Dogs are lucky to have L-shaped ear canals. They can prevent eardrum damages and have sensitive hearing because of that. However, this luck comes with a price. The L-shaped canals make it easy for parasites, debris, and moisture to be trapped inside the dog’s ears. And so, they get ear infection. No wonder why this condition is one of the most commonly suffered by the canine family.
Worse, dogs that suffer ear infection are usually prescribed with antibiotics. They surely get a cure with that but they also get grave side effects. You don’t have to choose between curing and suffering because you can help your dog be free of ear infection with natural remedies stated below:
- Vitamin C. This vitamin helps in reducing inflammation caused by ear infection. This is possible because the vitamin boosts the steroid production, which helps in reducing the inflammation. Make sure, though, that the amount of Vitamin C your dog will take is right for its weight. For instance, dogs that are 15 pounds or lighter should take 100 to 250 mg, dogs weighing 15 to 50 pounds should take up to 250 mg, while heavier dogs should take about 500mg of Vitamin C.
- Vinegar. To use this, dilute an equal amount of vinegar and water. Put the mixture in a squeeze bottle with nozzle. This will help you to easily apply the mixture in the dog’s ear. Doing this might become messy, though. But it sure worth the mess. Vinegar will not only treat the ear infection but it can also prevent future infections. Vinegar has special properties that can change the pH level in the dog’s ear canal, which helps a lot in killing yeast-causing infections.
- Trim hair. Hair inside the dog’s ears can irritate the infection and might make it worse. Better trim as much hair as possible from your dog’s ear and help it feel relieved.
- Garlic oil. This spice has natural antibiotic property. The garlic oil, when put in the dog’s ear, can work like the usual antibiotic without the costly tag price and side effects.
Other people might suggest other ways to treat ear infection naturally. They have personal experiences to prove the effectiveness of their best bet. However, before you put anything in the dog’s ear, make sure you check with your vet first or do your research. Each ear infection is a special case, so, better be safe than sorry.
Aside from curing your dog’s ear infection, you should help it avoid having the same infection in the future. Here are the things you can do to prevent future dog ear infection:
- Keep your dog’s ear dry as much as possible. Water trapped inside the ear will only make the ear a perfect breeding place for bacteria.
- Keep the dog’s ear hair as short as possible, too. The hairs irritate the ear that might lead to ear infection.
- Include yoghurt or other probiotic sources to your dog’s diet. More good bacteria inside the dog’s body means stronger protection from infection and better immunity.
Besides all these, make sure also that you treat your dog’s ear infection as quickly as possible. The longer you wait, the worse the infection can be.