How To Treat A Dog Ear Infection Without Vet Help
First, a word about topical dog ear infection treatment. As you’ll see later, over-cleaning your dog’s ears can lead to ear infections. So it’s best not to put anything in your dog’s ears … even if she has an ear infection. If that happens, you know it’s a sign of deeper issues so getting to the root of the problem is key.
But sometimes ear infections are just too uncomfortable for your dog and you need get her comfortable while you work on the root cause.
Topical Relief These are some soothing remedies you can use to provide relief. They’ll soothe the itching and discomfort. Then there are other steps to follow if you want to control your dog’s ear infections long-term.
Green Tea Boil 8 oz of water and add two green tea bags. Let the tea steep for a few minutes and cool to lukewarm temperature. Sponge or syringe some of the solution into the ear canal.
Calendula Tincture Calendula can help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. It also has antimicrobial properties to help prevent infection. To use calendula, buy herbal calendula in tincture form.Add 5 to 10 drops of calendula tincture to 1 cup of lukewarm filtered water. Then use a dropper or sponge to place some into the ears.
Grapefruit Seed Extract Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a powerful natural antioxidant. It’s also antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. To use it topically, mix 10 drops of GSE with ½ oz of pure aloe vera juice. Use it to clean the ears.
To use it internally, add 3 to 5 drops of GSE to your dog’s food.
Oil Of Oregano Oil of oregano is a natural antibiotic. To use if for your dog’s ear infections, add one drop to ½ oz of warm pure aloe vera juice. Clean the visible parts of the ear with a cotton ball soaked in the mixture.
Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar can help reduce the itch and discomfort of an ear infection. Mix 1 part vinegar and 1 part filtered or spring water. Clean the visible parts of the ear with a cotton ball soaked in the mixture. Make sure you get the liquid into the ear canal by holding your dog’s ear still. You can pour or squirt the liquid (at least one dropper full each time) into the ear canal. Then massage gently below the ear.
Mullein Drops Herbalist and holistic veterinarian Randy Kidd DVM PhD recommends a mullein mix that works for most ear infections. You can make your own or buy one at health food stores. HerbPharm offers a good mullein-garlic oil of dog ear infection treatment.
To make your own mullein drops, loosely fill a glass jar with mullein leaves and flowers and cover with olive oil. For increased antibiotic effectiveness, you can add a clove or two of garlic per pint of oil. Let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 weeks. Strain and apply several drops of the warmed oil into the ear canal daily
You can use homeopathic remedies to treat a dog ear infection. Choose the remedy below that best matches your dog’s symptoms. Use a 30C potency.
Belladonna – Use Belladonna when the ears are very hot and inflamed. Your dog may be impatient and irritable.
Pulsatilla – This remedy is helpful for acute flare-ups. Often with sensitivity and redness, along with a yellowish discharge. Pulsatilla animals like to sit near open windows, hate getting their paws wet and won’t go out in the rain. They also tend to have a very sweet (and often needy) disposition.
Hepar Sulphuris – Hepar sulph is useful for irritable animals who don’t like to have their inflamed ears touched.
If your dog has chronic, recurring ear issues, it’s best to get help from a professional homeopath. They’ll do a complete analysis of your dog, then prescribe the appropriate remedy for all her symptoms. This approach will help get to the underlying cause of your dog’s ear problems.
You can find a homeopathic vet at theavh.org. Most will do phone consults so they don’t have to be local.
Now that you know how to handle an acute ear infection in your dog, it’s a good idea to keep reading, so you can prevent your dog from getting ear infections in future.
How To Tell What Type Of Ear Infection Your Dog Has
Before you think about dog ear infection treatment, you need to know about the different types of ear infections. They can be in 3 different parts of your dogs’ ear.
Otitis externa Inflammation or infection of the external part of your dog’s ear (the parts you can see).
Otitis media This is inflammation or infection of the middle ear parts. In about a sixth of dogs with otitis external, the infection can spread into otitis media. This is a problem in more than half of dogs who have chronic otitis externa. It can also mean a foreign object (like a foxtail) has penetrated the ear drum.
Otitis interna This is inflammation or infection of the inner ear. Unresolved otitis media can spread to become otitis interna. It can lead to loss of balance and deafness.
Natural Dog Ear Infection Treatment
Next, you’ll want to use a natural remedy to treat the yeast and/or bacterial infection that will also help with the inflammation that is creating the pain and soreness in your dog’s ear.
Once again there are numerous at-home natural dog ear infection remedies. A super simple natural remedy for your dog’s ear infection, whether it’s bacterial, yeast or you need to reduce the inflammation, is to use a combination of essential oils diluted with colloidal silver and distilled water or green tea.
To make this natural ear treatment, take a 10 oz spray bottle:
Top off the bottle with either distilled water or cooled, brewed green tea which has natural anti-inflammatory properties. You can spray this mixture on the ear flap and folds 2-3 times a day until the ear infection has resolved.
Dog Yeast Ear Infections: Great OTC Home Remedy
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You may be feeling frustrated with going back and forth to the vet clinic for the same problem and the infection keeps coming back?