Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau
The first question to ask is if the problem your dog is showing with her ears if it’s really an infection or not. Infection means there’s a lot of bacteria present. However, we can have many other problems in the ear. We can have ear mites. We can have inflammation, secondary to allergies where the ear is just red and swollen but there’s no discharge. Usually, with infection, there’s a discharge. So regardless of whether it’s an infection or something else it also could be a splinter that is stuck in the ear or an on from the plant-ons depending on where you live that can be very common.
So the first step anytime your dog is shaking his head and having any problems with the ears, take a little bit of olive oil, then add a couple of drops of Rescue Remedy to it and put a few drops in the ear, and then gently massage underneath the ear until you hear squishy-squishy and, it’s good to do it outside, let your dog shake and see what comes out. Then write down everything you notice. Whether the ear is red or swollen or itchy or has a discharge, has a smell, so pay attention to all of that.
Now if the cleaning out doesn’t do it, you can try apple cider vinegar. Dilute it, put it into the ears, again squished around. Colloidal silver, herbs, flower essences are all other approaches that you can use to help clear out ears. Now if your dog’s ears are giving him a lot of pain or you’ve tried some of these holistic approaches for a few days and you’re not getting anywhere, be sure you go to your veterinarian so they can use their otoscope and take a good look inside those ears in case it’s something like a plant-on stuck in there or a deeper infection.
I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau, a licensed veterinarian with HolisticActions!. Have a great day.
Suggested Treatments:
- Herbal
- Homeopathic to prevent recurrence
- Traditional chinese Veterinary medicine (TCVM)
Related Symptoms:
- Redness
- Odor
- Discharge
DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.
Dr. Christina
Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare.
After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.
Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.