# Lactating bitch with ear infection - advice on Surolan please?



## Dogs to Stay (May 25, 2011)

Hi all
We have 5 day old puppies and our girl has an ear infection, some brown discharge and occasional shaking/tipping of the head) Took her to the vets and whilst they have researched what may be appropriate for her (they say) they've now prescribed Surolan for her
All I can find regarding the drug is that it hasn't been evaluated for pregnant or lactating bitches so am unsure why the vet think it would be okay compared to Otomax (which I see on a Champdog thread was a definite no-no)
We have phoned the manufacturers who say we shouldn't use it for 10 days so now not happy with the vets advice at all.
So does anyone have any experience of the problem or lactating bitch friendly suggestions of anything we can give her to ease her discomfort whilst not putting pups at risk please
Many thanks


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

i would be asking a vet this question, if you are unhappy with your vets prescription then i suggest looking for another in the area. Did you ask why this was prescribed by the vets who gave it to you?


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

You do need to be very careful.

I would go back to your vet, explain your concerns, (you don't need to take your bitch back with you), and ask him either to reassure you the prescribed product is safe or let you have an alternative.


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## Dogs to Stay (May 25, 2011)

Amelia66 said:


> i would be asking a vet this question, if you are unhappy with your vets prescription then i suggest looking for another in the area. Did you ask why this was prescribed by the vets who gave it to you?


A phone call back to the vet (one we haven't seen before at our practice) who had said they had done their research, was unable to say why she hadn't thought to check with the manufacturer, a 2 minute phone call. The manufacturer confirmed if they had received a call from the vet, asking the question then would have advised not to prescribe.

Would love to find an alternative vets, however we are in a remote area, so have to take into account time to get there in any emergency situation, given we have 3 dogs of our own and a home boarding business, so this is not really a viable option for us.

We will be going straight to the partner in the practice for answers, but thought I would see if anyone had any suggestions in the meantime. Thanks for your post.


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## Dogs to Stay (May 25, 2011)

Sweety said:


> You do need to be very careful.
> 
> I would go back to your vet, explain your concerns, (you don't need to take your bitch back with you), and ask him either to reassure you the prescribed product is safe or let you have an alternative.


Having called back to the vet, they are unable to reassure us, and are now suggesting an ear cleaning solution - didn't think to mention this at the consultation though where we could have made an informed decision.

Given the time it will take for one of us to go back, we were looking at any home alternatives in the meantime, thanks for your post.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

I use this on my dogs' ears , it really seema to work. Not sure if it's safe for lactating bitches but as it's applied locally and not in the system I would think so. Any vets around to advise ?

Thornit Ear Powder, 20 g: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

I've also used coconut oil to clean the area , it's antifungal and would be harmless to mum and pups. Have you any in ?


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

Surolan contains steroid, which is contraindicated during pregnancy but not necessarily during lactation.

The datasheet entry for Surolan states nothing about not using it during lactation, and this is the information vets are provided with when prescribing medication:
NOAH Compendium of Animal Medicines: Surolan Ear Drops and Cutaneous Suspension - Contra-indications, warnings, etc

It's my experience that drug companies are very cautious about what they say... they generally tell you not to use anything if the circumstances are less than completely straightforward because (I assume) they are afraid of any potential comeback.

However, similar products such as Canaural ARE clearly contraindicated in their datasheets for use during lactation, so in fact it is perhaps the manufacturer of Surolan who should consider revising their written recommendations to vets and owners. It's all very well saying it cannot be used when you go to the effort of calling them.

In any case, the systemic absorption of topical ear medications is minimal.


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