My dog has ear problems. Is it safe to use another dog's ear drops?

Poor DDuang! Ear infections are very uncomfortable. I would not recommend using ophthalmic ointment in the ear, as these medications are not designed for this and could damage his eardrum or the nerves in his middle ear. It's fine to use a regular ear cleaner labeled for dogs to help clean the discharge out of the ear - this won't treat the underlying infection, but may make Dduang a bit more comfortable until he can get treatment. An ear infection is not an emergency, per se, but it's certainly uncomfortable and unpleasant for both of you! Personally, I would probably go ahead and take your pup to the emergency clinic tonight or tomorrow rather than waiting until next week for treatment. You could also call some other vets locally to see if they have any appointments available tomorrow, since this would probably be cheaper than an emergency visit. The vet will take a sample of the discharge for analysis under the microscope and prescribe appropriate medication to treat the infection depending on what is found.

No, I would not give this medication to Eden. It is never recommended to self treat your animal, as you may accidentally do more harm than good. This drug is not prescribed by a vet to be used in your dog, and therefore is not safe to use in Eden.

You are right that there are different causes of ear infections, typically yeast and bacteria (there are many types). Ear medications prescribed are based on which of these is the problem. It is also important for their ear drum to be assessed prior to starting medications. As well, some dogs need oral medications in addition to topical if the infection is severe. Being so young is also a consideration with certain drugs. The best plan is to have your vet perform an ear cytology and assess for an intact ear drum prior to picking the best medication that is safe for Nola. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Oral medications (ie: antibiotics) do not work well for ear infections. Any medication to treat an ear infection should be used topically (inside the ear). Oral pain medication would probably be helpful but you would need to get those from your vet. In my opinion, if the ear is that painful you really should take him to your vet now for an examination so they can use the scope to look into the ear and also test the ear discharge to see what the infection is composed of (bacteria or yeast or both). They will also be able to see if the ear drum is intact. Some medications are contraindicated if the ear drum is ruptured. Cyclobenzaprine is NOT recommended for use in dogs. It has a very narrow margin of safety in dogs (and cats) and can cause significant central nervous system (CNS) and cardiovascular (CV) adverse effects. You should NOT use it. If you want to try to treat the ear at home, which I do not recommend, you can use this specific over the counter ear medication linked below. It is once a day and you do not have to clean the ear out first. It contains an anti-inflammatory (hydrocortisone) that should help with inflammation/pain. It is a small bottle so you will likely need at least 2 (if not 3) to do a full course of treatment. You must be sure to get the medication all the way down into the ear canal or it will not help much. If you chose to do this and there is no improvement in 4-5 days then you must take him to your vet for an exam. If he does seem to be improving then continue once daily for at least 14 days. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-ear-solution-with-5-hydrocortisone-125-fl-oz-2399174 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

IT's not recommended to use prescription human ear drops on dogs as their ear infections are very different than ours, for example most ear infections in dogs are caused by yeast while in humans it is extremely rare thus this ear drop does not contain any anti yeast medication and will in most cases be useless when used on a dog.

Unfortunately for bad ear infections that often involve bacteria and sometimes yeast, you will need a topical ear medication that contains an antibiotic. Antibiotics require a prescription. This is because antibiotics (whether oral or topical) have to be used judiciously to avoid creating resistant bacteria. You can try researching low cost clinics in your area through this website: www.mypet.com/vet-finder.aspx Or you can try applying for financial assistance through carecredit.com or redrover.org. Best of luck. Ear infections can get worse fairly quickly and are relatively easy to treat with proper medications, so hopefully you can get your dog to the vet soon.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Emmie! Unfortunately most ear drops that will do anything are prescription only. The most common reason, especially after grooming and ear hair plucking, for a red itchy ear is an ear infection. Ear infections are caused by an overgrowth of yeast and or bacteria. Emmie needs to see a Vet for an exam and for an ear cytology, this is when the vet looks at the ear discharge under the microscope to see the underlying cause. Ear flush and medicated ear drops are prescribed based on the organism seen under the microscope. If the ear is really painful and red then sometime steroids are prescribed. Below is a non-prescription ear cleaner that is antimicrobial you can try. Flush out the affected ear(s) every other day for 2 weeks. If the ear is not better or worsens she need to see a Vet. Good luck https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27361