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My puppy has red, smelly ears with wax. Can I treat it at home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 1 day old | 38 lbs

My puppy has an ear infection, reason why I think that is because it's red and has a weird smell and wax buildup. Is there something I can buy at petsmart or somewhere to help the condition ?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on March 27th, 2017

Missy's red and smelly ear certainly may be an ear infection, but unfortunately, there are no over the counter medications that will be effective. Missy will need to see her vet for an exam and ear cytology so that it can be determined if her infection is due to bacteria and/or yeast. From there, your vet will be able to prescribe an appropriate antibiotic or antifungal ear medication.

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    Answered By Rosemary Barber, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    As far as I know, there aren't any products that would be very helpful at Petsmart, for Missy's ear. If there is a weird smell and redness, Missy would really benefit from some medicated ear drops. Your vet can prescribe something, after examining her ears. They may even have a look under the microcope to help guide them in the best medication choice. The drops from the clinic are really effective, and I think that Missy will feel a lot better once they are started! Best of luck!

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