Dog ear infection: Can I give home remedies before seeing a vet?

If ear infections are left untreated, they can lead to hearing loss. Unfortunately this cannot be treated at home without prescription medication, but a vet should see you for this problem. Give your vet a call.

Poor Baylee! I'm sorry that she has an ear infection. Unfortunately, this is not something that can be treated effectively without a vet visit. Ear infections are generally caused by yeast or bacteria, and require prescription ear drops to treat. There is nothing you can get over the counter that will be effective for this, so there's really no way around going to see the vet. Fortunately, there's no reason this would need to be an expensive visit - just the exam fee, and the cost of the medication. In the meantime, if she will let you, you can try using an over-the-counter ear flush like MalAcetic to clean her ears. This will not treat the underlying infection causing the redness and discharge, but it may help to make them a bit less sore and itchy until you are able to see the vet.

Poor Ember! If she is having difficulty with her left ear, I am worried she could have an ear infection. Unfortunately we cannot legally prescribe medications from this site, and there isn't anything OTC that can help with an ear infection. Ear infections are causing by mites, yeast, or bacteria, and the cause has to be diagnosed in order for it to be treated correctly. In addition, before putting any medication into the ear, the ear drum needs to be visualized with an otoscope to make sure the ear drum is intact. She does need to see a vet for this problem, and the sooner the better, as leaving ear infections untreated can lead to hearing loss. Please give her vet a call now to make her an appointment. I hope this helps!

No, I would not give diflucan to Jinx. It's never recommended to self treat your animal, as you may accidentally do harm to your dog. In this case, diflucan can never be given to dogs with kidney or liver disease, and if your dog has kidney or liver problems you aren't aware of, you can harm her. Also, diflucan is not typically used to treat ear infections. I would not give her anything that isn't prescribed by your vet for a specific medical condition, and I would get her into the vet as soon as you can.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Leo. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will be examined. A special instrument known as an otoscope is used to look deep within the ear canal. Typically a swab is taken from each ear. This is evaluated under the microscope to confirm the infection and determine the cause. Dogs can have yeast, bacterial or mite infections. This helps to choose an appropriate medication and ear cleaner for him. Treatment will vary based on the severity of the infection. You can start by cleaning the ears at home if you have an ear cleaner for dogs. However, he will most likely need a prescription medication to clear the problem. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bella. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. I agree that her ear is likely infected. The veterinarian will examine her including inspecting the ear canals with a special instrument known as an otoscope. A sample will be taken from each ear canal to evaluate under the microscope. This will confirm an infection and determine the type. For example, she could have a yeast or bacterial infection or a combination of both. In other cases, ear mites are possible. Based on these results, appropriate treatment can be started. An ear cleaner is usually commonly used to cleanse and dry the canal. Then a medication is applied to treat the infection. Ear infections are painful and require prompt treatment. If left untreated, chronic changes can result that will predispose her to future problems. I hope this information helps!

Ear infections can be very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous (if they get bad enough) for your dog. The best thing you can do is take her to your vet so they can determine what type of infection is present and they can prescribe the appropriate medication. If you are unable to do this at this time the best thing you can do for Ruby it to purchase an over the counter gentle ear cleaner and clean her ears once or twice a day, depending on how much debris is in the ears. This likely won't fix the problem but may be able to keep it under control until you see your vet.