My dog's ear is swollen shut. Should I give him Keflex for infection?

Hello. Cephalexin is a good general antibiotic, but is totally inappropriate for treating ears this bad. Unfortunately, I think you need to find another veterinarian. Hopefully, your next veterinarian will treat poor Vlude's ear with a proper regimen of medications. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are many reasons Chloe's eye may look like that: an infection, a scratch on her eye, glaucoma or inflammation. It won't hurt to give her the Keflex but we treat eye conditions with ointments or drops. I always recommend immediate veterinary care when there are issues with the eyes. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does sound like possibly an ear infection. Usually, face swelling is not a commonly encountered sign of an ear infection so if his face continues to get swollen before tomorrow when you can have him evaluated by your veterinarian, consider having him evaluated tonight to make sure it is not something more concerning than an ear infection. In the meantime, try to limit his activity in case he has associated pain. Good luck! I will keep my fingers crossed that everything turns out well!

Poor Moose! Unfortunately, it's illegal for us to advise you to give any prescription medication to your dog without first doing a physical exam - so I can't advise you to give the amoxicillin. I can tell you, however, that it would be extremely unlikely to help in this case. Ear infections need to be treated with topical medications that go in the ear canal, because this area has a very poor blood supply - so oral antibiotics generally don't do much. The hematoma will either need to be surgically drained, or left alone to resolve on its own over the next few weeks. I'm afraid he does need to see a veterinarian for his ear infection, so I would try to find a way to take him in when you're able to. If cost is a concern, you can see if there is a low-cost SPCA clinic in your area that could help, or apply online for Care Credit, which is a payment plan accepted by most vet clinics: www.carecredit.com. Usually, there is no reason that an ear infection would need to be an expensive visit, as treatment is usually fairly straightforward.

I would not recommend doing that purely because most ear infections are fungal rather than bacterial and are treated topically and not systematically. you should take Gunner to the vet in order to get an anti fungal prescription ear drops.

It's hard to tell from the photo but if there is swelling in the ear flap it is likely a hematoma. This is a pocket of blood from a broken blood vessel inside the ear. Usually this is from shaking the head from an ear infection. While this is not an emergency it is very uncomfortable. I would recommend taking Kaiser to a vet soon to get him some relief. In the meantime, please do not give any medications over the counter until then. Good luck and kisses to Kaiser!

Poor Jax. Oral antibiotics are not used for ear infections, this is due to the poor blood supply to the ear. He needs topical medication to treat his ear infection. You need to take him into the vet tomorrow to have these medications prescribed.