How to treat a dog's ear infection at home before seeing a vet?

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!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach! Sorry that Chance is having this issue. I suggest you use a medicated ear wash (see link below) and an actual ear medication (also linked below). Clean the ears and medicate once per day but do them at opposite times of the day (clean in the evening and medicate in the morning or vice-versa). You don't want to put the medication in the ears on top of the cleaning solution. Do both for AT LEAST 7-10 days. If he is not improved by that time he will need to see your vet. https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=136342 https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/198944_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=98587 Be sure you are cleaning the ears correctly. See YouTube video linked below. When you medicate be sure the medication is getting down into the ear canal and not just in the top portion of the canal that you can see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_8f1fll42A&t=16s Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes!

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.

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.

This looks like a rather severe ear infection that needs veterinary treatment, or it can cause permanent damage. I understand vets can be costly, but you may be able to find one with reasonable exam fees. We are used to working within budgets, so if you let them know how much you are willing to spend, they can offer the best treatment within that budget. For now, flush the ear with cool water where you see the redness. This will help give some relief. Flush for at least two minutes. After that, you can flush inside the ear canal to help remove any debris that is contributing to the infection. You can get a good ear flush at the pet store and there are some good instructional videos on youtube about how to do this. I recommend gently flushing the ear with cool water twice a day and flushing the inside of the ear once a day. Be sure not to apply too much pressure or scrub the ear with anything, because this can make the inflammation worse. I hope that helps and Boomer gets better soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The short answer is not necessarily. That is especially true if if Buddy's ear infection is severe and actually not sensitive to the ear cleanser or antibiotics used initially which would be required if they as I recommend that you have Buddy evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian would be able to check what type of infection is present and treat accordingly. Usually this resolves with topical therapy. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can try to use an ear cleanser in the meantime which you can buy online or at your local pet store though if an infection is present this may help but will not resolve the issue and appropriate therapy for an infection is needed which is based on the organism present. I like malAcetic ear cleanser. This is based on cytology and culture sometimes. Good luck and have a great day!