Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My dog has fluid in ears, itching, pain. Can I treat it at home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 10 years and 5 months old | 100 lbs

My dog seems to have an extreme amount of liquid in her ears... When she shakes her head you can hear the fluid sloshing around. She is constantly digging at her ears and she has made it bleed... Can I do anything to clear out the fluids? And is there anything I can use around the house to help with the itching and pain? Can you use Hydrogen peroxide to clean out the black substance in her ears?

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 7th, 2020

No, do not put hydrogen peroxide in Jazmine's ear, that will make it so much worse. It sounds like she has a bad ear infection, which you cannot treat at home. Please take her into a vet now to get this treated.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dogs left ear is very bright red and kind of warm inside. It seems very irritated. Is this some kind of infection or something I can treat at home? We have no after hours vets in the town where we live. Will hydrogen peroxide help at all or Benadr
You should definitely not use hydrogen peroxide as it can cause serious damage to the ear, Benadryl will not help. It's probably an ear infection, often it cannot be seen from the outside. Ear infections are very common in dogs, it is usually caused by either yeast or bacterial disease. the treatment is usually simple and straightforward, you will have to take her to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
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.
You can start flushing her ears with ear flush you can buy over the counter at a pet store. Or, use warm solution of half water, half vinegar and squirt a large volume into both ears. Then massage each ear until you get a swishing noise. Wipe the goo out with Kleenex and let her shake her head. The problem with this is that you might get the ear cleaner, but most dogs need an allergy medication like Apoquel or prednisone to stop the swelling and itching in the ear canal and feel better. This your vet can provide. Hope that helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I broke my hip and shoulder so I cant get to a vet yet. My 10 yr old chihuahua suddenly seems to have really sensitive ears. H scratches and shakes his head alot. If I am really gentle he will let me look in his ears. I cant see much, maybe some ligh
I'm very sorry your broke your hip and shoulder! It sounds like he may have an ear infection, and I would not recommend putting a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water in his ear. That will not help cure an ear infection, and may make the problem worse. Ear infections can be caused by bacterial, yeast, or ear mites, and Rusty needs to see a vet in order to have it diagnosed and treated. I would see if you have a friend who can take him into the vet for you to get his ears examined. It's important to have any ear infections examined and treated promptly, as leaving them untreated can lead to hearing loss.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has had what I believe to be a bad ear infection. I use long cotton swabs to clean his ears every other day. I sometimes use hydrogen peroxide. I even used an herbal oil for dogs ears, which didn't seam to help. I was wondering if it's ok to s
No, I would not do this and please do not use any hydrogen peroxide in his ears. The herbal oil could be making the ear infection worse, so I would stop using that. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by bacteria, yeast, or ear mites, so you need to take Peyton into the vet first thing Monday. The vet can diagnose the cause of his ear infection, and can prescribe a safe and effective treatment for it. The only effective and safe medications for ear infections are available at the vet. Leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss. Best of luck, I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has few wounds around the back and inside of her ears. I have attached some pictures of them, please advise what could've caused and the medication for it. Thank you.
It looks like a very bad skin infection, it could be caused by parasites, bacterias or fungus. you will need to take Jasmine to the vet in order to get it diagnosed and treated (it's not possible to give you a treatment advise without knowing what is causing this).
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My German shepherd is 10 yrs old external ear infection since 1 month .c&s has given report sensitive to ampicillin , Amoxicillin , gentamicin. ext . Tried all ,no effect .tell me what should I do .can I syringe with diluted hydrogen peroxide .
No, please do not instill anything into your dog's ears without your veterinarian's advice. Your dog also needs an ear exam to determine whether the ear drums are intact before any medicine is instilled into the ear/ If the ear drums are not intact, any medication getting into the inner ear can cause serious inner ear problems such as balance issues, etc. Please visit a veterinarian with your dog and bring the results of the sensitivity report with you. Your vet will then be able to examine your dog's ears and decide which route of medication is suitable. Never instill H2O2 into a dog's ears.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My female red heeler is always scratching at her right ear. She's caused sores, and a few days ago we looked at bit, and there was pus coming out. What should I do?
It looks like she has an ear infection of some kind. I recommend getting her in to see your vet. They can do an exam, clean her ear out thoroughly and probably prescribe an antibiotic, possibly an anti-inflammatory to help relieve the soreness and itching. This will help her heal faster and more completely than trying to take care of yourself at home.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have been puttin hydrogen peroxide to flush out pollen my dog has in her ear. Is that safe?
Nope, I would definitely stop that. Ears naturally clean themselves and don't need cleaned unless there is an issue. If you're seeing redness, brown/black discharge, an excessive amount of wax, or Lady is rubbing/scratching them, she needs to go to the vet to have them sampled and appropriate treatment started. Unfortunately, she could actually get an infection from the hydrogen peroxide you've been using, so definitely keep a close eye on things right now. The good news is that ear infections are very treatable with proper medications from the vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has a red smelly ear only one of them and she tries to scratch it but nothing! Is there any home made remedies that I can try on her? I cleaned her ears with hydrogen peroxide with the tip of the towel today.
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
What Can I Do for dog's ear infection. He scratches his head, is nostalgic, and only seems to be getting worse. He wanders around as though he's lost and I'm afraid he's in pain.Besides The Vet is there something I can do now?
Aww I’m sorry to hear that Lil Boy is having a tough time. I agree that his signs are suspicious for an ear infection. Unfortunately, there is nothing really suitable for an ear infection over the counter. I definitely do NOT recommend putting anything in the ear (alcohol, vinegar, peroxide) as these can actually make things worse. I recommend seeing a vet sooner rather than later as it is easier and cheaper to treat an ear infection earlier on.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Ear Care Dog Ear & Eye Medicine Dog Ear & Eye Care Antifungal Medication for Dogs Dog Medicine and Prescriptions Dog Eye Care Prescription Horse Ear & Eye Care Dog Pain Relief & Arthritis Meds Prescription Allergy Medicine for Dogs Dog Asthma Medication Zymox Dog Ear Care OxyMed Dog Ear Care Vetericyn Dog Ear Care PetAlive Dog Ear Care Vet's Best Dog Ear Care Vetnique Labs Dog Ear Care Zymox Dog Ear & Eye Care Baytril Dog Ear & Eye Medicine Pet Parents Dog Ear Care NaturVet Dog Ear Care
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored