My dog has an ear infection. What can I do for his pain until the vet?

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.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you cannot get him into the vets this evening, you can given one 500mg tablet of paracetamol (providing that he is a healthy dog and is not on any medications) and get him see by your regular vets tomorrow morning.

If she will allow, use an ear cleaner, such as Epi-Otic, to clean the ear(s). Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent pawing or rubbing until she sees the doctor. Other medications, even OTC ones, cannot be legally recommended without a physical exam. They may also be the incorrect medication to treat whatever the underlying cause may be.

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 hope Pippi is feeling better today! Theres not a ton of options at home to make her feel better. She needs to get medications and possibly a steroid or some other anti-inflammatory to treat the ear infection. You did well by cleaning out the ear. That probably gave her some relief. Gently massaging the ear can also help. You can also apply a cool compress to the external portion of the ear. The doctor will be able to provide medication that can really get Pippi the most comfortable the fastest. I hope this helps!

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.

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!