My dog's ear looks infected. Is DOUXO ear cleaner safe to use?

Hello, thank you for your question about Max. Based on the symptoms you are describing it sounds like Max may just have some mild irritation in his ears. You can have his ears cleaned and continue monitoring him for any discharge/scratching/redness/head shaking. If any of these signs develop I would recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian so that they can look for signs of an ear infection. Hope this helps, good luck!

I recommend purchasing a dog ear cleaner at your pet store and cleaning the discharge from his ears. Put some cleaner on a cotton ball and massage the fluid into the ear canal. Rub it around to loosen the debris and then wipe it out. Take a dry cotton ball to remove any cleaner left in the ear. I clean ears daily to start, then as the discharge decreases then clean only when needed. If Maxo has ear mites or a severe yeast or bacterial ear infection this will help but specific prescription medication will be more effective. When you can take him in to your veterinarian for an ear exam. They will look at the ear discharge under the microscope to determine the cause of the problem. Then they can give him the right medication. Ear medication often contains a drug to stop the itching as well as something to cure the cause of the infection and that would be more effective than just cleaning his ears. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Maxo.

No, I'm afraid I would not recommend this - you should never put any kind of medication in your dog's ear unless directed by your vet after examining the ear. This is because if the ear drum is damaged, many products are not safe to use and can cause nerve damage or hearing loss. You can gently clean the ear with a cotton ball or washcloth to help remove some of the discharge and make Dexter more concerned until you are able to see the vet.

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.

Ouch! That definitely looks like it must hurt! While the medications you have on hand are great for ear infections, with one as severe as that I would not recommend putting anything into the ear until a vet has verified that the ear drum is still in tact. If it is not, this will influence what medications are used, how often, and what to do next. In the mean time if you have one, I would put a collar on Samson to prevent any further scratching and self-mutilation to the ear until he can be examined. Hope this makes sense!

Hi and thanks for posting. Yes, Theo's ear is very red and appears to have a good amount of debris in there as well. Ear infections can and are indeed painful. I would wait to clean it until your veterinarian has examined the ear. Your vet will need to ensure his tympanic membrane (ear drums) are intact before using any kind of cleaner in the ear. A sample of the debris in his ear will be taken to determine what is causing the infection so it can be treated most effectively.

You can use an over the counter dog ear cleaner to clean the discharge from Cujo's ears. Apple some to,a cotton ball and squeeze it into the ear. Squish it around and then wipe outward to remove the discharge. Then take a dry cotton ball to remove the excess fluid. To determine the cause of the infection I recommend and exam and they can look at the ear discharge under the microscope to determine if he has a yeast or bacterial infection or if there are ear mites. Once they have a diagnosis they can prescribe the correct medication. Often ear infections are painful so they may prescribe an anti inflammatory or pain medication also. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cujo.