Treating Dog Ear Infections Naturally

If your dog is tilting or shaking its head continuously, rubbing or scratching the ears, or if you observe the dog ears getting hot, smelly, or reddish, your dog is suffering from an ear infection.

An ear infection is one of the top 3 reasons for which a dog is taken to a vet for a checkup. It is one of the most common health issues of dogs that become a major concern for dog owners. For many people, it is not possible to take the dog to the vet every time. So they start looking for natural solutions that they can try at home to cure the ear infection of their dog.

Natural solutions to Cure Dog Ear Infection

If you want to treat the ear infection of your dog at home, here are some natural tips that will help to cure the ear infection and will give a soothing effect to the infected ear.

Green Tea

Homemade natural green tea is very effective for the infected ears. To prepare green tea, boil 8 ounces of water and add 2 bags of green tea in it. Turn off the flame and let the green tea dipped in the water until the boiling water turns lukewarm.

Put this green tea into the ear canal with the help of a syringe or a sponge.

Oregano Oil

The oregano oil is famous for being a natural antibiotic. To use the oil of oregano to treat an infected dog ear, take half an ounce of aloe Vera juice and warm it. Add 1 drop of oregano oil to this juice. This liquid can be put directly into the ear canal or it can be added to the dog food. In both ways, it will work tremendously.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

The grapefruit seed extract is commonly used in medicines as it is an antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal substance.

To cure the infected ears of your dog, add half an ounce of aloe Vera juice with 10 drops of GSE. You can clean the dog’s ear by putting it drop by drop into the dog’s infected ear.

You can also put 3 to 5 drops of GSE in the dog food.

Calendula

Calendula is used in the oils and medicines to cure infections, wounds, and ulcers. If you want to treat your dog’s ear infection, purchase calendula in tincture form. Take half a cup of lukewarm filtered water and add 5 to 10 drops of calendula tincture to it.

Use a dropper, syringe, or sponge to apply this mixture to the infected ear.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a natural ingredient full of probiotics that help the dog fight against yeast infection. Yogurt gives a boost to the immune system and does not harm the good bacteria residing inside the ear.

Use plain and unsweetened yogurt for the cure of ear infection of your dog.

Garlic

Garlic has antibiotic, antifungal, and anti-parasitic properties for which it is used in many herbal medicines.

Garlic can be toxic for the dogs if used directly. Always use it in raw form. Crush or chop the garlic before use. Add garlic oil with 5 to 6 drops of mullein oil for about 10 days. It will soothe the ear infection, swelling, and pain.

Other Remedies for Dog Ear Infection

Apart from natural remedies, there are some other remedies to cure the dog’s ear infection.

Chamomile

Chamomile is the name of a herb extracted from a flower, which has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory qualities. It works great for the sore ears of dogs. It calms the dog and relaxes it so that it can fall asleep.

You can prepare chamomile tea and put the cool drops of this tea in your dog’s ears.

Witch hazel

Witch hazel is an American shrub that is used for sensitive skin, inflammation, and skin infections. It is widely used for the cure of ear infections of dogs. It is an excellent astringent that reduces ear swelling and pain. If there is a wound or cut inside the ear, do not use it as it will work as an acid for the wounds and will increase the pain.

Few drops of Witch hazel dry up the infected ear and help in relieving the pain and swelling.

Symptoms of Ear Infection

Ear infection for the dog is very painful. You can easily figure out that your dog is having an ear infection if it shows any of the following symptoms.

  • Head shaking
  • Head twisting
  • Ear scratching
  • Ear rubbing
  • Smelly ears
  • Waxy discharge from ears
  • Hot ears
  • Redness in ears

If you find any of these symptoms, immediately consult your vet, otherwise, the dog may get into serious troubles like complete hearing loss.

Why do the Dog Ears get Infected?

Various factors join together and cause ear infections in the dogs. these factors can be:

Diet

The diet of a dog is very important when talking about issues like an ear infection. It is because the dogs that are fed with processed food like kibble, get excessive amounts of yeast. The yeast builds up in the ears over time and causes inflammation in the ears.

The dogs fed with fresh and organic food are rarely observed with ear infections as compared to the dogs eating processed dog food. Therefore, purchase any of these best organic dog foods for your pup.

Overgrowth of Yeast and Bacteria

Yeats and bacteria are present naturally in the dog ears and they are good for them. When the bacteria and yeast lose their balance, they become harmful for the dog ears and can cause infections and pain.

A brownish or yellowish discharge from the dog ears with the intense itching is a symptom of bacteria and yeast causing trouble to the dog ears.

Excessive Cleaning of Ears

Dog’s ears do not need to be cleaned if they are healthy. Healthy ears require a specific amount of wax to remain inside. Through excessive cleaning, that wax gets removed and the ears get infected.

Only clean the dog ears when you find them extremely dirty and observe that the dog is getting uncomfortable.

Weak Immunity

The dog’s immune system has a strong connection with its ears. With a weak immunity, a dog will suffer through ear infections and inflammation.

Ear mites and Parasites

Parasites and ear mites are one of the major factors causing ear infections. They cause the dogs to scratch and rub their ears and shake their head continuously.

The ear mites and parasites leave a brownish discharge in the ears and cause redness in the ears that are a strong symptom of their presence.

Ear mites and parasites can get transferred from one dog to another and also to the cats living around.

Anatomic

An ear infection is in the anatomy of the dogs with floppy long ears. This is because long ear flaps catch more moisture and debris with less airflow. The dark ear canal of such dogs is the most suitable place for the debris, viruses, and bacteria to grow and cause infections.

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Final Words

An ear infection is a serious health issue of the dog breeds. If you do not want to take your dog to a vet, many natural remedies help cure the ear infections of dogs at home. These natural remedies are more reliable, safe, and effective.

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Nathan Carlton

Nathan Carlton is an executive editor at PetsBeast.com. He is an avid dog lover and holds a degree in "Holistic Health & Puppy Care" from The British College of Canine Studies. He has been parenting dogs since age 10, when he developed a strong bond with his father's Bull Dog. Today, he has a German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever, who he calls Joani and Saga, respectively.