Were you cuddling with your dog when you realized that your little pal’s ears are smelly? Suppose you cuddle a lot and have never encountered this before. In that case, the first thing on your mind will be that something is wrong, and you might suspect an ear infection. You’re probably right.
That smell is one of the symptoms of an ear infection in dogs. Still, looking out for discharge, frequent head shaking, ear scratching, redness, and other symptoms can help make you a bit more certain of your dog’s diagnosis.
In the United Kingdom, a study showed that about 7.3% of dogs brought for veterinary care had ear infections in one year. This means it is probably more common than you reckoned, which can make you concerned about your dog.
While you know that the best thing to do is to visit the vet with your pet, it might be hard for you to do that for one reason or another. In fact, one out of every four pet owners has to deal with at least one barrier when seeking help for their animal, with money being the number one reason. This is why it can be helpful to know home remedies. So, if you’re looking for a homemade remedy for smelly dog ears, you’re in the right place.
Do you have a specific question homemade remedy for smelly dog ears? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the black arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
Here's what we'll cover:
How to treat dog ear infections without a vet?
It is always advisable to take your dog to the veterinarian’s office whenever they have health issues. However, it is understandable that you might not be able to do this all the time, especially if your finances aren’t in the best position.
The good thing is that there are quite a few natural cures for a dog’s ear infection that you can turn to in times like this, and you’ll find that a handful of them will be able to do the trick for you and your canine.
If you’re looking for a homemade remedy for smelly dog ears, you’ll be glad to know that with some of these, everything you need might already be at home. However, in some cases, you might need to take a quick trip to the store to get what you need. The good thing is that buying a natural dog ear infection cure tends to be much cheaper than getting antibiotics.
Natural dog ear infection treatment
There are several holistic remedies for dog ear infection, but it can be hard to find all the best ones in one spot on the internet. This is exactly why I’ve put this guide together. I don’t want your dog to have to suffer the pain of an ear infection when there are ways you can treat it just by opening your pantry.
Let’s get right into some of the best ones that there are. Again, you can do these daily until the issue clears up.
Green tea for dog ear infection
Using green tea to treat an ear infection is one of my favorite holistic remedies for dog ear infection, especially as most people tend to have green tea bags at home. They are easy enough to get at your nearest supermarket even if you don’t.
You need to get about 8 oz. of water, which comes to about 250 mL, and boil it. Once done, add two bags of green tea, and let it steep well.
Once the tea is steeped, please leave it to cool. We don’t want to use hot water, after all. Once your green tea is cool, it’s time to administer it to your dog.
The best way to do this is to use a syringe to suck up the tea. However, most people don’t have syringes ready, so you can use cotton wool to sponge it up. If you have a large dropper at home, that works too.
Now, squeeze some of this green tea solution into the affected ear. You should hold your dog’s head to stop it from moving around. Next, massage the ear’s base to let the tea get around. Once done, you can let your dog shake the tea.
Essential oils dog ears
There’s a precise combination of essential oils that I like to think of as a DIY dog ear cleaner. To make this combo, you’ll want to add 5 drops each of lavender, copaiba, and frankincense essential oils into a 10 oz. spray bottle. Then, add a tablespoon of colloidal silver. Now, top off the spray bottle using distilled water or green tea.
Make sure to spray this mixture onto and into your dog’s ear two or three times daily.
Garlic oil for dog ear infection
Garlic oil is a killer natural dog ear infection cure, and many people have a few cloves at home at any time.
To treat an ear infection with garlic oil, you’ll need to get cloves of garlic and a cup of olive oil. First, crush the garlic cloves and drop them into the olive oil. Now, let them sit there overnight or for at least eight hours.
Once you’re ready to use it, remove the cloves. Next, apply the oil to a piece of cotton wool and wipe the inside of your pup’s ears with it. Do this every day for the best effect.
Calendula tincture homemade dog ear drops
Calendula is a plant that has been used for medicinal purposes for a very long time. The tincture of this plant has great medicinal properties, including antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory.
To make homemade dog ear drops using calendula tincture, you don’t need to do too much. The hardest part is getting calendula. Make sure you get the herbal form in tincture form, as this is exactly what you’ll need.
Add anywhere between 5 and 10 drops to a cup of water. Mix it well, and then use cotton wool, a syringe, or a dropper, to apply the mixture to your dog’s ear.
Natural ear cleaner for dogs
Cleaning your dog’s ears regularly is great for preventing excess wax from building up and helps keep infections away. That way, you won’t ever need to use these natural cures for a dog’s ear infection.
If you’re looking for a natural DIY dog ear cleaner, the best one, in my opinion, is simply olive oil. All you’ve got to do is put a little bit into your dog’s ear and massage it from the base. Once done, use a cotton ball to clean the wax and excess oil.
Thanks for the blog graphics: Canva.com
Thanks for the blog graphics: Canva.com
Doghint.com is a participant of several affiliate programs. The list includes (but not limited to) the following: VigLink, Refersion, ShareASale, and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Doghint.com does not intend to provide veterinary advice. All published articles are meant for informational purposes only and not substitute the professional veterinary consultation.
