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What natural remedies can I use for my dog's smelly, red ears?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 8 months old | 4 lbs

Bella's ears has some sort of rash in her ears and it smells badly also her ears seems to have a little reddish. Do you have any natural and cruelty free ear cleansers?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Steve Popish, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 14th, 2018

Sorry about Bella's ears. Sounds like Bella may have an ear infection. Normally, I would recommend reaching out to your local veterinarian for an exam and treatment as ear infections require specific medications that treat yeast and bacteria. Occasionally, low grade ear problems respond to conservative therapy such as gently cleaning and flushing with small amount of 2 parts white vinegar and 1 part warm water. This is commonly called swimmers solution, which can help reduce bacteria and reduce growth of yeast in the ear canal. I usually recommend an eyedropper full of this solution in and around the ear canal, then gently massage the ear canal, then after shaking it out, wipe the ear clean with cotton balls. You could apple a small amount of Neosporin and Hydrocortisone cream mixed 50/50 to the inside of the flap of the ear to help reduce redness and inflammation. That said, the best recommendation is a complete exam of the ear and treatment at your local veterinary clinic. Ear problems can become chronic and require aggressive therapy if they get severe. Hope this helps, Steve Popish, DVM.

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 7th, 2017

    If the reddening and ear wax isa gone, the ear drops are working . If the smell is like beer or yeast, then she may have a fungal infection as well. that will need to be seen. You should have the vet recheck Bella's ears after the treatment (7days) to make sure the treatment worked.

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on November 17th, 2017

    It is possible he is developing or has an ear infection. These can be bacterial or fungal (yeast) resulting in the symptoms you are reporting. If possible, place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent further scratching. Have Dooney examined by your veterinarian. A swab of the ear can be examined to diagnose infection. If necessary, the vet can dispense the appropriate medication. Treatment usually takes about 7-14 days to resolve the infection.

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Related Questions

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Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a red smelly ear only one of them and she tries to scratch it but nothing! Is there any home made remedies that I can try on her? I cleaned her ears with hydrogen peroxide with the tip of the towel today.
If she has a bacterial or yeast infection in her ear, she will need medication in order to treat it. These medications will need to be dispensed by your veterinarian. A swab of the ear can be done to diagnose the cause. Place an e-collar (cone) on Sammie to prevent trauma from scratching or rubbing. Peroxide is not recommended since it can cause tissue damage. One of the components it breaks down into is water which can make an ear infection worse. Use an approved ear cleaner such as Epi-Otic and dry thoroughly afterwards.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My dog is scratching at her ear and she cries when she does. I've given her amoxicillin and bactrin.. I've also used a cream that is for fungal infections.. I'm not sure how to help her as I am a single mom with 2 boys and cannot afford the vet right
Hi, I am sorry to hear that Bella has a painful ear. I do not know how long or how frequently you have give the medications you mentioned, but most likely the infection (I am assuming she has an ear infection based on your description) will not clear up until her ear is thoroughly cleaned. You can purchase Virbac EpiOtic Ear cleaner online (i.e. Amazon) and thoroughly clean both of her ears as the first step. However, many times the ear(s) is painful and red. It is inflamed from the infection and her scratching at it. The inflammation could be helped dramatically with a steroid treatment (either injection or oral). I know this would need to be from a veterinarian, but without some sort of steroid steroid the inflammation cannot be reduced. I understand affording a vet visit may be challenging. You could apply for care credit and/or seek out a low cost clinic. Any veterinary clinic is well equipped to handle an ear infection and get Bella the medication(s) she needs to feel be
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
Dog has an ear infection and it’s dripping down her head.
Goodness, poor Bella. Ear infections can be very painful and difficult to heal if not treated appropriately. This will likely require a trip to your veterinarian, as the ear canal will have to be examined with a special scope, as well as a check to make sure the tympanic membrane (or eardrum) is intact. Many medications are not safe to use if the membrane is ruptured and can make your pet very ill and have unwanted side effects. After examining the ear, your doctor will likely do a cytology (or exam on a microscope slide) of the discharge and debris-this will determine what kind of antibiotic your pet will begin and for how long. As aforementioned, ear infections are very painfil-if you've ever had one you know this already. Your vet will likely also prescribe some medication for pain for Bella. Please don't put any water or other subtance in the ear before you have it checked out, as many of these things can actually worsen the infection. I hope this helps, and that Bella gets
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
My dog has an ear infection what can I use to help it clear up? I noticed it 2 days ago and cleaned it with some vinegar and water
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bella. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. I agree that her ear is likely infected. The veterinarian will examine her including inspecting the ear canals with a special instrument known as an otoscope. A sample will be taken from each ear canal to evaluate under the microscope. This will confirm an infection and determine the type. For example, she could have a yeast or bacterial infection or a combination of both. In other cases, ear mites are possible. Based on these results, appropriate treatment can be started. An ear cleaner is usually commonly used to cleanse and dry the canal. Then a medication is applied to treat the infection. Ear infections are painful and require prompt treatment. If left untreated, chronic changes can result that will predispose her to future problems. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
My pet is having redish ears from inside and it is aching a lot.
It's possible Bella is having an allergic reaction or has an ear infection. I recommend to have her examined within the next 24 hours. If she appears to be in distress or pain, have her examined quickly. The aching is concerning for pain. Here is a link about ear infections: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ear-infections-otitis-externa-ear-cleaning-in-dogs/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
My bichon gets a really red and foul smelling ear also hot spots that he chews on his back they are recurring regular what should I do he will not let me near it he would bite
Poor guy. Unfortunately you will need to take him to your vet to get his ear infection treated, since there are no over the counter ear products available for dogs. He also likely has skin allergies which are best treated with allergy medication (i.e. Apoquel) through your vet as well. Until you can get him seen, you can try giving him over the counter pet formulated fish oils, which are a natural anti-inflammatory for the skin, daily to help somewhat. Also you can bathe him with an over the counter pet formulated shampoo that is either aloe based or oatmeal based. The vet will be able to give him stronger medication once you go to your appt. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951475 I hope that Coco's skin and ears resolve soon! Best wishes and take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Both of my pup’s ears are red and icky inside. Looks like a yeast infection? He’s not itching them and there’s no loose liquid, only white red and brown bumps on the crease of his ear. i was thinking of just washing them with a warm cloth but I don’t
I would recommend cleansing with an alcohol ear cleanser to disolve the wax and discharge and help to clean the ear removing any debris and possible build up of yeast; I recommend using daily until clean and once to twice weekly thereafter in order to prevent build up and limit the risk of infection which would require medications
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
Hello- Darla has been rubbing her ears for about a week. It has become more frequent and she seems really bothered. I believe she has an ear infection. Is there something we can give her without having to go to the vet? Thank you in advance.
You can start flushing her ears with ear flush you can buy over the counter at a pet store. Or, use warm solution of half water, half vinegar and squirt a large volume into both ears. Then massage each ear until you get a swishing noise. Wipe the goo out with Kleenex and let her shake her head. The problem with this is that you might get the ear cleaner, but most dogs need an allergy medication like Apoquel or prednisone to stop the swelling and itching in the ear canal and feel better. This your vet can provide. Hope that helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My mom's dog has a red swollen right ear
Hello! Luna could have a couple things going on. When dogs have red ears, it could be due to an infection in the ear from bacteria or yeast, or they can have something stuck in their ear like hair or a grass seed. You can try flushing her ear out with a 50:50 mix of white vinegar and water and use a cotton ball to clean the ear once the flush is done. Here is helpful video on ear cleaning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC0l1rlYi5Y&sns=em If this doesn’t resolve the issue, have your vet examine the ears. They can test for infection and also see if there is something stuck. They can then also prescribe medications to clear things up. Best to you and Luna and thanks for using Pet Coach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
Hi my 1 year old dog has some kind of rash inside both ears which is raised, grey red looking and smells a bit. I have attached a photo. Is this something I can treat myself?
It looks like your kid has a pretty severe ear infection there. The redness is inflammation and the gray area is thickening of the external ear canal from chronic inflammation. What would be best would be for your pup to be seen by your family vet for an ear exam and cytology. In order to treat this appropriately your vet will need to know if there are bacteria (and what type) or yeast or both in the ear canals and if the eardrum is intact. An anti inflammatory may also be needed because of the thickening. If ear infections are a chronic problem for your pup underlying allergy may also need to be explored. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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