Apple Cider Vinegar for Ear Infections in Dogs

Apple Cider Vinegar a Miracle for cat's ear infection -

My cat has had an ear infection for over a year and a half. I have gone to four different vets and spent hundreds of dollars trying to cure it. After reading this site, I poured half a cap full of ACV mixed with half a cap full of water on a cotton ball and cleaned her ears for 3 days straight. It's been 2 weeks, and the infection is still gone! No more black gunk in her ears for the first time in years!!! Thank you Earth Clinic for recommending this!

We adopted a very old Cocker Spaniel from a relative who had really bad ear infections. I came up with a way to allow more air to get into the ear canals and help prevent some of the reoccurring infections. There are 2 ways; first you get a rubberband and pull the hair from the ends of the floppy ears together, above their head, and bunch them up. You have to get a pretty good amount of hair and use a smaller rubberband, or 2. The other way is to create a sling for both of their ears. I made 2 loops using some elastic cord from a dust mask and connected them together with another piece of elastic. In this shape O--O. The ears go in the holes and the tension can be adjusted by the piece in between. It will not lift them completely up, but it will give them an inch or so which helps keep them inhospitable to the infections. I think the best way is the first, just make sure to put some sunblock on the inside of the ears if they will be outside with you for a couple of hours. Don't want them getting burned.

Another thing that helps ear infections in general is to put a warm/hot compress on the outside of the ears below the opening to the ear. This will weaken the bacteria or fungi and increase circulation.

Cheers, Peace and Happy Trails!

can u tell me exactly what u did to your dog that it worked? how many drops a day and how u cleaned the ear? I am having trouble figuring it, I've been doing it for my dogs for a few days now but he continues to scratch. Thanks!

I recently got a dog and once we took him to the vet they told us he had an ear infection. Of course they wanted to give him a bunch of pills and antibiotics which were going to cost me a lot of money. I decided to try this alternative approach instead. The half water/half ACV...I've been cleaning my dogs ears and putting 2 drops of the solution on each ear...but he continues to scratch...

Am i doing something wrong? should I do it more than once a day? should I put more drops in it? Also I have realized that cleaning with a cotton swab doesn't really take much out..I'm scared of trying a q-tip since i've heard it can make it worst.

I am completely new at this, since he is my first puppy. I will appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

Would it help to crank the heat way up to roast the mites before using the heat or air, and putting some kind of filter over the vents for the first few uses? Barbaric... I know....

If it happened overnight and seemed to affect his internal compass it might be he has a punctured ear drum? It might not be a good idea to put vinegar and alcohol in an ear with a punctured ear drum.....

After hearing about using rubbing alcohol and vinegar for ear infections in people, I tried it on my cat, just in one ear. I soaked the corner of a wash cloth with a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half apple cider vinegar and squeezed and rubbed it into her ear for maybe half a minute. Afterward she shook her head good to get the liquid out. She looks more comfortable now two days later, but there is still gunk in her ear (and the other ear). Tomorrow I'll do it again with the suggested solution instead, and on both ears. And clean them out with Q-tips.

She's been eating cat kibble. So I gave her some thawed fish fillets last night, and a chicken liver tonight. I'm her favorite person when I walk in the door now... Except that I had the nerve to put apple cider vinegar in that nice canned salmon... After giving her and the others apple cider vinegar for a few days their coats are getting soft and shiney. We have one with a crippled front paw who can't reach to clean herself well, and tonight her fur was soft and clean feeling. What a blessing...

You might try adding the rubbing alcohol to the vinegar and water.

When I overuse q-tips or rub to hard it tends to encourage more wax and infection in my own ears. Maybe try adjusting the ratio of the solution and don't rub or clean so much?

I have a stray cat I adopted whose right ear stunk and was oozing gunky brown stuff. Took him to a low cost clinic where I sat for 3 hours before being seen then was told it was a yeast and bacterial infection. They couldn't treat him till he was sedated and had bloodwork. Come back tomorrow, they said... Didn't want to wait hours and hours again so I took him to my vet who said he had an ear tumor and no infection whatsoever.... Gee, who was I to believe? I saw the ACV treatment on this site and figured I didn't have anything to lose. I've treated him 2 times and most of the gunk is gone and not coming back each morning. The smell is only half as bad as it was. This is great...I see most people only used this on dogs..any other cat people out there? How many days did you treat your feline?

We will try the ACV, but first have a question: Wondering if our dog's infection is different than the rest of yours? I hear the ACV is only for certain types of infections, and many of you mention classic symptoms of itching, redness, pain - sometimes associated with swimming. Our lab doesn't swim (i know, weird) - but we've been to the vet three times $$$ getting antibiotics and washes for her ear. Her symptoms - not to gross anyone out, but - include major discharge, creamy and then hardens to a dark brown color. Very messy, hardens around the ear... Is this more severe than all you are talking about, or just a different type of infection? Does anyone have experience with the ACV OR White vinegar treatments for infections that include this infectious discharge? Thanks so much for your help!... :)

Hi,

My cocker spaniel have been suffering from recurring ear infections for months. The last treatment from the vet hasn't helped at all. I've started to use ACV (1/2 ACV with 1/2 water).

I have a few questions: The brown discharge coming out of her ears seemed to increase at first: is it normal?

Also the vet used to tell me to clean her ears with cotton budds and try to go as deep as possible in the ear canal. However I was wondering whether the "rubbing" is making matter worse. Especially that in most of the testimonies I've read, people seem to use a kleenex or cotton ball to wipe the solution, which makes me think that they don't go as deep.

My last questions regard the length of the treatment? When do you know when to stop? How often should you do it to prevent any infection coming back. I did it every day for a week and it seemed to get better so I waited and when I saw my dog starting scratching her ears 5 days later, I used the ACV again. The quantity of brown discharge was considerable. I'm not sure whether I should carry on with it. Please help.

Well let the ear flapping begin. My 4 yr old lab has chronic ear infections and I just cant afford 150.00 vet bill every few months. I just gave him his first dose of 1/2 acv and 1/2 water. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

My vet recommended the vinegar cure for ear infections. His recommendation was 1/2 white vinegar, 1/2 rubbing alcohol. Put drops in dog's ear when he started to scratch.

My new cat had been suffering on and off from an ear infection for nearly three months. He'd had a dark, crusty buildup in his ears that was so bad I had to clean them twice a day. So of course, I took him to the vet, who prescribed $150 worth of medication on top of the $90 I had to pay for vet visits (initial and the follow-up visit). I treated him with the meds exactly like I was told to do. I switched his food because the vet had suggested he might be allergic to what I was feeding him, and I also started giving him fish oil supplements. While the meds helped enough for the vet to declare that my cat was cured when I brought him in for a follow-up, the infection promptly came back a week later. Frustrated by the idea that I had just thrown so much money at what seemed like such a small problem, I thought there had to be an easier, cheaper way to cure a simple bacterial/yeast infection. This led me to the internet, where I discovered earth clinic and the success that others had had with apple cider vineger. I had some in my kitchen and decided I had nothing to lose, so I started treating him with a solution of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water in a spray bottle. I either sprayed it in (which he doesn't like too much but which seemed to be the most effective way of getting it in) or used cotton balls soaked in it to wipe his ears out, once a day for a couple of weeks. It's gone from one ear completely, and the other ear is almost back to normal. I'll probably keep treating his ears once a week or so on a regular basis. I am SO happy I could get rid of his ear infection without having to throw my money away at the vet's office.

This isn't a remedy I'm posting I'm actually curious as to the measurements and how many times a day and how many days should I give my dog the apple cider vinegar. And would vinegar work instead or does it have to be ACV? My dog has had 4 ear infections since February and I keep going to the vet just to get more medicine and for them to tell me the same thing over. Thanks guys.

What a great site.

I was hurriedly looking for a natural way of treating an infection in my dog's ears, which was getting out of control. I had already spent a small fortune at various vets, and had lost faith in them.
Yes, my eye focused on articles, reference to ACV.
Yes, I had second thoughts.

Well I have given ACV a try,( equal parts ACV and water) and I am amazed at the results in only 3 days. The infection is how under control and I am sure a few more days, it will be gone. Honestly, I would say to others, it's worked for me and my dog.

It's not the fact I have saved on a large vet bill, but most importantly I have a cure that works and it's natural.

Shaun

we have an old shepard mx. he has always been a tremendously obidient dog. I was seriously worried when what seemed like an ear infection started affecting his hearing and seemingly his internal compass. It happened almost overnite. we thought maybe he had a stroke, not being able to afford vet bills we hoped for a rebound, he is slightly better. But in my search for a solution i found this site. i am immediatley goin to try acv hope it works good for a great dog!

Try a product from the drugstore for swimmer's ear. It was the only thing that helped my dog.

Our German Shepherd has chronic ear infections with his allergies. Apple Cider Vinegar does work. Please note that Summer/Fall allergic reactions can be caused by the dust mites in your ductwork. They come out of the ductwork when you turn the A/C on in the summer and the heat on in the fall. Double up on cleaning and bathing for about a week and things should settle down. Hope this helps!

Dog's Chronic Ear Infection Cured!

I have a sixteen month old Lhasa Apso who started getting ear infections around 6 months of age. In the past year she has seen the vet 4 times for her ear infections. I would administer the prescribed anti-biotics exactly as directed until the medication ran out. However, the infection kept coming back, ans spread from the right ear to both ears. It killed me to see her in pain all the time, stopping to scratch and pound at her ear every few minutes. Also, the smell was very rancid and almost unbearable. I was afraid that some sort of surgery might be necessary to correct the problem. THEN I found Earth Clinic. I read the dozens of post regarding ACV and pets. After a few days of research I decided to give it a try.

I bought organic apple cider vinegar from my local health food store. I emptied the contents of the squirt bottle full of solution from the vet and washed and dried it. I put 1/3 ACV and the other 2/3's distilled water. I then put the mixture in both ears, dried out the ears with a kleenex, then put a squirt of pet ear powder (that I bought from the pet supply store) in each ear to absorb all excess moisture.

I have to be honest, as soon as I put the mixture in her right ear she thrashed and banged her head against the couch and itched at it for a good 10-15 minutes. HOWEVER, within an hour I noticed she had stopped itching her ears. The next day she had completely stopped itching her ears and the odor was gone. I repeated the process on day 2 and 3 and I am confident that the ACV has treated her ear infection. I stopped after 3 days. A week has passed and she no longer pounds her head on the couch or hits at her ears. I am a firm believer in the power of ACV and have started taking it internally myself.

Please note, I noticed that after I administered the ACV my dog started to pant and seemed very dehydrated. I made sure that she drank plenty of water during the 3 days of treatment.

Not only will this method save me hundreds of dollars in doctors visits and prescription cost, but I no longer have to see my lil girl in discomfort and pain due to chronic ear infections. THANK YOU so much earth clinic and all of you who have posted your experiences!!! Give ACV a try!

My poor Cocker Spaniel suffered for about 5 years with chronic ear infections, nothing else helped for the long term until using a mixture of equal parts, white vinegar, water & alcohol, (vinegar kills, water dilutes, and alcohol dries). I always had a bottle on hand to use at bath time, if I smelled that familiar odor or if I noticed him shaking or rubbing his ears on the floor. A little squirt massaged into the ear and the excess moisture wiped out of the ear canal. My dog was not fond of the process, he too would shake his head and rub his ears for a few minutes afterwards, but chronic Ear Infections are far worse. I swear by this stuff. In addition, I kept his ears trimmed to prevent them from retaining moisture, and used a water bowl that kept his ears out of the water.

apparently trying silver colloidal water drops works well to clear up ear infections (most likely based on the type of infection) but it is cheaper and a more natural remedy for the dog. people can use it as well. available at a health food store.

Apple Cider Vinegar got rid of my dog's ear infections:

I took my Lab to the vet because he had a smelly ear infection in both ears. The vet gave me 3 different products for his ears.($$$) He told me it was very severe and it was yeast. When I got home and thought about the situation, I decided to try something natural first. I diluted the apple cider vinegar and washed out his ears the first day and then used a cotton ball soaked in diluted ACV the next couple days and it was gone-no redness, no smell, and he stopped scratching at his ears. I got rid of the products from the vet and now if he goes for a swim I wipe out his ears with the ACV.

in my experience white vinegar is better at killing things than ACV is and ACV is better for taking internally since it has nutritional qualities.

i have found that putting a few drops of garlic oil (from a garlic oil capsule) really helps ear infections in myself. i have not tried it on my dog - but i do give my dogs garlic orally for flea control. it must be NON de-odorized garlic.
djh/texas

I am about to try apple cider vinegar mixed with 1/2 water for an ear infection on my Westie. I only have distilled white vinegar on hand. Will that be good or should I go out and get the apple cider vinegar?

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!

MY DOG HAS A BAD EAR INFECTION. HE HAS BEEN TO THE VET A FEW TIMES ALREADY AND BEEN ON 3 DIFFERENT ANTIBIOTICS.

BETWEEN VET VISITS I TRIED THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IN THE EARS, BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. TOLD THE VET ABOUT THE ACV TREATMENT AND HE SAID THAT WOULD ONLY HELP WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF INFECTION. HAVE SPENT A SMALL FORTUNE AND NOTHING HAS HELPED.

I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT PUTTING SOME IODINE DROPS IN THE EARS TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP, BUT HAVEN'T YET.

ANYONE EVER TRIED IODINE IN THE EARS BEFORE?

ANY SUGGESTIONS??????????????

THANK YOU..........

I have a 3 yr old labradoodle. He has had nasty ears for as long as I can remember, especially after her goes swimming in the lake.
A friend told me about ACV a few years back and it has become a routine in our house. When he starts to shake his head a lot, and I ask him if he needs his ears cleaned he will go and actually get the bottle off our island shelf and bring it to me. If it is a full bottle, he will just bring the papertowels (since they are lighter). If I ever pull out the ACV for any other reason, he gets all excited and sits like a good boy waiting for a cleaning (even if he doesnt really need one). Amazing how greatful he is for the stuff!!

I use full strength. I dip my finger in it and then rub it in his ear - let it sit for a second then wipe it out with paper towel. Scout wont let me use q-tips or cotton balls. I find using my finger gives me a chance to get into all the hiding spots for the crud. It is completley nasty but, he's my baby and its worth it! When I get a good spot, he always gives out a good relaxing breath like he is having a great massage.