How do i fix my dogs hurting ears?

Question

my black lab has hurt ears and he keeps scratching them and holding his head down and they smell, what do i do? i need some kind of home remedy..something that is inexpensive.

Answer 1

Sounds like ear mites and a possible infection. Unfortunately that would require meds from the vet (I think). Dogs are kind of like kids, gotta take them to the doc when they are sick.

Answer 2

As an earlier answerer said, it sounds like earmites. But I have a home remedy. It is not pleasant, though......for you or for your dog. I got this from a FoxFire (natural living) book.

Get mineral oil from the drug store. You do not need a prescription and it is not costly. Have a towel or two ready, some QTips or cotton balls, and since your dog is a lab, have a strong friend ready too.

Place about a tablespoon of the mineral oil into your dog's ear (do 1 ear at a time), then massage the oil into the inside of the ear very well, kind of closing the ear flap as you massage. What is happening when you do this, is that the oil is loosening the mites and the gooey stuff they make from your dog's ear. Now is when you need your strong friend: What happens next is: the ear mites will react to being smothered in the oil and they will begin to crawl - and crawl fast. This will sort of freak out your dog and he will try to run away. Have your friend hold your dog still while you continue to massage the ear. Speak in a soothing voice and offer lots of love to the dog (you should probably do the same for your friend too, he might be having a hard time holding the dog). After a minute or two of massaging, use the QTips or cotton balls to wipe the ear clean of mineral oil and dead mites. You might not see the mites themselves, but you'll see a brown "goo" that is all of the excrement (I know that's gross, that's why you need to get it out of your dog's ears). Wipe very well and get as much out as you can. Now is when you need the towel. As soon as you let go of your dog's ears and head, he will shake his head hard, and you'll get covered with any "goo residue". Then repeat with the other ear.

I've done this before, and I am an animal lover...I would never do anything to harm a dog. I sincerely believe this causes no pain nor poses no danger to the animal.

Good luck, and now that you know your dog is prone to ear mites, you can keep an eye on the inner ears....look for a build-up of the brown "goo", and treat again if needed.

Oh, and give your dog a hug from me.

Answer 3

A Vet is the best solution if you have not spent much time with dogs. You can start by cleaning the ears. Ear cleaning solutions are available at a pet store. They’re relatively inexpensive and before I would take them to the vet I would try cleaning the ear with a solution and a dryer. Floppy eared dogs are more susceptible to ear infection because water gets trapped. Goldens, and Labs have a trait that makes a lot of earwax. Cleaning the dog’s ears will get rid of the wax.

If you have never cleaned dog’s ears, you should go to the Vet and have them demonstrate the proper procedure. The dogs eardrum is close to the surface of the ear canal and you can puncture it if you probe too deep.

To save some money, find out if the local human society, or shelter has a clinic. Those that do offer Vet services at a discount.

Answer 4

It's possible that it's allergies, but the foul odor sounds more like an ear infection to me.

I've never tried it, but I've read a lot of places that using a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water is good for ear infections. The vinegar helps change the pH of the ear which inhibits the growth of bacteria and yeast. I've pasted a link to one of the sites that mentions it below.

Another site lists a specific recipe:
Ear Flush
4 oz vinegar
4 oz water
1-2 teaspoons Boric acid (I think this is the same as Borax which is found in the laundry aisle)
1 drop liquid soap
Fill ear canal & massage let dog shake. Repeat 4 times in a row one right after the other. Do this for 3 days then every other day for 2 weeks. Once healed, continue to treat once a week. (http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf395290.tip.html)

You may also want to check out your local pet store and see if they have any over the counter ear infection medications.

If treating the ear infection daily for more than a week doesn't cause improvement, you should see a vet.

Answer 5

Ear mites/ yeast infection. first clean the ears with apple vinegar and then use some ear care with comfrey (get it from pet store $15) Use it about 3 times per day for a week. If this does not help go to a vet after a week. To prevent this get your dog on a food with no beet pulp and no yeast. These two ingredients will perpetuate ear infections among other things. Good luck!

Answer 6

I JUST used mineral oil. 3 days ago after battling ear mites with meds specifically for the mites i read about using mineral oil. Put it in your dog's ear (the size of the dog will dictate the amount you use). Massage it into the ear canal by putting your fingers on the outside of his/her ear. You should hear a nasty "squishy" sound. It will smother the ear mites and loosen the debris. I was able to get most of the blackish gunk out with cotton balls. It will be GROSS and MESSY. I did it for 3 days in a row and you are supposed to wait a few days and do the same again. So far since the 1st treatment there has been NO odor AT ALL and no more gunk. They are not scratching at them and don't shy away from their ears being touched.

Answer 7

If the ears hurt AND smell, you will need to take him to the vet. It is most likely an infection, possibly mites. Many vets offer a payment plan these days, so you might call around to different vets and ask.

Sadly, there aren't any safe home remedies for infections. Please do take him to the vet soon so it doesn't turn into a secondary infection, which might put him at risk for hearing loss or worse.

Good luck :)

Answer 8

WalMart has over the counter ear drops for dogs you can use that as a temp fix until you see the Vet to rule out mites in the dog ears. It is important that you clean out the ears with a cotton ball to clean out the wax and to check to see if they are red which it is a sign of infection but again go to the Vet.

Answer 9

I'm thinking more along the lines of infection rather than mites...there are a couple of common possibilities and your vet needs to tell you which one to know the correct meds for treatment. until you get to the vet go buy an inexpensive eye dropper small size and squirt a half dropperful into the ear...massage the base of the ear...dog shakes head and black chunks fly out...wipe out base of ear with kleenex or paper towel....NO Q tips.....EVER. Do Not do this the day of the vet visit or he won't be able to see anything.

Answer 10

My puppy had the same thing. We took him to the vet and he gave us some medication. The entire bill was about $215 but he also got flea medication, neutering, shots, id tags and an over all check-up. So I'm guessing the medication he got was only about $20, which isn't very expensive for an ear medication. It should be treated though, because it could get worse causing you to have to pay more than if you treat it now.