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What natural remedies can I use for my dog's smelly, red ears?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 8 months old | 4 lbs

Bella's ears has some sort of rash in her ears and it smells badly also her ears seems to have a little reddish. Do you have any natural and cruelty free ear cleansers?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Steve Popish, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 14th, 2018

Sorry about Bella's ears. Sounds like Bella may have an ear infection. Normally, I would recommend reaching out to your local veterinarian for an exam and treatment as ear infections require specific medications that treat yeast and bacteria. Occasionally, low grade ear problems respond to conservative therapy such as gently cleaning and flushing with small amount of 2 parts white vinegar and 1 part warm water. This is commonly called swimmers solution, which can help reduce bacteria and reduce growth of yeast in the ear canal. I usually recommend an eyedropper full of this solution in and around the ear canal, then gently massage the ear canal, then after shaking it out, wipe the ear clean with cotton balls. You could apple a small amount of Neosporin and Hydrocortisone cream mixed 50/50 to the inside of the flap of the ear to help reduce redness and inflammation. That said, the best recommendation is a complete exam of the ear and treatment at your local veterinary clinic. Ear problems can become chronic and require aggressive therapy if they get severe. Hope this helps, Steve Popish, DVM.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 7th, 2017
If the reddening and ear wax isa gone, the ear drops are working . If the smell is like beer or yeast, then she may have a fungal infection as well. that will need to be seen. You should have the vet recheck Bella's ears after the treatment (7days) to make sure the treatment worked.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on November 17th, 2017
It is possible he is developing or has an ear infection. These can be bacterial or fungal (yeast) resulting in the symptoms you are reporting.
If possible, place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further scratching. Have Dooney examined by your veterinarian. A swab of the ear can be examined to diagnose infection. If necessary, the vet can dispense the appropriate medication. Treatment usually takes about 7-14 days to resolve the infection.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Health & Wellness

My dog has an ear infection. When should I see a vet for treatment?

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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog's ears are red and aching inside. What's wrong and what to do?

It's possible Bella is having an allergic reaction or has an ear infection. I recommend to have her examined within the next 24 hours. If she appears to be in distress or pain, have her examined quickly. The aching is concerning for pain. Here is a link about ear infections: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ear-infections-otitis-externa-ear-cleaning-in-dogs/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has red, smelly ears and recurring hot spots. What to do?

Poor guy. Unfortunately you will need to take him to your vet to get his ear infection treated, since there are no over the counter ear products available for dogs. He also likely has skin allergies which are best treated with allergy medication (i.e. Apoquel) through your vet as well. Until you can get him seen, you can try giving him over the counter pet formulated fish oils, which are a natural anti-inflammatory for the skin, daily to help somewhat. Also you can bathe him with an over the counter pet formulated shampoo that is either aloe based or oatmeal based. The vet will be able to give him stronger medication once you go to your appt. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951475 I hope that Coco's skin and ears resolve soon! Best wishes and take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my dog's ear red and swollen? What can I do for my dog at home?

Hello! Luna could have a couple things going on. When dogs have red ears, it could be due to an infection in the ear from bacteria or yeast, or they can have something stuck in their ear like hair or a grass seed. You can try flushing her ear out with a 50:50 mix of white vinegar and water and use a cotton ball to clean the ear once the flush is done. Here is helpful video on ear cleaning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC0l1rlYi5Y&sns=em If this doesn’t resolve the issue, have your vet examine the ears. They can test for infection and also see if there is something stuck. They can then also prescribe medications to clear things up. Best to you and Luna and thanks for using Pet Coach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a red, smelly ear rash. Is it an infection I can treat?

It looks like your kid has a pretty severe ear infection there. The redness is inflammation and the gray area is thickening of the external ear canal from chronic inflammation. What would be best would be for your pup to be seen by your family vet for an ear exam and cytology. In order to treat this appropriately your vet will need to know if there are bacteria (and what type) or yeast or both in the ear canals and if the eardrum is intact. An anti inflammatory may also be needed because of the thickening. If ear infections are a chronic problem for your pup underlying allergy may also need to be explored. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's ear is red and warm. Is it an infection I can treat at home?

You should definitely not use hydrogen peroxide as it can cause serious damage to the ear, Benadryl will not help. It's probably an ear infection, often it cannot be seen from the outside. Ear infections are very common in dogs, it is usually caused by either yeast or bacterial disease. the treatment is usually simple and straightforward, you will have to take her to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Poodle's red ears after vinegar: When should I worry and see a vet?

I would be concerned that the concentration of vinegar may worsen things or burn the ear. If the ear is still red you can try a commercial ear cleaner from a local pet store that is safe to use in the ears and see if that helps. If the ear stays red or is very bothersome to Daisy, I would have it looked at by your vet to rule out issues such as infection or allergies that may require a prescription medication to treat.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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