Organic Treatments For Your Dogs Outer Ear Infection

Dogs are prone to ear problems. This may be caused by hypothyroidism, a foreign body, hypersensitivity or autoimmune disease, skin disorders, parasites, too rigorous grooming techniques, or bacterial, fungal or yeast infections.

Swimming is one of the ways your dog can get an ear infection. When water gets into your dogs ears, it could easily cause an infection. Some dog breeds are naturally drawn to water and thus it is difficult to keep them out of the pool, pond or lake.

You would know if your dog has an ear problem if it continually scratches its head, scratches its ears, cries or if its ears droop. You dogs ears might also give off a distinct odor, are inflamed or have a dark, waxy discharge.

Fortunately, there are several natural remedies to help you treat your dogs ear infection. Below are some of them:

Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and water and use it to clean your dogs ears. Other effective alternatives include undiluted colloidal silver especially effective on inflamed ears or grapefruit seed extract (dilute according to manufacturers specifications). Reach further down the ear canal by using a dropper or a no-needle syringe to apply these mixtures. Massage below your dogs ears to spread the mixture around the ear.

For bacterial, fungal and yeast infections, there are several herbal remedies that you can use. Chamomile, St. Johns Wort and calendula can all be taken internally or applied externally to alleviate pain, inflammation and irritation. You can use Mullein oil to relieve and heal inflamed ear canals. To boost your dogs immune system, give him garlic or a mixture of Oregon grape root and Echinacea. To soothe swelling of the ear canal, use witch hazel.

Traditional Chinese Medicine can also be used to treat your dogs ear problems. According to Cheryl Schwartz, author of the book Four Paws Five Directions, acute ear infections are considered to be wind conditions. The wind enters suddenly, overpowering the individual's immune system, and are often accompanied by heat. Schwartz said that acupressure can be applied for 15-30 seconds if your dog will let you. She recommends acupressure points GV 14, LI 11 and GB 20. If your dog shakes its head and ears continually but you dont see any symptoms, Schwartz suggests it could be caused by a blockage or stagnation along the meridians serving the ear area, especially the gall bladder meridian or other health issues in other parts of the body. Focusing on the liver and gall bladder meridian and increasing exercise can unblock the stagnation in these areas.

If your dogs condition does not improve with the help of these natural remedies, it may be best to have your dog checked for other possible conditions which include neck subluxation or partial dislocation. Ask your veterinarian if he or she could recommend a specialist who could perform a chiropractic or osteopathic treatment for your dog to adjust the upper vertebra and maybe solve the problem.