How to Treat a Dog's Ear Infection Naturally

Ear infections can drive your dog crazy! Not to mention the expensive trips to the vet, only to have the ear infections come back over and over and over again. Here are some simple remedies to help cure and prevent ear infections.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• white vinegar (also called acetic acid)
• a dog with an ear infection
• scissors or clippers
• Vitamin C tablets

1. Trim the dog's ear hair away so much as possible. The less hair getting into the ear, the better! Increased air circulation aids healing and shortens recovery time.

2. The easiest way to begin treating and preventing ear infections is diluted white vinegar. I use 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water for diluting. A cheap squeeze bottle with a nozzle is the easiest way to apply. (Pouring just gets you and the dog soaked and reeking of vinegar). This changes the pH in your dog's ear canal and helps with most yeast infection ear problems.

3. Vitamin C can help reduce the inflammation. Adrenal glands produce a natural steroid, and Vit. C can help kick the adrenal glands into functioning more efficiently. Pets weighing under 15 pounds can take between 100 and 250 milligrams of vitamin C a day. Cats and dogs 15 to 50 pounds can take 250 to 500 milligrams a day, and larger dogs can take 500 milligrams two or three times a day.

Tips & Warnings

• If the animal is tilting (think "drunk"), or acting overbalanced, it could be an inner ear infection. The vinegar and water treatment won't get deep enough to treat that! Take her to the vet asap!
• Vitamin C can sometimes cause diarrhea. If this happens, cut the dose back until you can find one your dog's system will tolerate.
• If he's scratched until his ear has swolen up, take him to the vet to have it professionally drained and cleaned. Nothing will be accomplised, and serious side affects could occur if this condition is left too long.
• Know your pet! If something is truly wrong, you'll know it. Trust your gut and take them to the vet if they start acting too strangely for it to just be a simple ear infection!

[martyd]

on 9/2/2009 Yay! A workable solution. Thanks.

[revisitingnixon]

on 8/29/2007 Congrats on having this article be picked as the winner for the "Top Written Requested How to Article!" Check out the forums and see which other winners we have this week. Check it out at:

http://www.ehow.com/community/forums/forum_1728_ehow-winners:-article-requests.aspx

-Rich

[Ceile]

on 8/20/2007 Very good advice! Thanks!