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My dog has red, smelly ears. How can I treat the infection at home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My german shepherd, Eve has some type of infection in both of her ears. I'm not sure if it's an ear infection or a yeast infection. She has very wet, red irritated ears with a foul smell. I believe that they are red from her scratching at them so I placed a medical cone on her head to prevent further irritation. Is there anything I can do for her at home as far as treatment?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 27th, 2017

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do at home for her. The treatments for an ear infection in dogs is only available by prescription from the vet. In addition, the cause of the ear infection needs to be diagnosed so she can be treated correctly. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by yeast, bacteria, or ear mites. I would take her into a vet today to have her ear infection diagnosed so it can be treated. It's important to any ear infection examined and treated promptly, as leaving it untreated can lead to hearing loss.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on

    Poor Eve! From your description, I would agree that it sounds like she probably has an ear infection. You did a good job putting a cone on her to help prevent her from continuing to scratch and make things worse. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that she will need prescription ear drops or ointment to treat the infection - there are no home remedies that will be effective, so she needs to see a vet as soon as you are able to take her. Your vet will take a sample of the discharge in her ears for analysis to determine what kind of infection is present, and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat it depending on what is found.

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    Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    You've done the right thing by putting a cone on Eve to prevent further irritation of her ears. Unfortunately, that is the only at home management available for ear infections. Eve must be examined by her vet so that they type of infection can be diagnosed and treated with appropriate antibacterial or antifungal medications.

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