Home Remedy Ear Infection Treatments

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Yes, dogs (just like people) can get nasty yeast infections. Many times they get them in their ears. You see, yeast thrives in warm and moist environments, and your dog’s ears are no exception. So, if you’re concerned that your pooch may have a dog ear yeast infection and you want to learn all you can about it, as well as examine medical and holistic treatments, then you’ve come to the right place.

Is he moping, shaking his head, whining, or rubbing his ear? Do you observe symptoms like redness, warmth to the touch, swelling, discharge, or crusty skin? Most of all, do his ears smell really bad? Then he probably has a dog ear yeast infection of some type of dog ear infection.

Allergies are a common culprit for ear infections in dogs, but can be treated using simple home remedies using a few ingredients you may already have. If you’ve noticed a brownish-pink or stinky reddish waxy substance in your dog’s ears, then chances are he’s suffering from a yeast infection, possibly caused by allergies.

All Products can be bought online at Amazon.com and for your convenience I have linked them below..

Hair in the ear

BEFORE

Doodles and Poodles grow hair in the ears so we should be plucking it out monthly to keep the ears clean and free from infection. For ease of removal and minimal pain for the dog, purchase an Ear Powder sold at most pet stores and if yo click the link Amazon.com. The safest way to remove the hair is to place the dog on its side, then holding it still in order to avoid injuring the ear. Pull the hair out a few strands at a time with a clean Hemostats.

Hemostats are available through some pet stores and grooming supply companies and online at Amazon.com.

AFTER

If you take your dog to the vet..

If you take your dog to the vet they will use an Otoscope to look down his ear canal to determine the amount of inflammation he/she is dealing with. A cotton swab will pull out a sample of the overgrowth. The material will then be wiped onto a slide, stained, and looked at under a microscope. This procedure will help to identify whether it is a bacterial or yeast infection.

For a bacterial ear infection the vet will provide you with Epi-Otic Ear Cleanser, Otomax ear drops, Cephalexin antibiotic and possibly Temeral-P which is a steroid.

For a yeast infection of the ears the vet will give you Epi-Otic Ear Cleanser, Nolvasan Otic Cleansing Solution or possibly Temeral-P a Canine antipruritic, antitussive tablet for itch relief.

ear infections in dogs

If you are more holistically inclined and your dog has a yeast infection in his ears, then you can try the white vinegar OR Apple Cider Vinegar - both are common home remedies for treating dog ear infections. Add 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar to create a solution that will remove the debris from his ears and to restore the natural balance. Fill his canal and allow it to soak. Grab his ears gently and massage the base of his ears to ensure total immersion and until you hear the swishing around in his ears, I let it sit there for a few minutes. Then wipe out any excess liquid with a cotton swab. Repeat this twice a day until infection is gone and then once a week to keep his ears clean and infection free.

Q-tips can harm the ears of your dogs so never use them for cleaning ears. Use cotton balls or those square cotton swabs instead.

Avoid antibiotics whenever possible. They are notorious for killing off good bacteria as well as bad bacteria. When the body’s natural balance of flora is disrupted, yeast often gains a foothold that can be very difficult to reverse. If your a woman and you’ve ever taken antibiotics and then a week later developed a yeast infection..this is why. Common sense says it’s probably going to do the same thing in a dogs system.

You can experiment with herbs that are anti-microbial. Health food stores often carry anti-microbials to help your dog combat his dog ear yeast infection. One herb you want to try is Pau D’Arco for pets. However, always ask your vet for advice before dosing your dog with any herbal treatment.

White vinegar/Water/Hydorgen Peroxide

This is the same concept as Vinegar and Water but instead of just water you use Hydrogen Peroxide. The Hydrogen Peroxide loosens and removes the dirt and debris and the Vinegar restores a healthy balance in your dog’s ears. Add a capful of vinegar, add a few capfuls of water and a capful of hydrogen peroxide, now use a dropper or medicine syringe you get with your kids cold medicine and add a small amount into your dog’s ear canal like 1/2 teaspoon, allow it to soak as you massage it briefly until you hear it squishing around in there, then wipe out excess with a soft cloth or cotton. Cleaning your dog once a day may help your dogs ear yeast infection. When his ear infection is better, use this solution a couple times a week to keep your dog’s yeast at bay. If the dog’s yeast infection problem isn’t helped by these milder steps, your vet may recommend Zymox, a non-prescription treatment containing enzymatic anti-microbials. Once daily dose of Zymox cleans and medicates. After your dog has been treated daily for this nuisance, make sure you give him plenty of treats to reward him for all his pain and agony!

Zymox

a non-prescription treatment containing enzymatic anti-microbials, with your vet. A daily dose of Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortisone will clean, medicate and may prevent your dog’s yeast overgrowth.

Yogurt

Feed a teaspoon of yogurt the kind with the live culture in it. This is great for fighting yeast in humans and in dogs. Many commercial brands do not contain live acidophilus so make sure to read the label and see that it says Live Cultures.

If you don’t believe me read comments from people who has tried this treatment..or read Fast Facts About Yogurt And Beneficial Bacteria by Dr. Green.

Cod Liver Oil or Vitamin E Oil

These oils are most beneficial for dogs who are suffering from middle and inner ear infections. If you don’t have ear drops given by the vet yet, this can help relieve the pain that your dog endures. Put a drop of cod liver oil in the dog’s affected ear. If you can’t find PET Arctic Cod Liver Oil from the store or Amazon.com, or you can also use Pure Vit E Oil as ear drops.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar/Organic Raw
can be given to your pet to help prevent the worsening of the ear infection. To use it, just add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water. Give this to your pet twice a week. Make sure that your dog will finish the solution for best effects. You can also use this in place of white vinegar to clean out and treat inside the ears of your dog. Just make sure you get the kind they sell at the health food store that says w/ Mother not the grocery store you can also order it online at Amazon.com for a couple bucks. If you want to learn more about this miracle remedy please read this post.
(This is a bit off-subject, but if you have athletes foot, try soaking your feet in a basin of diluted vinegar one a day for several days. The itch almost always goes away after using this easy treatment.)

Macerated garlic

This home remedy for ear infection is ideal for dogs with a mild case of the disease. Two cloves of garlic macerated in olive oil are all that you need. The mixture should be left sitting for two weeks. After which, strain it. Put two to three drops of warmed mixture into the dog’s ears. Apply it daily until the infection is fully healed. This is not the best idea if your dogs is hurting NOW and you can’t wait two weeks so maybe it’s possible to make a solution now for use later. Sorry, I’ve never tried this one.

Herbal flea powder

Dogs with ear infection caused by mites are advised to get not just a regular flea powder but a special herbal flea powder for best effects. The most ideal ingredients of such an anti-flea or anti-mites powder are Rosemary, Fresh Wormwood, Rue, Pennyroyal
and add that all to Dr. Bronner – Eucalyptus Castile Soap. I don’t know the exact measurments for something like this but it’s something you could play with or look online for a company that’s already made a flea treatment using these ingredients.

More Flea Treatments

The addition of Garlic or Garlic Oil to every one of our dog’s meals will help to keep them free of fleas, as will the addition of Sulphur to their diet on a once a week basis. You can also try giving your pet Black Walnut Hulls that come in a capsule form at many health food stores and Amazon.com which will repel not only fleas but also, ticks and mosquitoes.

Keep in mind that none of these solutions will work overnight and may take about four to six weeks before they are effective.

To prevent both bacterial and yeast infections you should always keep your dog clean, exercised, maintain a healthy diet, and dry out his ears as much as possible after being exposed to water. Vitamin C for Dogs is also a great compliment to your dogs diet because it is a proven antioxidant that will help fend off infections and regulate yeast. Herbs such as Acidophilus and Pau d’Arco when used in conjunction with each other will inhibit the overgrowth of yeast and destroy the fungus contained in bacteria.

Since mites can cause ear infection too, you have to make sure that your pet is mite-free and flea-free all the time.

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