My dog has an itchy ear with black wax. Is OTC medicine safe?

They appear swollen and rough on the ear margins. Those are signs of an infection. You will need a prescription from the vet for medication to completely treat it. Until then the best thing is actually use an ear wash to keep it clean. I would not use Q tips anymore. But if you can get an ear cleaner from a pet store, just rinsing them daily will help dilute out the bacteria/yeast causing the problem and soften the edges to help. This will also help loosen up whatever is inside so every time he shakes, it will wash more debris out. It is best to wipe it with a clean tissue or cotton ball.

Sometimes black wax is indicative of ear mites so i would get him a spot on treatment such as advocate that kills them. If the ear looks red it would be best to get it checked out as he may need antibiotic drops. If it is just dirty you could start cleaning it once a week with cotton wool and pet ear cleaner. Just dont put anything down into the canal, squirt the cleaner in, massage and remove with cotton wool. If you are unsure about doing this go to the vet and they will show you how.

Yes, I would take Dax into the vet for this problem. It’s not normal to have a big build up of gunk in the ear or to have an odor. These are signs of an ear infection. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria so the vet needs to diagnose what’s causing this build up so he can be treated properly. I would take him into the vet in the next day or two. Just be careful using q tips in his ears. You could accidentally hurt him or even perforate his ear drum if you stick one in too far. The vet can give you an ear cleaning solution like Epi-Otis which is much safer to use. Best of luck!

This sounds quite uncomfortable for Maybelline! Oftentimes a buildup of dark brown debris occurs with ear infections from bacteria and/or yeast. Ear cleaners can help get rid of the bigger pieces of debris, but only prescription based medications will treat the actual infection. Maybelline should see her vet so that her ears can be examined and have a cytology performed to determine the infectious agents causing her infection. From there, your vet will be able to prescribe the most appropriate medication for her.

This black, tarry substance is mostly wax and cleansing twice daily with an alcohol free ear cleanser for 5-7 days should help remove this (it will also remove any mites which may be stuck in it). Fill the ear with the solution, rub gently and then wipe away the disolved wax - repeat 3-5 times until ear appears clean; do this twice daily until ear has been thoroughly clean for 2 cleanings and then 1-2 times weekly to prevent build up. Any severe pain, blood or loss of appetite indicates there may be an infection and this would require assessment by a vet to prescribe the correct medicated drops

It sounds like Blaze is pretty uncomfortable. I think it is fine to use a cotton ball and apple cider vinegar to clean the debris, but I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian soon. Ear infections don’t tend to resolve on their own. In fact, they can be kind of frustrating to resolve sometimes. The longer the infection has been going on the harder to clear it up. Good luck and I hope he improves soon.

Ouch, poor Remington! You are correct - most ear infections in dogs stem from underlying allergies. Allergy issues in dogs mostly cause skin problems and ears are skin, after all. The allergies could be associated with environmental issues (atopy), food allergies or flea allergies. I can certainly see the discharge and swelling in Remington's ear. Her excessive scratching obviously indicates that she's quite uncomfortable. Allergy issues cause dogs to itch, which damages the skin barrier and then leads to ear infections from an overgrowth of yeast and/or bacteria in the ear canal. There are no effective over the counter treatments for ear infections. At this point, I recommend taking Remington to her vet for an exam and ear cytology. Your vet will be able to look at her ear discharge under a microscope to determine the type of infection present, and will then prescribe an appropriate medication based on those results. Until you get to the vet, consider putting an e-collar (cone) on Remington to prevent her from causing further damage to hear ears. I hope this helps and that she's feeling better soon!