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How to treat my pet's ear infection at home if I can't afford a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Blue Heeler | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 5 months old | 49 lbs

How do I treat an ear infection at home. I can’t afford a vet visit

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on June 20th, 2018

Poor Baylee! I'm sorry that she has an ear infection. Unfortunately, this is not something that can be treated effectively without a vet visit. Ear infections are generally caused by yeast or bacteria, and require prescription ear drops to treat. There is nothing you can get over the counter that will be effective for this, so there's really no way around going to see the vet. Fortunately, there's no reason this would need to be an expensive visit - just the exam fee, and the cost of the medication. In the meantime, if she will let you, you can try using an over-the-counter ear flush like MalAcetic to clean her ears. This will not treat the underlying infection causing the redness and discharge, but it may help to make them a bit less sore and itchy until you are able to see the vet.

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on June 19th, 2017

    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.

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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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My dog has what I believe is an ear infection. Her ears smell and she is contantly rolling around on her head. She is nervous of the vets and wont let us muzzle her to go there (bad experience with previous vet) Is there anything I could buy over the
Poor Bailey! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. It does sound like she probably has an ear infection of some kind, from what you describe. Unfortunately, I'm afraid there is nothing you can get over the counter that will be helpful - ear infections require prescription medication to treat effectively, so there's really no way around taking her to the vet. I would recommend calling and talking with the vet before bringing her in, to make a plan for the best way to have her seen with minimal stress. It sounds like she may need to be sedated in order for the vet to examine her and clean and medicate her ears safely - this can be done easily with a quick injection in most cases. Once she is asleep, the vet can do a thorough exam, clean her ears, and apply medication to treat the infection.
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He has an ear infection there is a lot of wax built up in ear and is scratching at ear and yelping. what course of action do I take if I can't afford to take him to a vet?
Unfortunately, there are no home remedies for an ear infection in a dog, and he does have to see a vet as soon as possible. Dogs do not get wax in their ears like humans do, so what you are seeing is a build up of either bacteria, yeast, or ear mites. It's very important to have any ear infections treated promptly, as leaving them can lead to hearing loss. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com
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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.
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I think my dog has an ear infection, she’s shown some irritation in her ear. Are there any at home remedies as the vets are only taking emergency cases? It’s really hard to get a photo of inside her ear canal but it looks like there’s some irritatio
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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 ?
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How can I give my Newfie's ears relief from the pain caused by an ear infection? He also has some welts, how can I treat those. I cannot afford a vet visit right now. I tried to take a picture of them.
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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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