Can I use human earache drops on my dog's ear before a vet visit?

I would not recommend any human ear drops without a vet exam first. There are some medications that can cause permanent hearing loss if the ear drum is ruptured, so we like to check for that, and it is also possible what is going on could be an infection not treated by that type of drop (dogs often have bacteria and yeast in the ear) or could be something totally different such as Vestibular disease. I would recommend an exam with your vet before putting any drops in the ear.

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.

No, I would not give this medication to Eden. It is never recommended to self treat your animal, as you may accidentally do more harm than good. This drug is not prescribed by a vet to be used in your dog, and therefore is not safe to use in Eden.

You can keep cleaning Louie's ear with the wipes, but do not put the hydrocortisone ear drops in his ear. He needs his ear checked by a vet before any treatment is put into them. If his ear drum isn't intact, which can happen with ear infections, putting any drops in the ear can have very serious effects. Clean his ears daily, but do not put anything in them unless it has been specifically prescribed by his vet. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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.

IT's not recommended to use prescription human ear drops on dogs as their ear infections are very different than ours, for example most ear infections in dogs are caused by yeast while in humans it is extremely rare thus this ear drop does not contain any anti yeast medication and will in most cases be useless when used on a dog.

Yes, it can hurt. You don't know if the dog's ear drum is intact, and putting medication into an ear with a ruptured ear drum is bad. In addition, ear infections can be caused by ear mites and bacteria as well as yeast, so this prescription medication may not work anyway. Do not give it to Ben. I can give some resources that may help him afford a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if they can help him. In honesty, if he cannot afford a vet visit for an ear infection, then maybe keeping her isn't a good idea. I hope this helps.