How We Treat Ear Infections

Treatment depends on the cause and severity, but the key is cleaning + medication + fixing the underlying problem.

Typical Treatment:

Ear cleaning: Your vet will flush the ears (often under sedation if very painful) and show you how to clean them safely at home.

Medicated ear drops: Usually contain a combination of antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Tablets: Antibiotics or anti-yeast medication if the infection is severe.

Pain relief and anti-itch medication: To make your dog more comfortable.

Treat the root cause: allergy management, improved flea control, or a diet change.

Follow-up: Re-checks are important as many infections need 2–4 weeks of treatment.

Key Take-Home Messages

Never use human ear drops or leftover medication as they can make things much worse.

Regular ear cleaning (as advised by your vet) helps prevent recurrence in dogs prone to ear infections.

One infection often means more in the future unless the underlying cause (usually an allergy) is addressed.

Floppy-eared and hairy-eared breeds need more frequent ear checks.

See your vet at the first sign of ear problems.  Early treatment prevents chronic pain and narrowing of the ear canal.