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My dog has ear problems. Is it safe to use another dog's ear drops?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 5 lbs

A friend (Ben) found a dog wants to keep her but she keeps shaking her head and scratching at her ears. I said my dog did the same when she gets ear infections . Ben can't afford a vet visit. So he asked if he could use my dog's (prescription mometavet) ear drops on his dog because he says "yeast infections are a common cause of ear problems in dogs and what could it hurt?" I am hesitant. My question is What can it hurt?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 19th, 2019

Yes, it can hurt. You don't know if the dog's ear drum is intact, and putting medication into an ear with a ruptured ear drum is bad. In addition, ear infections can be caused by ear mites and bacteria as well as yeast, so this prescription medication may not work anyway. Do not give it to Ben. I can give some resources that may help him afford a vet. 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. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if they can help him. In honesty, if he cannot afford a vet visit for an ear infection, then maybe keeping her isn't a good idea. I hope this helps.

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