5 Dog Ear Infection Myths
Dr Jones’ Free Book
What do you *really* know about the cause and treatment about your dog’s ear infections? Dr Jones shares with you the TOP 5 Dog Ear Infection Myths, along with his best remedies for How to Treat these at home.
Do these remedies work for chronic ear infections in cats too? I have a 3yr old cat (tortoise shell) who gets ear infections every 4-6 months. She’s had Bacterial, yeast as result of antibiotic, and then inflamed itchy ears treated with EIT for two weeks. (Her most common treatment). We suspect environmental allergies but she is on Feline D/D food too. She is also using the Advantage multi every month so no mites. She is deaf now as a result if the scar tissue building up. The vet bills are adding up and I was curious about homeopathic remedies to help counteract some of this. She is a strictly indoor cat who lives in Houston. We do have high humidity and high pollen seasons. Just FYI.
Hi. Just wanted to say thankyou so much, my dog bella has been suffering from ear infections for ever took her to the vet..bought the meds the vet recommended didnt work.she has had non stop infections for years.so I decided to look to the internet for help and found ur channel.I’m so glad I did. Not only did I get rid of her infection..she hasnt had one since.i have 5 dogs that I love like my kids. I love ur channel wish more vets where like u…a true animal lover!
I have a German shepherd, 4 years old , he is a rescue and has been with me for a year. He has had a terrible ear infection, the test showed ecoli.
He has been on antibiotics drops.
I have tried garlic oil but it was of no use.
Currently thinking of surgery.
Ear Infections
Most pet owners can easily tell if their dog has an ear infection by looking into and their dog’s ear. A normal ear is light pink, not tender and easy to examine. In dog ear infections you will see a foul-smelling black, yellow or brown discharge. The ears may be very red and tender.
Most ear infections are caused by an underlying allergy. Some are caused by water in the ear after bathing or swimming. Dogs with large floppy ears, such as Basset Hounds, are prone to infections as their ear canals have poor air circulation, trapping moisture and allowing bacteria and yeast to grow.
Dogs with ear infections caused by yeast usually have a black discharge; this is commonly second to an allergy. Dogs with bacterial ear infections often have an organism called Staphylococcus; in rare cases a more serious infection is caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas.
Ear Mites
Ear mites are known as Otodectes cynotis, and they are a relatively common parasite of dogs and cats. Most pets with infected ears do not have mites, so it is important to properly diagnose them before you begin to treat your pet; you don’t want to be using ineffective remedies for the wrong condition. Symptoms of ear mites include itching, head shaking, scratching of the ears, but differing from other ear conditions, ear mites produce thick black debris. Most ear mite infections occur in cats.
The entire life cycle of ear mites is within the ear canal; they do not burrow into the ear but stay on the surface. The life cycle of a mite is approximately 3 weeks; the female mites can lay more eggs after 3 weeks to continue the cycle. The mites are very contagious and easily spread from animal to animal through direct contact.
SOLUTIONS
MITES. The easiest treatment is to visit your veterinarian and get a topical conventional anti-parasitic medication. I have found Revolution (Selamectin) to be very effective; it is applied topically between the shoulder blades, and lasts for one month. Other conventional medications that work include Acarexx, (topical ivermectin), and Milbemite, (topical milbemycin oxime).
CLEAN THEM. Apple Cider Vinegar is naturally antibacterial and antifungal, and will help with most cases of ear infections. I prefer a 1:1 rinse of ACV and warm water – fill the ear canal up with the solution, rub the base of the ear to mix it well, and wipe out the excess with a cotton ball. This can be repeated twice a week. *If your dog or cat has red, open wounds, do not use this as it will be painful.
HEALING OILS. This is especially helpful if your pet’s ears are inflamed and difficult to touch. You can use a mixture of 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil combined with 1 capsule of Vitamin E and insert that into your pet’s ear. Let it soak for 5 minutes, then rub the base of the ear well and wipe out excess debris with a cotton ball.
BUROW’S SOLUTION. This is one which I discuss for use in Hot Spots, but it can also be used for ear infections and ear cleaning. It is a solution of aluminum acetate in water. It is used as an astringent wet dressing to relieve inflammatory conditions of the skin, such as swelling, allergies and bruises. Burow’s solution has antibacterial effects, and will inhibit the growth of bacteria commonly found in ear infections. Apply 5-6 drops in both ears, cleaning twice daily.
ALLERGY DIET. For dogs that get recurring ear infections it is important to try a less allergenic diet. It should include a completely different protein with minimal added ingredients. One example commercial diet is made of fish and sweet potato. See the Food Allergies section for recipes for homemade diets.
BIOFLAVONOIDS. These are the wonderful group of structures found in the pigment of fruits and vegetables. Quercetin has been effective for people with allergies and may be effective in dogs. The dose is 25 mg per 10 lbs of body weight daily.
FATTY ACIDS. These are a must for any allergy that triggers recurring ear infections. Ground flax for dogs (1 tsp per cup of dog food) or flax oil (1000 mg per 10 lbs of body weight), and flax or fish oil for cats (1000 mg per 10 lbs).
VITAMIN C. This may help your pet, and is worth a try. It suppresses the product released from cells in the body that causes itching (histamine), and is an antioxidant. Start with a low dose of 100 mg twice daily per 10 lbs of body weight.
ANTIOXIDANTS. Vitamin E may help: the Vitamin E dose is 100 IU per 10 lbs of body weight once daily.
ANTIHISTAMINES. Benadryl is the most commonly used antihistamine. It is given at a dose of 1 mg per pound of body weight, 2-3 times a day. Cats respond well to Chlor-Tripolon at 2 mg, 2-3 times a day. It is best to consult your veterinarian before using these medications. It often takes 14 days of using these to see if they are helping.
ACUPRESSURE:
Acupressure appears to be effective for some of those itchy and scratchy pets. Press one or more of the points for 1 minute three times a day:
LI4. Found on the web of the dewclaw, inside the front leg.
LI11. Found on the outside of the front leg, at the elbow.
HERBAL:
LESSEN THE INFLAMMATION. Most ear infections produce red, inflamed ears, so it is important to decrease the inflammation. ALOE or CALENDULA essential oil can be applied topically in the ears twice daily to decrease inflammation.
HERBAL INFUSION. Another oil infusion consists of: OREGON GRAPE, MARSHMALLOW AND GARLIC: soak the dried herbs overnight in olive oil- this can also be mixed with Vitamin E.
TREAT THE INFECTION. GARLIC, SAGE and THYME have antibacterial and antifungal properties. One treatment is to soak garlic cloves overnight with Calendula oil. Remove the garlic and instill the calendula-garlic mixture twice daily.
HOMEOPATHIC:
SILICA. Useful for dogs with recurrent ear infections. Most have excessive debris. The typical dose is 30C twice daily.
PULSATILLA. For more sudden ear infections and injuries. Dose 30C every 4-6 hours for 2-3 days.
SEPIA. Has been used in cats with chronic ear infections that don’t typically respond well to conventional meds. The dose is 6C once daily for 4 weeks.