Did you just look in your dog’s ear and see that it is red and inflamed? This is a common sign of an ear infection in your dog. You may be looking for what you can do to treat this at home. There are many great over the counter products that you can use, and then sometimes, you may just need to see your vet.
Can I use human ear drops on my dog?
Some human ear drops are safe to use on your dog, while many others are not. If you have had an ear infection recently, most likely, your doctor prescribed you antibiotic drops. These can cause some damage to your dog’s eardrum if it is not the correct medication.
Therefore, it is not recommended that you use human ear drops on your dog.
However, there are some things that you can give your dog for an ear infection that you can pick up at your local pet store or online.
What ear drops are safe for dogs?
Some of the common ear medications used to treat your dog’s ear infections are:
- Enrofloxacin
- Gentamycin
- Orbofloxacin
- Polymyxin B
- Miconazole
- Prednisolone
Most dog ear medications contain a combination of many of these medications to help treat your dog’s ear infection.
Are dog ear drops the same as human ear drops?
Dog ear drops contain antibiotics, antifungals, and steroids to help decrease inflammation and clear the infection in your dog’s ears. Human ear medications usually just contain an antibiotic. Most dogs have a mixed infection of bacteria and yeast. Using human ear medications would only treat half of their problem and leave the other half to keep causing your dog ear issues.
How can I treat my dog’s ear infection?
If your dog has an ear infection, cleaning them out each day will help remove the infection from the ear. These are some of the best ear cleaners:
- https://www.chewy.com/zymox-veterinary-strength-dog-cat-ear/dp/163445
- https://www.chewy.com/virbac-epi-otic-advanced-ear-cleaner/dp/52807
- https://www.chewy.com/pet-md-tris-flush-dog-cat-ear-cleaner/dp/244376
When you clean your dog’s ears, it is best to fill the ear canal with these cleaners. Place a paper towel or cotton ball over the opening of your dog’s ear and gently massage the base of your dog’s ear. After a few massages, you can gently wipe any excessive cleaner and debris from your dog’s ear. Repeat this process until there is no more debris coming from their ears.
After you clean their ears, you need to use some drops to help decrease the inflammation and help with the infection. These are some great drops that you can safely put into your dog’s ears.
- https://www.chewy.com/zymox-plus-advanced-formula-1/dp/143326
- https://www.chewy.com/zymox-otic-pet-ear-treatment/dp/54785
With these drops, it is best to put 3 to 5 drops in each ear twice a day after cleaning. Do not wipe these drops out of the ear; allow them to settle into your dog’s ear before you allow them to shake their head.
Can I use olive oil ear drops on my dog?
Olive oil is a natural component that you can use to help get waxy debris out of your dog’s ears. This will not help clear any infection in the ears. It just removes waxy build-up.
If you do use olive oil ear drops to clean your dog’s ears, it is best to just use a few drops, then massage the base of your dog’s ear and wipe them clean. Do not fill the ear with these drops, or you will have a very oily mess to clean up off your dog’s face.
How can I tell if my dog actually has an ear infection?
Detecting an ear infection is very easy. Most dogs with an ear infection will have black waxy material in their ears. In a very severe infection, your dog may have pus-like material coming from their ears.
The other easy way to tell if your dog has an ear infection is to smell in their ears. If there is a very horrible smell coming from their ears, they have an ear infection.
When do I need to see my vet for an Ear infection?
Mild ear infections can easily be treated at home by cleaning them each day and applying one of the drops above. If your dog has any of these signs, they will need to see a vet:
- Pus like coming from their ears: this is a sign of a very bad bacterial infection. These ear infections will need aggressive treatment and antibiotics in their ears
- Ears have not improved in 5 days: If you have been cleaning and treating your dog’s ears for 5 days and have not seen results, it is best to see your vet.
- Your dog’s ears are painful: Some infections can cause your dog’s ears to become very painful. If your dog’s ear is very painful, it would be best to see your vet. They can look into your dog’s ear to make sure that there is nothing wrong with their ears.
- Your dog’s ear is swollen: The ear canal may become swollen, or the ear flap may become swollen. If the ear flap is swollen, this is called a hematoma and may need to be drained by your vet.
Any of these issues will require a vet visit and prescription medications for the ears to fully heal. The at home remedies will most likely not work with severe ear infections.
What will my vet do for an ear infection in my dog?
If your dog has a severe ear infection, your vet will be able to prescribe your dog a prescription medication to help treat the infection. There are many different types of drops that your vet may prescribe.
Some drops you will have to apply to your dog’s ear each day. There are other new drops that your vet will put into your dog’s ear, and they last a week or two where you do not have to do anything at home. Your vet will be able to give your dog the appropriate medication to clear their infection
Final thoughts
While some human ear medications are the same as dog ear medication, there are much better choices that you can use to help treat your dog’s ear infection. If you follow the tips and tricks mentioned in this article, you can help clean your dog’s ear infection at home. If your dog has a severe ear infection that is not improving at home, it is always best to get prescription medication from your vet to treat this infection.