Can someone help me with a dog health question?

Question

My dog keeps scratching her ears. After a week I finally looked in there and one of them has black/brown colored "goop" in it. We took a Qtip and put alcohol on there to clean it out. We couldnt get it all. Does anyone know what she might have? Also, is there something at the pet store we could get. Trying to avoid a Vet bill unless she needs Rx's. Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

they sell ear cleaner at Petsmart. clean em for a few weeks, if it doesn't go away, it could be ear mites...then you need to go to the vet...shouldn't be too expensive. (probably just dirty)

Answer 2

There are products available at pet stores to use in your dogs ear. If there is a smell it's an infection. If there is no smell it could be an accumulation of wax and almond oil which is slightly warmed can be used. After you put a small amount in the ear,bend the ear flap over the ear and tilt the dogs head to ensure that anything that you put into the ear goes right down and into the ear, then message for a while. Do both ears, then after the goop has softened and this may not be until the next day, clean the ear

NEVER EVER USE A Q TIP. Tear up an old CLEAN towel and wipe the ear without making any attempt to dig deep or you will damage the ear. Then after you have cleaned it apply the drops or almond oil again. If there is no improvement after a few days take your dog to the vets. Lets face it, it could cost you twice as much if this developes into a bad infection. Even if there is an improvement you should continue with the drops and cleaning for about two weeks.In future always check the ears when you groom your dog, use your eyes and your nose as a smell indicates a problem.

Answer 3

I'll answer from a little different angle:
You should 'probably' take her to the vet.
HOWEVER, it COULD just be an overabundance of ear wax, dirt, etc. Unless it's bloody or has pus or a foul smell, you may just need to clean the ears out really well. Even if she does have an infection or mites, cleaning is easy, and the first step to curing any other underlying conditions anyway.
You can buy ear washes from your vet or pet stores....but they're not necessary. Here's what you can do to save a little time and money (approved by my vet, recommended by friends with hunting dogs, AND my kids pediatrician also recommends it for wax control in their ears! )
To take care of the initial goop, you need a clean spray bottle that produces a very fine mist.. I use an old non-aerosol hairspray bottle (cleaned out very well of course). Fill it with hydrogen peroxide, then gently mist dogs ears.....not so it's puddling or running, but lightly coats the entire inside of the ears. Wait a few minutes then with a tissue, soft rag, cotton or gauze ( NOT a q-tip), gently but firmly wipe the ear out. Don't be afraid to go deep - you are using a soft bundle of material that will shape to the ear and not puncture the eardrum or cause any other damage. Support the base of the ear to steady it as you wipe out as much gunk as you can. If done properly,it will most likely feel very good to your dog. Her reaction (pleasure or pain) will be a good gauge to whether you're dealing with just a dirty ear or something more serious.
If there's a lot of gunk, you may need to repeat this once or twice. Then follow up this initial cleaning by mixing a solution of 1/2 peroxide, 1/2 half water and putting several drops into the ear. Hold the ear firmly and keep your dog from shaking her head. Then massage the base of the ear up and down to help the liquid work the wax free. You should hear the liquid 'squishing' around. THEN allow your dog to shake her head to dislodge the gunk, and wipe out thoroughly. Dry with clean rag or tissue.
Once cleaned out thoroughly, you can do a light cleaning once a week to keep the buildup to a minimum.
If after the ears are thoroughly cleaned out, your dog doesn't show signs of relief, she likely has a condition that requires vet attention/meds. Good Luck!!

Answer 4

She could have ear mites or a yeast infection. To avoid a vet bill there are a few things you could do but don't let it go to long if she seems she's not getting any better, you should take her in. Don't use a Qtip anymore if you don't know what your doing you can rupture her eardrum. Since it sounds like she's pretty far along with it, go to the pet store and get some ear solution. Tip her head to the side and squeze the solution in (you might need help holding her), then cover her ear canal with her ear and rub so it gets everywhere then after a minute let her shake the excess out. (Cover your face and close your mouth she'll shake before you realize it) Then take a cotton ball on the tip of your finger and get as much of that goop out of her ear as possible, repeat on the other ear. You might have to do this in the morning and nite for awhile. Since I'm not sure what kind of dog she is. Some dogs are proned to having hair in their ears its a good idea to pluck that out if she does, there is a powder u can get at the pet store that helps you grab it better. (she might be sore and not let u do this tho) Also if she is a floppy ear dog, to help get the moisture out you can tye her ears to the top of her head to get them to air dry out. The solution you put in her ears will also draw the moisture out.

Answer 5

Really would be best to have a vet check, as they will do an ear cytology...taking the goop from each ear, stain it and examine under the microscope....its the only way to tell for sure if it is just wax, yeast or bacterial in nature.....wax just needs to be cleaned using an otc cleaner available from petco ect, yeast is a funal infection needs different treatment,
Bacteria comes in rods or cocci, each needing different medication. Infections can be mixed with bacteria and yeast, need combination medications for them, only available from the vet for obvious reasons. I recommend that you Not use alcohol or peroxide to clean ears especially if you don't know if there are leisons or sores down below, also you don't know if the ear drum is intact.....Major pain and issues!!!!!!

Does the goop have any odor????? That leads to the assumption of infection.....please check with your vet.

Answer 6

You should take her to the vet you need to rule out infection or mites also my vet told me not to put any thing not made for dogs in his ears, he has big ones. also she said to use something like a Kleenex or a cotton ball and ear cleaner if it is just dirt and or wax and wipe the excess out don't stick anything very far into a dogs ears when you put the medicine you get or a cleaner in the dogs ears rub them and then let them shake it out. Do not stick things very far into the ears at all especially nothing that is not completely flexible like a large cotton ball

Answer 7

Tough luck, go see the vet. What you describe sounds like a classic yeast infection, but it is not uncommon for dogs to have both yeast and bacterial infections at the same time. Very mild yeast infections can sometimes be treated simply by cleaning the ears daily, but bacterial infections need to be treated with antibiotics. If it has gotten so bad that she is scratching her ears, then it is not a mild infection and you really should go see the vet to find out exactly what is causing the infection and get Rx's for her.

You will have to clean her ears daily while treating the infection. If you don't want to buy ear cleaner at your vet, you can make your own at home by mixing equal parts of white vinegar and water. Please don't use alcohol to clean her ears! Alcohol burns, dries out the skin, and can actually cause damage to the ear tissues themselves.

Answer 8

It could be ear wax, it could be mites, or it could be a yeast infection. The only way to know for such is to have the vet look at it and get the proper medication to clear it up.

Answer 9

You need to take her to the vet. She probably has an ear infection. My dog had that to, it was nasty and looked like poop in there. The vet has to flush the ear out and give her antibiotics.

Answer 10

She may have ear mites, they sell meds for this at the pet store, if it does not clear it up in a few days then take her to the vet.