Guest Blog
The following is a guest blog entry written by Christine Wilhelm. To read more from Christine, check out her blog here: The Cat /Dog Lot.
Home Remedy For Your Dog's Ear Infections
My dog Abby is a cocker spaniel, and they are infamous for having ear infections (otitis). Her ear infections had become chronic to the point that antibiotics weren't helping any longer, so I decided to test a home remedy I read about on a dog forum group. It only took a few days for me to see that it was helping her, and within a couple of weeks I knew we were on to something good. I've been using it for over a year now, with no recurrence of the otitis, and her ears look and smell normal. In fact at her recent checkup, my vet gave her the "best Cocker Spaniel ears" award and asked what I had been using.
First of all, if your dog's ears are badly infected, with open sores, I recommend you first treat them with a product I've used with good results called Zymox Otic available at Amazon.com for around $10. It contains 3 enzymes derived from milk products, and is highly effective against yeast and bacterial infections, completely safe with no side effects. It is a cleaner as well as a treatment, and is very soothing. As I said previously, Abby's ears were to the point that even antibiotics didn't work long term, and unfortunately neither did Zymox long term. It kept her comfortable, but if I didn't use it every few days, the itching would return. If the ears are just smelly and itchy with no open sores, you can start right off with the home remedy.
You will need the following ingredients: (If you can't find these locally, they are available online at many places like Amazon.com. The ingredients are inexpensive and it's very economical as I haven't even used half of the mixture in over a year's time - a little bit goes a long way.
16 oz. rubbing alcohol
4 TBSP. Boric Acid
16 drops of Gentian Violet (1% is fine)
The boric acid and gentian violet are both antibacterial and antifungal agents. Just add the boric acid and gentian violet to the alcohol bottle. Then transfer a portion of it into a small squeeze bottle. (I used an empty antibiotic dropper) Then daily squeeze a few drops into the ear and massage. Just a word of warning, the gentian violet in the mixture will stain any surface, including the dog a light tinge of lavender. I used it daily for about 1 week, then went to every 3 days, then once a week, and now we go about 2 weeks or longer between applications. My dog's ears look very healthy and there is no itching, something I thought Abby would never experience the rest of her life.
p.s. This is also effective for human's itching skin, like mosquito bites. I tried it and got relief instantly.
Thank you Christine for this great tip!