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Cure
Your Pet’s Ear Infections--Bow Wow
By Deena Caruso
Is your dog or cat tormented by ear infections? Do you spend time and money
at the veterinarian's office trying to bring relief to your beloved pet, only
to find that another infection appears over time? If so, you may want to try
some more natural approaches to preventing and treating your pet's ear infections.
What causes ear infections?
Dogs and cats have an incredible sense of hearing. To protect their hearing and
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prevent
damage to the ear drum, their ear canals are L-shaped. The problem
with this design is that it allows the ears to trap parasites,
moisture, debris and ear wax. Any of these can lead to ear infections.
Up to 80 percent of ear problems in dogs are linked to allergies,
and ear mites are often the cause of infection in cats.
The traditional treatment for ear infections is to give antibiotics, antifungal
medications or other drugs. The problem with this approach is that drugs upset
the normal chemistry inside the ear and can possibly turn a simple infection
into a long-term problem.
It makes more sense to deal with
underlying allergies and strengthen the immune system so that
it is able to fight bacteria and other germs before they
cause infection. Also, there are many natural treatments for
cleaning the ears and stopping infections without using drugs.
Signs of an ear infection
These are the signs of an ear infection in your dog or cat:
Pet
shakes head or holds it to one side.
Pet
scratches or rubs ears or rubs its head against furniture
or carpet.
There
is a yellow, brown or black discharge in one or both ears.
Ears
smell bad or are tender or red.
Natural
solutions
Clean the ears with vinegar. If
your pet's ears are filled with brownish-pink wax, there is
a good chance that allergies have caused a yeast infection.
To clear up yeast infections, clean the ears thoroughly.
Veterinarians often recommend
using white vinegar (also called acetic acid), because it removes
dirt and debris and helps restore a healthy chemical balance
in the ears. Diluted vinegar works well. When using vinegar,
pour a small amount into the ear canal, massage the area, then
gently wipe the inside of the ear with a cotton ball. Do this
once a day until the ear is better.
Stop infections with pau d'arco. The herb
pau d'arco, which comes from the inner bark of a South American
tree, is a natural antibiotic that quickly kills fungi and
bacteria. At the first sign of infection, mix equal parts pau
d'arco tincture and mineral oil and put several drops in your
pet's ears. Give the drops two or three times a day for several
days.
Reduce inflammation with vitamin C. The
adrenal glands produce a natural steroid that can help reduce
inflammation when ears get infected. Giving pets vitamin C
can help the adrenal glands work more efficiently. Pets weighing
under 15 pounds can take between 100 and 250 milligrams of
vitamin C a day. Cats and dogs 15 to 50 pounds can take 250
to 500 milligrams a day, and larger dogs can take 500 milligrams
two or three times a day. Vitamin C can cause diarrhea, so
you may have to cut back the dose until you find an amount
that your pet will tolerate.
Eliminate toxins with a healthy, all-natural diet. Giving
your pet a healthy, homemade diet or high-quality commercial
food that doesn't contain corn, additives or preservatives
can greatly reduce the amount of wax that the ears produce
while also helping to boost the immune system.
Air out the ears. Increasing
air circulation inside the ears can control the growth of bacteria,
yeast and fungi. Trim or pluck hair inside the ears periodically
to allow more air to get inside.
Strengthen the digestive tract. Supplements
such as bromelain and quercetin (with bromelain) can help prevent
an allergic response in the gastrointestinal tract, making
food allergies less of a problem.
Stop ear mites with oil. When an infection
is caused by ear mites, putting a few drops of almond oil or
olive oil in each ear will smother the mites and may allow
the infection to heal. You usually need to continue the oil
treatments for three to four weeks, putting three to seven
drops of oil into the ear canals each day. To help the treatment
work more efficiently, clean wax and other debris from the
ears before using oil.
Try an over-the-counter remedy. One of the
best ways to stop ear mites is with over-the-counter products
containing pyrethrins. Made from chrysanthemums, pyrethrins
are natural insecticides that are very safe to use. Just follow
the instructions on the label.
When to call the vet
Ear infections can look and smell awful, but they usually affect only the outer
part of the ear and aren't too serious. If you're unable to get to the source
of the problem (especially if your pet is still scratching a lot), you will
want to see your veterinarian to find out what is causing the problem.
Vigorous scratching can break
blood vessels in the earflap, causing the entire ear to swell
like a balloon. This condition is called hematoma and must
be drained by a veterinarian to prevent permanent damage.
Other symptoms to watch out for include head tilting, clumsiness, walking in
circles or drooping eyes. These are signs of an inner-ear infection and must
be treated by a vet. Your pet will probably need antibiotics to knock out the
infection. In addition, your vet may need to drain pus and other fluids from
inside the ear.
© Deena Caruso
Deena Caruso, author, teacher
and distributor of natural pet products, helps pet owners create
healthy, happy pets. To receive free "Pet Pointers" newsletter,
go to: www.healthyfoodforpets.com or
contact deecaruso @ cox.net, (760) 758-7963 or (877) 877-0665.
