cleaning. I'm worried about my poor boy, he was so scared when I dropped him off. 

He has been so miserable, he scratches his ears so much and cries out when he is scratching because it hurts so much.

Anyone had any experience with this kind of infection, and more importantly, suggestions on how to not lose a finger and get him to let me clean his ears?

Best
Ken
with Bosley and Edsel (ATB)