Puppy Gal's Opinions On
Medical Information - Ears
Some signs to be aware of in regard to ear problems are:
- Odor
- Scratching or rubbing of ears and head
- Discharge
- Redness or swelling of any part of the ear
- Shaking of the head or tilting it to one side
Main Medical Problems are:
- Microorganisms - bacteria and yeast
- Parasites - ear mites, ticks, fleas
Flap Style Ears, due to a lack of air circulation, bacteria and yeast could not ask for a better environment to live in than a warm, dark, moist ear canal.
- Yeast Infections results in a brown waxy gunk that stinks. Daily cleaning will help, but often these infections are difficult to treat. We have recommended using Otomax, an antibiotic-steriod. You can get this product from your vet or if they do not have it in stock get them to write you a prescription so it can be purchased from PetCareRx, Inc.
- Bacterial Infections result in dark yellow stinky gunk. Daily ear cleaning will often times resolve this situation, but antibiotics might be necessary. In this case we again recommend Otomax as explained above.
Ear mites:
Ear mites cause a dark to black gunk in the ear. For this condition, ear cleaning followed by an ear medication to kill mites will eliminate the problem. My experience has been that only preseciption medications are affective and give fast long lasting relief/resolution.
However some people tell me they have gotten rid of light infestations by cleaning the ear out and then coating lightly with baby oil or mineral oil.
To test for mites before you clean your Bully's ears. Take a q-tip and extract some of the debris, put it on a black or very dark surface (black trash bag is best but you may be able to use a dark blue Wal-Mart plastic merchandise bag. The mites are white and you will be able to see them.
(Years ago I had a vet treat one of my Bullies ears for in infection for 6 months, how frustrating ... then I read about the test for mites and sure enough that is what he had. I never took another critter back to that vet.)
Home Remedies:
An easy home remedy to *prevent* ear infections and might cure an existing one, is:
2 Tablespoons Boric Acid
4 oz Rubbing Alcohol
1-Tablespoon Glycerin
Shake well. Put 1 small eyedropper full in each ear. Rub it around first, and then let the dog shake. Do this once a week and you shouldn't see any ear infections. It works by raising the pH level slightly inside the ear, making it less hospitable to bacteria.
To clean out an ear that's simply dirty (some buildup of dirt and wax is normal, but excessive ear wax may indicate that something else is wrong), take a cotton ball, dip in hydrogen peroxide if you like (squeeze excess out) and wipe the dog's ear out. The canal is rather deep, so you will not injure your dog so long as you only use your finger to probe the canal. Clean all around the little crevices as best as you can. Use another cotton ball for the other ear. Be sure to dry the ears out thoroughly.
I use a mixture of white vinegar and water
1:1 ratio or 1:2 ratio
It is not a good idea to use this when the ears are sore or ulcerated, as it will sting. In this case the commercial ear cleansers are better because most in most are usually manufactured to control stinging.
The ear can be rinsed with a child's bulb ear syringe or just by pouring the vinegar/water mixture in from a measuring cup. The commercial ear cleaners usually come in squeeze bottles and can be applied directly from the bottle.
Examining and Medicating the Ears of a Dog
Ear Infections (Otitis Externa) & Ear Cleaning in Dogs
See the later website for more detailed information on less common problems affecting the ear.
Information presented here is strictly my opinion based upon research and/or 50 years experience at rescuing animals of all sorts. Consult your vet and perhaps even get a second opinion from another vet about all you read on my website.