My Pibble's Ear Infection

Pibble

Pibble is a very active dog, so it's not often that she sits still long enough to get her picture taken---unless a toy or chewie is involved.  So the other day when she sat down and just shook her head, I knew that something was up.  Then she started to dig at her ears.  All of the classic symptoms of a dog with an ear infection.  Another symptom that didn't show up for a few days was a waxy sort of discharge and scratching at her ear, then stopping and smelling and/or licking the foot she scratched with.  Irritability, loss of balance, and dark discharge are other common symptoms.

Well I'm not terribly fond of prescription meds.  I, personally, tend to have this annoying and often painful habit of developing an allergy to a drug if I'm on it for any length of time.  Which led me to a whole other world of exploration of all of the folk remedies and home cures.  Surprisingly enough, almost all of them that I've tried have worked extremely well.  So why not try a natural approach with Pibble?

First thing I did was make a wash to clean out the ear discharge and the scratches on her ear where Pibble would not stop scratching.  She has fine fur and it was easy for her to scratch herself bloody.  After a bit of research, I settled on one of the common washes that I saw recommended by vets and groomers, a combination of witch hazel and white vinegar.  According to them, you dribble the warm solution into the ear canal and wipe gently.  I tried it, which lead to the second thing......a bath for me and reinforcements to hold her down so I could use a damp washcloth and clean out the discharge.

The second step of the treatment process is to treat the infection.  Just because I use it on myself and I had it on hand, I went with tea tree oil in the ear, although if it didn't work I was ready to do garlic infused coconut oil.  However, much to Boo Boo's disgust (he hates tea tree oil and walks around snorting his displeasure), I did use the tea tree oil and it worked just fine.  I'm not sure that the infection is completely cured, so I'll be doing the wash/treatment routine for at least a week before I stop, but all indications are that Pibble is feeling much much better.

Dog Ear Wash

1 tablespoon of witch hazel--found in most pharmacy sections by the hydrogen peroxide

1 tablespoon of white vinegar---not sure why white was recommended, but since it was and I had it, I went with it.

Combine the two ingredients and warm slightly over a bowl of hot water.  Dribble the concoction into the ear canal and gently massage.  Yeah right.  As soon as the first drop hit her ear, Pibble's head became a whirling dervish.  Afterwards, gently sponge with a cotton ball or soft cloth.  Allow to dry before treating.