Hello, Ladies! I am wondering if anyone can tell me how to make ear cleaner to clean my dogs ears. He is a Lab/Golden Retriever mix and he is almost 10 yrs old. He has had ear infections since he was a pup. I have a prescription ear cream to put in his ears when I notice them becoming infected but I like to clean his ears twice a week. I use to buy a cleaner at Petsmart but that last couple times I have been there they have not had it. I had heard you can make a cleaner from vinegar and water but how much of each? Thanks for any help!
I used 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. I used to also wipe their ears out with rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth to prevent water from staying their ears.
O.k....I wouldn't put in any alcohol.....but that's me......what we used was a mixture of olive oil and liquid vitamin E.......about half of each.......the oil stays somewhat in the ears, and it kills the mites and eggs because it stays. It drowns the mites.....the vitamin E, helps with infection. I have other things I could recommend but you should try this first. It came from a vet.....let me know how it works......I've used this on my beagle and my german shepherd and it works great. messy but great.
Vinegar and water I believe is one teaspoon of vineger to 2 teaspoons of water.....not positive about that tho....
Plain, cheap perioxide on cotton ball. Used this for years when I was in 4H and showing dogs in obedience trials. Especially in my dachshund's ears. Still do to this day.
We use Harts Ear Cleaning Pads. Its like a pad soaked in rubbing alcohol...and it does well, the dogs enjoy their ears cleaned around here...lol..Good Luck
I think they usually use a saline mix at the vet
Peroxide, just pour a tablespoon in each ear. It works very well, and it's cheap. My family raised purebred dogs for 15 years and that is what we always used!
Hi A.,
Don’t ya just love Labrador’s ears? I have two labs that are always having ear problems! I clean out their ears with 3 parts warm water and 1 part apple cider vinegar. Can I ask what type of diet your pup is on? I switched mine to an organic diet and the ear problems got worse (they call it cleansing) and then got much better. It is more expensive but worth it if it helps. If you want to know the dog food we use, just reply. Good luck!
Hi,
If there is ANY POSSIBILITY AT ALL that the ear drum is ruptured, please see a vet before you put anything in your dog's ears. In fact, the best option may be to take your dog to the vet for a professional ear cleaning and exam with an otoscope (make sure they visualize the tympanic membrane). That way you can start with clean ears and keeping them clean will be an easier task. A simple home recipe for ear cleaner is: 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 vinegar, and 1/3 water. I found this recipe on a discussion board for veterinarians. Here is another one found on the same board:
Ingredients: "White vinegar, Powdered boric acid, Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), Betadine antiseptic (or the generic version, known as Povidone-Iodine Solution) Please note: do not use "Betadine Scrub", use "Betadine Solution"
Directions for mixing the solution together:
Pour 6 ounces of isopropyl alcohol in to a plastic applicator bottle. Add 1/2 tablespoon of boric acid powder. Be careful not to get any boric acid on your skin or clothes. If you do, wash it off immediately. Add 2 ounces of white vinegar.
Shake the solution extremely well, until the boric acid powder is fully dissolved. Once the powder is dissolved, add one teaspoon of the Betadine antiseptic, and shake it up some more. Be careful not to get any Betadine on your skin or clothes. If you do, wash it off immediately.
Squirt the solution inside your dog's ear until the ear canal is completely full. Massage the outside of the ear to help slosh the cleaning solution around inside. Hold the dog still for about a minute.
If you get any of the ear cleaning solution on your skin, wash it off as soon as possible.
Be sure to shake the solution up really well before each and every time you use it. The boric acid has a tendency to settle at the bottom of the bottle. Store at room temperature.
Use the cleaning solution daily until you start to see some improvement. Gradually cut back to once per week when you are happy with the condition of the ear. When the ear seems completely free of infection, you can go two weeks between treatments.
Warning: Do not use this ear cleaning solution on dogs with ruptured ear drums, or on dogs with open sores or wounds in the ear area. An ear exam by a veterinarian is recommended prior to beginning treatment with this ear cleaning solution."
Again, please see a vet before starting ANY treatment at home, because you can cause SERIOUS PERMANENT damage including vestibular/neurologic signs (inability to maintain sense of balance, resulting in circling, head tilt, or ataxia).
Good luck! :)
Not sure what you're feeding, but please try to avoid foods with corn, wheat and soy. I believe you'll see a big difference. Blue Buffalo is a food w/o corn wheat or soy. There are just a few other foods like that out there. Yes, they're more expensive but if it means fewer vet bills, fewer ear cleanings, etc, it's totally worth it! A lot of the cheaper foods have a main ingredient of corn. Not good for a carnivore.
Hi A.!
We were told to use rubbing alcohol in our dog's ears. If you are worried about it hurting the dog (it could sting if he's been scratching his ears and has broken skin) you could use witch hazel instead which is very gentle.
