Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | unneutered | 7 months and 24 days old | 10 lbs
I have a maltese/shih tzu puppy around 7 months old and i’m concerned that he might have an ear infection. he has an odor coming from his ears and has been rubbing his head on furniture in attempts to itch i’m assuming. i don’t have the funds to take him to the vet, but is there anything i can do at home to relieve him?
1 Answer
Published on October 25th, 2017
I recommend purchasing a dog ear cleaner at your pet store and cleaning the discharge from his ears. Put some cleaner on a cotton ball and massage the fluid into the ear canal. Rub it around to loosen the debris and then wipe it out. Take a dry cotton ball to remove any cleaner left in the ear. I clean ears daily to start, then as the discharge decreases then clean only when needed. If Maxo has ear mites or a severe yeast or bacterial ear infection this will help but specific prescription medication will be more effective. When you can take him in to your veterinarian for an ear exam. They will look at the ear discharge under the microscope to determine the cause of the problem. Then they can give him the right medication. Ear medication often contains a drug to stop the itching as well as something to cure the cause of the infection and that would be more effective than just cleaning his ears. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Maxo.
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