My dog's ear sounds swishy. Can I give Doxycycline before the vet?

Poor Scout! If he is really lethargic or walking in circles then I would have him seen today as it could be an inner ear infection. But if he is otherwise acting okay except for shaking his head or pawing at it then yes, it can wait until tomorrow. Your vet will be able to determine the type of infection and put him on the proper ear meds if needed. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Snickers! Ultimately he will be okay until tomorrow, I am glad he is getting seen in the short term. I wouldn't recommend giving him any human medications because your Vet may prescribe steroids which can not be combined with things like aspirin. You can try some benadryl to see if it relieves the itch and calms him. Otherwise I would hold tight for a day. You could purchase an ear cleaner but your Vet will give you one tomorrow. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ I wish Snickers a speedy recovery!

Unfortunately if he won't let you near his ears you may have to wait until tomorrow when you can get Wrigley in to see your veterinarian. If you can pick up an ear cleaner from a pet store you can try flushing them out between now and tomorrow morning. If he is walking with a head tilt I would be worried that his inner or middle ear may also be affected, if this is truly the case, I wouldn't recommend putting anything more in his ears until you see your vet. If you feel he is really uncomfortable and you don't want to wait, an emergency vet should be able to evaluate him today.

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.

Poor DDuang! Ear infections are very uncomfortable. I would not recommend using ophthalmic ointment in the ear, as these medications are not designed for this and could damage his eardrum or the nerves in his middle ear. It's fine to use a regular ear cleaner labeled for dogs to help clean the discharge out of the ear - this won't treat the underlying infection, but may make Dduang a bit more comfortable until he can get treatment. An ear infection is not an emergency, per se, but it's certainly uncomfortable and unpleasant for both of you! Personally, I would probably go ahead and take your pup to the emergency clinic tonight or tomorrow rather than waiting until next week for treatment. You could also call some other vets locally to see if they have any appointments available tomorrow, since this would probably be cheaper than an emergency visit. The vet will take a sample of the discharge for analysis under the microscope and prescribe appropriate medication to treat the infection depending on what is found.

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.

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.