My boxer mix is shaking her head. Why isn't her ear medicine helping?

Ear infections are relatively common in both cats and dogs. Some are more persistent than others. As you said, your vet took a look at the contents of the ear to determine what course of treatment might be required. Without a true bacterial / fungal culture, I could only speculate as to what the exact organism might be. The majority of ear medications, tresaderm included, are traditionally quite broad spectrum in an attempt to cover as many bugs as possible. The reason Fatboy is shaking his head is likely a combination of both the drops and the discomfort associated with the infection. If after six days of effective treatment, you are not seeing any improvement at all, you might want to call you vet and let him know. He may want to obtain a new sample to see if any progress is being made. If not, a true culture could be sent out to better target his therapy and change medications if needed be.

Hi Lynette! Unfortunately no, there is nothing OTC to help with Sadie's ears. It sounds like she could have an ear infection, and that can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria, and the cause of it needs to be diagnosed so the problem can be treated correctly. In addition, before using any medication, the ear drum needs to be visualized to make sure it's intact. If you use medication without checking the ear drum and the ear drum has ruptured, you make the problem much more serious. I would call your vet to ask them to call you if there is a last minute cancellation so you can have Sadie seen by the vet sooner. I hope this helps!

It does sound like allergies. I would not use the Posatex unless your vet confirms an active infection. Doing this can create an environment where antibiotic-resistant bacteria can develop, which can make treatment really difficult. You can use an ear cleaner and try an antihistamine like Claritin or Zyrtec.

Ear infections can also be caused by yeast or bacteria, and ear mite medication won't treat those. That could be why Ranger is shaking his head again. I recommend having him seen by a vet who can diagnose why he is shaking his head, and can prescribe him medication to treat it.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know for sure without an examination though this is not uncommon following ear cleaning. It is a reaction to the ear cleansing solution. This is likely going to improve on its own with time. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor Troy! Itchy, painful ears with the redness and discharge visible in the pictures are most consistent with bacterial and/or yeast ear infections. Some dogs are quite uncomfortable and will hold their ears in different positions. There are no effective over the counter medications to treat actual ear infections, so it would be best to take Troy to his vet. The vet will be able to examine him and perform an ear cytology to microscopically determine the type of infection present in order to pick the most appropriate medications. I hope this helps and that Troy is feeling better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend having Dexter examined by a veterinarian to get a good ear exam in order to determine if anything is stuck in the ear canal or if there is an infection that needs to be treated. I would not advise trying to stick anything into the ear at home or trying to remove anything yourself as you could potentially damage the ear drum. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.