# How to help puppy with ear infection?



## Isabel (Dec 23, 2021)

Hey everyone,

My six month WHV puppy has had horrible ear infections recently & has seen a vet twice so far. In the last few days it has been so bad, and we got him the soonest appointment possible, which unfortunately is late tomorrow night. 

Until then, I am wondering if anyone has any “home remedies” not to treat, just alleviate the symptoms until his appointment. Like how kids with chicken pox bathe in baking soda or something. Anything to help him feel better, he is SO uncomfortable.

He’s currently ramming his head into the sofa cushions and groaning. Sometimes he will accept ear rubs/scratches, other times he growls and even snaps. He already has resource guarding issues and this has turned it into a nightmare. Sometimes I can’t even look him in the eye without being growled at (consulting a behaviourist also). He’s very restless and keeps everybody up with his whining and taking laps around the room and digging etc. He will not settle down for more than a few minutes, and has only just managed to fall asleep. I feel terrible for him. If anybody has had experience with this before and had any recommendations/tips I would be so grateful. It’s driving everyone up the wall!!


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

It's good that you found a new vet. You should leave the vet with some type of topically applied product to deal with the infection. I suuspect he may have gotten something in his ear that started the whole issue off.
Now then, without knowing exactly what is causing the infections. There are home some home remedies. A mild solution of alcohol (70%) and hydrogen peroxide (<3%) on a cotton swab may help. Anyone that has ever competively swam will have this solution in their training bag. You can also purchase products specifically for "swimmer's ear", at any sport shop that caters to swimmers and triathletes.
There are also ear cleaners available at pet supply places. In the US, I use a product called Oticlean, which I get from the vet. But there are many others.
Another source is the baby/infant section of the local pharmacy. There are products to clean a baby, or an infants ears that "should" be safe enough for a dog.
We have a shampoo in the US called mycodex. It also is a medicated shampoo and can be applied in small quanities with a cotton swab and then cleaned with a new cotton swab with the above solution.
Good luck. It's so hard because the dogs just can't tel us what the exact issue is.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

A lot of WHV owners use thornit powder.


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## Dan_A (Jan 19, 2021)

I would be concerned about putting anything OTC or home remedy in an ear that has that much of a raging infection. I do hope that your new vet actually knows what they are doing and your pup is on his way to recovery!

edit: For the future, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Preventive ear maintenance is very helpful in all dogs, especially floppy ear types. After the infection is cleared up, i'd start a regiment of weekly ear-flush and wipe cleanings with an OTC product. There's a ton of quality gentle dog ear cleansers out on the market and are fairly inexpensive.


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## Travelstar (Nov 18, 2020)

Be aware that ear infections are often brought about from food intolerance. Do keep this in mind, especially with vizslas who are known for having food/intolerance/allergies.


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