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Question please about flea in dogs ear

Posted By Robin (Toledo, Ohio) on 09/29/2009

QUESTION PLEASE: Dog ear problem:

There is a flea in my little dog's ear. She is a three year old Minature Pinscher. Today is the fourth day of this problem, but NOW she is scratching at BOTH EARS (but more so the left one). She keeps shaking her head and scratching the back of her ear and fake-yawning and I feel so bad
for her! Could have the medicine/home remedies have ran from one ear into the other through the ear canal?

After I put her "monthly flea medicine" on her two days ago, I am POSITIVE a flea went up and crawled in her one ear. (there is no smell, started 10 minutes after I applied the flea medicine to her nape of the back of her neck).
Here is what I have tried so far:

..a dropper full Vitamin E oil with no luck;

...a light mixture of a drop or two of peroxide and water,

...wiping it with a cotton ball,

...exploring a gentle look with a Q-tip and a flashlight, I couldn't see ANYTHING at all out of the ordinary

...a few drops of vinegar & water like I read here just in case it was ear mites(that was two days ago).

...I don't have a car to just run to the store and buy something so I want to try anything I might have at home first.

Here is what I HAVEN'T TRIED YET:

-I did not have any baby oil or olive oil to drop in it like I had read on some of your advice columns or I would have tried that..I am so afriad mineral oil will burn her already sensitive-from-scratching ear!
-When I bought the "ear dry" stuff, they did have mineral oil, but only a huge bottle for over 10.00! Plus once I smelled it and noticed how strong it was, I was afraid to use it on her sensitive ears.
-She will not allow me to use the "sucker-outer"thing like we use on babies. Drops I can sneak in there but the ball she sees coming and hides for hours.
-I have not tried a tiny dropper full of the flea medicine as I read on here as well. That is just too scary. It is very strong and when I got it on my face from holding her to check her ears, by accident, it burned my eyes and skin for two days. 'Just too scary to use INSIDE her ears.

ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! I love my baby girl dog so very much, but the vet is over $60.00 (and that isn't even at the one I would have to walk her to because I don't have a car & can't get a ride from anyone until the weekend - in 4 more days!) just for the visit, and I am disabled and on a fixed income. I rescued her 3 yrs. ago from getting hit by a car, and no one claimed her from posters so I have had her in my family ever since and take care of her as well as I can. She is like my tiny baby. I hope to solve this ASAP as she must be sufferring some. I will respond immediately after I have tried something that works to help out someone else, as I didn't see this particular problem listed anywhere on here; none about a flea in a dog's ear rather than ear mites..

Thank you xoxo

Replied by Glenessary9 (Salt Lake City, Utah, Usa) on 10/24/2009

Use ___ dishwashing liquid mix with just a little water to make it go thru a dropper easily. With a eye dropper drop 3 drops into her ear then let her shake it out. that should kill it. or you can use salt water.

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