My dog has itchy ears but they look clean. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Swedish Vallhund | Male | neutered | 4 years old | 28 lbs
My dog has been scratching his ears and whining as he scratches them. However his ears are pretty clean, don't smell funny, and aren't red or inflamed. He eats a limited ingredient food, takes Trifexis, and the grass is buried under snow, so I don't understand why his ears are bothering him. This has been going on for probably two months, and has not been getting any better or any worse. What can I do to alleviate his uncomfortably itchy ears?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 9th, 2018
Poor Bowser! The only concern I have is that he may have something stuck deeper into the canal. You can try some Benadryl twice a day to see if this helps his itching. See link below. If not, I would have your vet take a look deeper into his ear canals to make sure nothing is stuck and there isn't an infection deeper. Your vet will also be able to start her on stronger allergy meds if needed. I hope this helps https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/#!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 16th, 2019
I am so sorry to hear about your dog, this looks quite uncomfortable. I would get an e-collar for him (the cone-shaped collars) so he cannot self-traumatize the ears. You can ask your vet if they feel giving him diphendyramine (benadryl) is safe given his history https://www.petcoach.co/article/diphenhydramine-benadryl-sup-r-sup/ . You could also try a topical hydrocortisone product on the skin around his ears, and there is an over the counter product called Zymox Otic HC that can help some dogs in these situations.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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