My dog has black stuff and pus in ear. Can I use apple cider vinegar?

It sounds like Blaze is pretty uncomfortable. I think it is fine to use a cotton ball and apple cider vinegar to clean the debris, but I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian soon. Ear infections don’t tend to resolve on their own. In fact, they can be kind of frustrating to resolve sometimes. The longer the infection has been going on the harder to clear it up. Good luck and I hope he improves soon.

No, I don't recommend to use this wash. Ear mites will not be killed by a vinegar wash. Also, dogs can get ear mites, but it is rare. https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-myths-about-dog-ear-infections/ Dogs most commonly get bacterial or yeast infections in the ears. Here is a link about ear mites just in case: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ear-mites/ Ear infection (yeast, bacterial and mites) can get worse quickly and they can become painful. I recommend instead to have the ears examined and tested. Then you will know what type of infection is present and your pet will get the appropriate and the best care. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I actually recommend bringing Hank to a veterinarian to have them evaluate his ears. The reason for this is some ear infections can be yeast not bacterial or they may have a mixture of both. You also can have a dog that appears to have an ear infection when in fact has ear mites (this is not very common but does happen). I also recommend making sure that the eardrum is intact prior to putting any medication into the ear. Your veterinarian can take a sample from Hank and look at it under the microscope to see what is causing the infection. I also recommend cleaning the ears out when a dog has an ear infection and depending on what is going on with the ear would depend on what ear cleaner I would recommend. If for some reason after treating his ear he still has an infection, your veterinarian can run a culture to see exactly what bacteria is in his ear and what antibiotics are best to treat. We typically do not do this as the first round of diagnostics due to the cost of about $200 give or take some depending on your vet and location. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately, if you are seeing pus there are no home remedies to fight infection. He likely requires an antibiotic, either topical or systemic. If going to visit a veterinarian is an option, cleaning up the wound as best you can and applying something over-the-counter to the ear is your next best choice. I would also tell you to either obtain an e-collar or make a homemade one (you can view how to do so on a YouTube video, there are several). This will prevent Buster from having any sort of self-mutilation. Ears are very difficult to bandage, particularly to get them to stay on. But, in a situation where a dog is going to be out in the elements, it is critically important to try and prevent worsening infection or even things like maggots. You can find some more YouTube videos on how to best bandage a dog's ear. Since I don't know what ear type (flop, cropped, pointet) your pup has, it is difficult for me to make a video recommendation. Best of luck.

This could indicate a deep bacterial infection, an antibiotic resistant infection or even a mass/polyp in his ear. If it isn't getting better your veterinarian may necessitate to do a culture to determine what type of bacteria is present and if the medications they've given will be effective.

I would be concerned that the concentration of vinegar may worsen things or burn the ear. If the ear is still red you can try a commercial ear cleaner from a local pet store that is safe to use in the ears and see if that helps. If the ear stays red or is very bothersome to Daisy, I would have it looked at by your vet to rule out issues such as infection or allergies that may require a prescription medication to treat.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sheriff. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian as I worry that he has an ear infection. His veterinarian will examine each ear canal with an instrument known as as an otoscope. A sample will be taken from each ear and evaluated under the microscope. This will confirm an infection and determine the best medication for him. In the meantime, you can clean both ears with an ear cleaner for dogs. I hope this information helps!