My dog has ear infection, dry skin, and fears the vet. Help!

Poor Sansa! How stressful for all of you. There are ear medications that can be administered at the vet's office, that work on their own for up to two weeks without you needing to do anything with the ears at home. We use them frequently at our clinic, because many dogs with sore, painful ears will not allow them to be handled at home! I would recommend calling your vet to let them know that you aren't able to adminster the meds at home, and asking about a long-acting option like Claro or BNT ointment. Even if they don't carry these meds normally, they may be able to order them for you, and you can bring her back to their office to have them apply the medication if needed.

Poor Canelo! Ear infections can be very painful. I would recommend asking your veterinarian about one of the long lasting ear infection treatments that do not require you to medicate them at home. There are a few on the market now, but here is one of the them ( https://osurnia.com/ ). We certainly don't want to ruin your relationship with Canelo, so I would recommend having your vet do all treatments until this infection is resolved. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Please do not use Sudocrem, as it contains zinc oxide, which would be toxic if she ingests it. If there is a bacterial or yeast infection present in the ear canal, which may be the case especially if she's shaking her head and scratching, you should have your vet examine her. Some ear solutions and medications can damage the middle and/or inner ear if the eardrum has been damaged. Your vet will likely be able to see the eardrum when he or she uses an otoscope to look in the ears. Sometimes the canal is very swollen and /or has a large amount of debris that prevents us from being able to see the eardrum, but we should always attempt to verify that the eardrum is ok before treating the ear, so as to not damage the middle or inner ear. If she does not seem to be shaking or scratching, it may be just the pinna (ear flap) that is affected, in which case I would recommend you try using [Zymox](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone), as it may get things cleared up. If you aren't seeing improvement in 3-5 days at home, take her to the vet. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Aww I’m sorry to hear that Lil Boy is having a tough time. I agree that his signs are suspicious for an ear infection. Unfortunately, there is nothing really suitable for an ear infection over the counter. I definitely do NOT recommend putting anything in the ear (alcohol, vinegar, peroxide) as these can actually make things worse. I recommend seeing a vet sooner rather than later as it is easier and cheaper to treat an ear infection earlier on.

I am so sorry to hear that Gizmo's ear is bothering her. From what you are describing I believe she has an ear infection, and has been scratching at her ear causing the changes you observe. Ear infections in dogs can be very difficult to manage, and are very common. Though cleaning may help prevent ear infections ruins, it won't treat an ear infection that is present. Antibiotics are needed. Unfortunately, there aren't any medications over the counter which would be helpful at this stage. Outer ear infections can progress to inner ear infections. Inner ear infections are very difficult to treat, are very painful and have serious potential complications, such as hearing loss and problems with balance. I would suggest a trip to the vet as soon as you can. The vet will use a tool to look into Gizmo's ears, and may take a swab of the infected ear and send it away for analysis, so that the exact pathogens causing the infection can be identified and therefore a specific antibiotic can be used. 

I hope that this answer was helpful, and more importantly that Gizmo's ear gets better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

You can try an OTC ear infection medication from a pet store, but if Mia is already digging at the ear and causing trauma, it would be best treated by a vet to avoid it getting mistreated for a few days. She should also wear an e-collar until the itch is controlled to avoid further self-trauma.

I'm sorry to hear that Nazzy's ears are bothering him! You did the right thing by scheduling him an appointment for him. He likely has an ear infection like you mentioned. A swab will need to be taken from each ear and examined under the microscope. This will let your veterinarian know the type of infection it is and which medication will be most effective for Nazzy. In the meantime, Continue cleaning the ears to keep him more comfortable. I do not recommend any pain or fever reducing medications. You veterinaian will prescribe something if necessary. If you start something now, it could interfere with the medications you veterinarian needs you to use. Allergies can make dogs more prone to ear infections so ask at your appointment if this could be the case with Nazzy. I hope this information helps!