Cocker Spaniel Reddish tint - Ears

necstandards

Hi,
Our 6 month old black cocker spaniel has a reddish tint to her ears.. What would be the reason for this? We're feeding her Madra Dog Food - Chicken & Veg...
She was been wormed only last week, but have noticed this for the past month or so.

liquoriceall

It sounds like shes deficient in something, Im not sure madra is a great choice I know some of the other foods sound expensive but really in the long run they dont work out too bad. I currently feed arden grange which is costing approx €50 per bag but he doesnt need huge volumes as its good quality
If I can compare its like you eating mcdonalds you will be hungry again in an hour where as if you eat a good dinner....

andreac

To be honest di take her off Madra, its awful stuff. One of the worst foods out there to be honest.

The tint might not necessarily be from the food, sometimes they can change colour from the sun, it might not be a bad thing or an issue as such.

cocker5

OP,


I would change her food asap,Madra isn’t good quality food and can lead to all sorts of behavioural and healthproblems.

I have a black male cocker (he’snearly 8 now) and have fed him Burns since he was 1, along with some salmonoil, he is in excellent health and his coat looks excellent, shiny, silkyblack, only one or two grey hairs…

Here are some links that mayhelp you:

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/burns/burns_adult/156518

I buy the 15kg bag and it doesme for neatly 3 months, so while initially it seems expensive you feed asmaller portion than low quality food etc., so in the end it works out the sameprice as cheap low quality brands.

Here’s the puppy version:
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/burns/burns_puppy/156531

Salmon Oil:
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/cats/supplements_specialty_cat_food/fur_skin_supplements/127318


I find this stuff isexcellent, I put a teaspoon in his food 3 days per week….

aonb

when u say a reddish tint to her ears - do you mean on the inside (under her ear flap) or on the fur on the outside??

If its on the inside, I would check for ear mites - wipe gently inside her ear with a bit of cotton wool - if theres black gunk on the cotton wool, it could be ear mites. There are cleaners and various products for ear-mites, that you might check out, or visit your vet preferably, so you can find out, as this is the first time

Cockers can be prone to ear problems I believe, so might be worth checking out...

ISDW

I've always found with any black dogs that I've owned that when bits of their coat go a bit reddish, it is when they are moulting, and it is just the coat falling out? Is it just on the ears, or have you noticed it anywhere else?

lorebringer

If you are referring to a black coated dog with a brown/red tinge to their coat colour - this is nothing to be worried about. Many black animals are not truly black and will have tinges of brown/grey etc. in their coat. It is more common as they get older.

If you are saying that the dog has a red tint to the skin inside the ears - you may need to get it checked by a vet, esp. if it is hot or the dog is scratching a lot at the ears. Cockers are very prone to ear problems and hot, red or smelly ears need to be seen by a vet.

To reiterate what everyone has been telling you - Madra is a terrible food and I would advise you change it asap. Some good brands (I am unsure of your budget so just suggestions) are Burns, Clinivet, James Wellbeloved, Red Mills Leader, Select Gold, Arden Grange, Acana, Best for my Dog... there are many out there. As a rule of thumb, with dog food you tend to get what you pay for (some brands, eg. Royal Canin and Hills, are extortionate for the quality of food you are getting but still good enough foods) and generally, you would need to pay approx €50 or over for a decent 15kg bag of food. The sticker price will seem very steep but it works out cheaper buying in bulk and you have to feed you dog less volume of good quality foods so it isn't too much more expensive. Just be sure to switch over gradually to prevent an upset belly!

carleigh

If the reddish tint is on the skin on the tip of her ears, it could possibly be irritation caused by her ears dipping into her water bowl when she is having a drink. My Golden Cocker had this, and we changed him to a 'spaniel bowl' which has higher sides and is shaped so that the ears drape along the side of the bowl. We also got cream from the vet called Derma Salve, it was only €5 to help clear it up. Best of luck!

necstandards

Thanks for all the replies... to be clear, the red tint is on her coat on the ouside of her ears. A new bowl & diet may be the trick... Try to give her some cod liver oil pellets every day, but seems salmon oil is better?

andreac

Yeah salmon oil would be a better one of the two. The red tint would be normal. A lot of darker dogs would get highlight type hairs around their coat so its nothing to worry about really.

But i would still get her off the Madra food, full stop.

gimmick

My fella has a tint at the top of both his ears. We just say it looks like he got highlights!

DogsFirst

The red tint that arises from many dry foods can be avoided. It's a result of a few things, the main one being the addition of beta carotene to the food as a colourant (the stuff would be an unappetitsing greyish hue without it) and as a B vitamin addition (fresh b vitamins are water soluble, like many vitamins, and are destroyed by cooking and long periods of storage).

A move off dry foods high in the stuff (hard to determine until you land on one as they do not quote exact concentrations on the side) can reduce the effect. If you're showing her and want to rectify the problem then move to fresh food that has no chemical additions. It takes 3-4 weeks to turn this colour out.

Gael23

Ear problems are very very common in spaniels so I would be suspicious it's unrelated to diet. If she is scratching a lot it could be inflammation inside which can be treated by drops. We feed pedigree which people are always giving out about here but the vet never even asked us about food when we went in with ear problems

meoklmrk91

I learned in college that a reddish tint in a coat can be a sign of deficiency in tyrosine, an amino acid. I'm sure people have seen black labs with a reddish tint before, same can happen in cats.

It could very well be linked to her diet as madra is a very poor food I would definitely change it regardless. If you throw up your monthly budget then I'm sure we could help you out with a few suggestions.

DogsFirst

ryranf1 is right, inflammation in the ear, where they become hot and red, full of blood, in spaniels its often a food allergy, begin with removing wheat, then cooked chicken / beef (ie most dry food). Give him fresh turkey on the bone, maybe a little sweet potatoe, few fish oil capsules, for two weeks and you'll have your answer!