ANYONE KNOW OF ANY HOME REMEDIES TO CLEAN A DOGS EARS??? his ears are black inside and have an odor.?

Question

i have a 2 year old male golden retriever, with pretty floppy ears. they have a bad odor, and they are black inside, i figured maybe it was ear mites, so i used ear drop meds for dogs (i cant think of the name of it right now), and it didnt really work, i also cleaned them with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol (my vet told me thats all u have to use to clean ears), but from me rubbing the inside of his ears was makin his ears sore and red.

ive heard that vinegar and water works, but i havent tryed it yet, what if it gets down in the ear canal, will it make his ears worse???

what do i use to clean the ears out with???

and does anyone know of remedies such as the vinegar and water, if so, how much of each do i use???

Answer 1

Sorry, but the only way to cure an infection is with prescription medications.  You need antibiotics to kill bacteria, you need antifungals to kill fungus.  It's not real expensive to take care of this at the vet, and it's necessary.  You'll want to take care of this ASAP, before the dog ends up with a hematoma from shaking his head and ends up needing surgery.  

Answer 2

Do not wash your dog's ear yourself. Visits a cleaner for dog. Usually, they wash the dog's ear.  

Answer 3

there is this herbal ear remedy...

it's called an ear candle, it works really well!!!!

visit the website for more info:

Answer 4

Take him to a vet and have his ears examined.

If they are black and smelly, then they are most likely infected, not dirty.  Healthy ears do not have an odor.

Answer 5

If your dog's ears have black discharge and an odor, then he probably has an infection of some kind.  You really need to take him to the vet to determine what kind of infection it is (bacterial, yeast, both) and get the appropriate medication.  As for home-made ear cleaners, a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water will alter the pH in your dog's ears enough so as to be inhospitable for yeast or bacteria.  Do not use alcohol or peroxide, they will dry out the ear and cause irritation.  Or, you could buy some ear cleaner at the vet or pet store probably for about as much as it would cost for you to make your own (seriously, it's really cheap).  While your dog has an active infection, you need to be cleaning the ears once a day.  Once you get the ear infection under control you can clean every few days, weekly, every few weeks or however often your dog needs it to keep his ears clean.

If you don't TREAT the ear infection, then it will only get worse.  Just cleaning the ears isn't enough once an infection has set in.  And not treating an ear infection can lead to a lot of pain for your dog and even deafness.  Your dog's hearing is worth at least $75, and waiting to treat an ear infection can lead to more costly treatments when you finally do take the poor animal to the vet to take care of the problem.

Answer 6

vinegar and peroxide works.Mix it and put it in a syinge then squirt in the dogs ears.Hold the ear closed for a few seconds then let go.The dog will more than likely shake his head to get the excess stuff out.It will clear up odor and smell in a few days.It was reccomended buy my vet for my rat terrier that had ear mites.But it works for dirty ears also.

Answer 7

well first off go see a vet secondly  u can clean hisn ears with  q tips  thats how i clean my dogs ears and they  never had a problem or ear mites at that  

Answer 8

please don;t clean out his ears with alcohol, this is extremely irritating to him, especially if he's been scratching at all (ever get alcohol in a cut, ouch) If his ears are black, they are infected. They will continue to pump out excessive amounts of discharge until they are treated with a medication. As well as the infection getting worse and requiring a longer treatment period. please take your dog to the vet. nothing you try at home or buy from the pet store is going to help at this point.

ear infections are painful

ADD: NOTHING you try at home will work at this point, you took on the financial responsibility of a pet, own up

letting your dog suffer because you are cheap and misinformed is cruel

Answer 9

If his ears have an odor, then they are likely infected. It is usually recommended that you not put anything in the ears until the infection has cleared - so call your vet for a prescription.

If he has a lot of hair in his ears, have a groomer shave it out - this will allow more air to get in the ears and will keep them dry. Vinegar is horrible for the ears - alcohol is better, but be careful not to use too much. I would use an over the counter ear cleaner once per week - use liquid, not the powder. Just be sure to keep them dry.

Answer 10

I have always read you should use a soft tissue with mineral oil to clean dog ears..

but I use q-tips with peroxide (that's how i do my ears, too.. lol) just don't EVER stick anything down in his ear canal!!!

you should definitely bring him to the vet, though if they have a funky smell, I agree with everyone else here that they are probably infected.. ears shouldn't smell!!

Answer 11

Keep cleaning his ears, and this will sound crazy, but have him eat yogurt! My dog had the same issue, and who would have known that yogurt would help?? It really works!! No fancy stuff in the yogurt though, just original.

Answer 12

Golden Retrievers are notorious for ear infections having large hanging ears, like you mentioned, and the fact that they love to swim. If your dog is scratching at his ears, shaking his head, or if his ears have any discharge or odor, you should have him taken to the vet.

Dogs are vulnerable to ear infections, as well as mites, and not all infections are alike. Yeast infections of the ear is most common, especially in large eared breeds that like to swim. This moist, covered environment is ideallic for yeast production and can be quite irritating and painful without proper treatment. There are also several bacterial infections that can develop that also require the right medication to successfully be resolved.

There are no home treatments for ear infections, and you would be unable to determine what kind of infection was plaguing your dog without an ear swab, which penetrates further down inside the ear canal beyond where the eye can see whithout an ophthalmoscope, and a microscope to properly view it.

The vinegar/water solution you mentioned, also known as swimmers ear solution, is good to use directly after your dog has been swimming to help prevent an infection from occuring, howeverm the symptoms you describe suggest your dog has passed prevention and needs medical attention, i.e. the proper ear drops or ointment provided by your vet.

Rubbing alcohol is highly effective for cleaning wax, once any infection or parasite has been ruled out or successfully treated, as part of a maintenance routine.

Answer 13

go to the vet!don't just pour water and vinegar in there:the ear mites are not going to die from that.