This week I wrote a blog about something that really irked me and then realized I was starting to sound like a bitter old bitch every week, so I have shelved that one for another day! I’m sure you don’t mind me venting occasionally but...week after week with the ranting and judging? I thought I should give you a break for a week or so!
You’re welcome!
Instead here’s a few things that I wanted to share with you to make life easier and cheaper if you have a dog that suffers from ear infections and don’t have a squillion bucks to throw at your veterinarian.
Home made ear wash is easy and cheap, and it is just as good as some of the more expensive preparations you can buy at the store.
1) Hydrogen peroxide and water.
Mix equal amounts of the two together and put in the affected ears. Swoosh it around a little by wiggling the base of the ears with the ear flap closed to really get this solution deep down into the ear canal and then gentle wipe the outer ear with a soft cotton pad.
2) 1 x Tbsp Olive oil and 1 DROP (yep, just a drop]*) of tea tree oil.
Essential oils are not to be administered to anything, anyone or anywhere in high doses due to their strength, so please do not use more than one drop as this really will do the trick.
If you do not keep a bottle of Tea Tree oil at home, then you should. Go run and get some now. Put your iPad down, run to the store, yes, right now before I get angry.
Buy a top quality, medicinal strength oil, Young Living and Doterra are very good brands, and keep it in a dark place in your home. The potency lasts for years and it’s unbeatable for certain things.
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This next bit has nothing to do with dogs ears, and it’s all about ME, ME, ME but I want to share this story about the efficacy of Tea Tree oil, that I was just reminded of a couple of days ago.
Three years ago I was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider on my leg. I didn’t know it was a brown recluse bite, not until much later, but when I saw the nasty puss filled bite come up on my skin, I knew just what to do.
I mixed two drops of tea tree oil with a tablespoon of carrier oil, I used coconut oil, but olive oil would have been fine also, and put that on the bite. I did it every day for a week. The bite was nasty, it didn’t go away straight away, it took an age but hell, it WAS a brown recluse spider bite after all. It finally did heal completely when I started using [diluted] oil of oregano on it, but those of you who know anything about brown recluse bites will know that they can quickly bring on necrotizing fasciitis.
I swear to this day that I still have a leg thanks to Tea Tree oil, and my mum who made us keep a bottle in our homes when she read up on it 35 years ago. It is STILL, along with medical grade Manuka honey, one of the only things on the planet that out performs antibiotics in the killing of MRSA.
So go buy some. Now.
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Oh I’m sorry, was I distracted talking about myself??
The product that I really like for severe ear infections is Zymox ‘Otic Enzymatic solution’ Hydrocortisone 1.0%
It’s pretty cheap at about 20 bucks and is the easiest ear treatment I have ever used.
Here’s a link so you can buy it on Amazon.
You can use my hydrogen peroxide recipe to clean the ear out before the first use but thereafter you do not clean the ear before applying. You just use it once a day til the infection has cleared. And clear up it will, because this stuff is the dogs bollocks!
If you have a dog prone to ear infections, buy some to keep in the house and then jump to it at the first sign of shaking the head or scratching.
You need to ‘get in quick’ with ear infections as excessive shaking of the ear can lead to a Hematoma which is a pain in the ass to treat and requires the dreaded steroid Prednisone, which I despise.