Dog Ear Infection Types, Causes and Home Remedy Treatments

In this post of Dog Ear Infection Types, Causes and Home Remedy Treatments, we’ll get to find out the problem and hopefully the solution to it.


Depending on a host of different factors, your pooch could end up suffering from a dog ear infection.


The condition can cause a substantial amount of pain and discomfort in a dog, so you’ll want to know how to recognize it and what you should do about it. The good news is that ear infection in dogs is highly treatable and preventative measures can also be taken to help ensure that problems don’t arise to begin with.

Depending on the type of dog ear infection that your pal is suffering from your veterinarian could prescribe or suggest several different medication options. These include Otomax ear drops and Cephalexin antibiotic for bacterial infections, and Mometamax ear drops for yeast infections. In either case, Epi-Otic Flush or Temeral-P can also be used depending on your vet’s recommendations.


Or, you may try home remedy dog ear infection treatment using white vinegar (also called as acetic acid). You have to dilute the vinegar using 1 part vinegar with 1 part water. After that you apply it with a squeeze bottle with a nozzle. This will change the pH in your dog’s ear canal and make it an unpleasant place for yeast or bacteria to grow.

Picture shows a Vet is checking a dog for ear infection.


The two primary sources of dog ear infection are bacterial infections and yeast infections. There are natural balances of both bacteria and yeast in your dog’s inner ears. Either one of these can become out of whack for a variety of reasons, potentially leading to overgrowth and a resulting infection. While these two problems are somewhat related you should be able to differentiate between fairly easily.


A bacterial ear infection in dogs could lead to unusual or excessive discharge from the ears, swelling and pain, and redness. The most important distinguishing characteristic is a pungent odor that you’ll notice, and definitely recognize if you clear out your dog’s ears from wax.


A yeast dog ear infection will carry some of those same symptoms, but could also lead to scaling, dryness and itching. This kind of infection can also spread to other areas of the dog’s face. The odor from a yeast ear infection in dogs will be chalky, so you should be able to differentiate between these two primary causes.


Dog ear infection can be caused by a variety of different factors. Often times they can be caused from a situation in which the dog was immersed in water. Water that then doesn’t get removed from the inner ears can lead to imbalances and growth changes. So if you take your dog swimming or give him a bath, be sure to dry those ears out. Also regularly clean out your dog’s ears in any case. Instead of using Q-tips those, use soft cotton balls. You can coat these in an ear cleanser for an effective and quick preventative cleaning.


Ear infection in dogs can also stem from hormonal imbalances and hereditary or genetic conditions. For example hypothyroidism can lead to a dog ear infection and can be treated with Soloxine from your veterinarian. Certain breeds of dogs are more prone than others and dogs with very floppy ears are also more likely to suffer from dog ear infection because it’s easier for water and other substances or materials to get trapped in their ears.


It’s also common to mistake certain ailments with ear infection in dogs when there are actually other causes. For example if your dog rolls around in the grass a lot, particularly high or weedy grasses, a foxtail could get caught in his ear. This can really get lodged up there and it will be very painful to the touch, causing a lot of discomfort. You can try to remove this with a pair of tweezers but they could become so deeply rooted that you may need to go to the vet for help.


Other ear problems that your dog can run into besides a dog ear infection will be infectious ear mites. These are usually received via contact with another animal that has the problem, and can be treated with specific medications. Fleas, ear tumors and of course direct trauma or impact on or near the ear can also lead to ear problems and can be mistaken for ear infection for dogs. Be sure to consider all of the possibilities and do your best to find out what’s really causing the symptoms so you know how to proceed.

You might love those floppy ears on your pooch but they can make your dog more susceptible to ear infection in dogs. Even other breeds with smaller or pointed ears can be susceptible to dog ear infection. Learn to recognize between bacterial and yeast infections, along with all of the other potential ear ailments your dog could be suffering from and you’ll be able to find the right course of action.


So read out this Dog Ear Infection Types, Causes and Home Remedy Treatments for the better of not just your dog, but anything around it too.