Dog Ear Problem

Question
Hi Hilary

This may be an allergy problem or something else.  My beagle gets wax buildup in his ears that I regularly clean out with cue tips.  However, it is much worse in one ear than the other.  That ear also often gets red and irritated on the inside with flaking skin, causing him to scratch it, which I think only makes the problem worse.

A vet once told us we could apply neo-sporin to his ear.  I have been doing this sometimes, which seems to help with the redness.  However, my wife thinks we should only use neo-sporin if it is infected.  She recommends I put aloe lotion in his ears.  Do you have any advice on this?  Thanks.   Chris


Answer
Hi Chris!  A lot of "floppy eared" dogs exhibit these symptoms.  The build-up is often worse in one ear compared to the other.  This is a chronic ear problem and is on the verge of being a chronic infection.  Aloe lotion will not help this problem, and can actually cause it to worsen.  If you take your dog swimming in pools, creeks, ponds, ect., you should purchase an ear drying powder at your local pet store and apply it to your dog's ears before your he goes swimming or before he gets bathed.  This will eliminate wetness in his ears and prevent infection.  You can talk to your veterinarian about getting a good anteseptic ear cleaner that you can use on a weekly basis to prevent infection and clean the buildup out.  You can also talk to your veterinarian, since this is a chronic problem, about purchasing antibiotic ear drops for when their is a flare-up.  Generally, if the ear is red, irritated and flaking, there is an infection present or on the way.
I hope this helps!
Hilary