My dog fights ear drops! How to apply alone & manage wet ears?

Question

The dog I care for has an ear infection & requires ear drops twice daily. I really struggle to apply the ear drops because he runs away and hides extremely distressed. But when I have a helper holding him still it is much easier. I can't always have a helper so I'm looking for any tips to apply the ear drops alone? It is the 2nd day of the drops and because he scratches his ears, some oozes out and is making the hair around his ears wet. Is this a problem? Should I be keeping the ears dry? Pet's info: Dog | Cocker Spaniel | Male | neutered | 4 years and 6 months old | 19 lbs

Catherine Stecyk · Accepted Answer

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear you are having difficulty applying the ear medication - I understand this can be a challenging task! Ear infections themselves can be frustrating too. For my own dog, I find it helpful to stand over him with his head between my legs, that way I can gently use my legs to hold his body in place while one hand holds his head/ear and the other applies the ear medication. I then gently massage the base of the ear to allow the medication to contact all surfaces of the ear canal. It is certainly OK if Storm shakes his head immediately afterwards and a little medication comes out. Additionally, if you do not already have one at home, I STRONGLY recommend purchasing an Elizabethan collar (cone) for Storm, to prevent him from being able to itch his ears. Dogs can create a significant amount of trauma to their own ears and skin from scratching incessantly, and a cone will prevent him from getting to his ears while the infection heals. This will also help keep the medication in the ear. I hope this is helpful!

My dog fights ear drops! How to apply alone & manage wet ears?

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