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My German Shepherd's ear problems aren't improving. What's next?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | neutered

Hello, my name is Ashlee. I have a 10 year old male German Shepherd who has had ear problems for awhile now. We have been giving him this medication that we ordered online to help with his ears. Personally, I don't think it's helping any. I was wondering if you could help us?

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on July 17th, 2018

Poor Buddy! I can see that his ear is quite swollen and crusty inside, which is usually a sign of a severe ear infection. It looks like the product you've been using is a basic ear cleaner - this won't likely be harmful, but it will not do anything to treat the infection. For that, I'm afraid you'll need prescription ear medication from your vet, as there is nothing you can get over the counter that will be effective. Because of this, I would recommend taking Buddy in for a vet visit as soon as you are able to. Your veterinarian can use an otoscope to examine his ear canal, and may take a sample of the discharge in the ear for analysis to determine what kind of infection is present (yeast or bacterial). An appropriate medication can be prescribed to treat the infection based on what is found.

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