Homeopathic treatment for dog ear yeast infection?

[mom2jedi]

Hi everyone, before anyone gives me a hard time, YES my dog has seen the vet. We've been battling a yeast infection in our floppy eared Catahoula hound for a couple years now. We got the ear cleaner and prescription medicine that was supposed to clear it up as long as we followed the instructions - clean the ear twice a day and use the med. once a day. This *should* have cleared it up in about 10 days. Didn't work like I'd hoped. Went back to the vet and she told me just keep at it and it will eventually work.

I'm tired of waiting for it to go away completely. It will get better and be almost gone then it will flare back up again. Poor guy shakes his head all the time. It finally occurred to me to look up a homeopathic remedy since vets didn't always have the current medicine and I had fantastic luck with using honey to treat my BO's prolapse this past weekend.

So my question is, I would like to know what the recipe is. Vinegar, alcohol, peroxide, water were all ingredients suggested in varying levels. Not necessarily all four and a couple different types of vinegar were mentioned. Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks so much in advance!

 

[LarryPQ]

You could sneeze at my dog and he'll get an yeast infection. The smallest amount of moisture....

I use straight white vinegar. Sop up a couple of cotton balls, shove 'em in there, and then squish it around until the dog is leaning into your hand, eyes rolled up in its head, moaning with pleasure.

If you do that until it clears up, and then once every 1 or two weeks for maintenance, it should help.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

My lab's ears will never clear up...he's stuck with them forever...his ears are just too large. We've been battling them for at least 2 years now. We keep them cleaned out as best we can and the more clean they are and the more we maintain them, the less irritated they seem and the less painful they seem to be.

 

[fowltemptress]

Warm weather means yeast infections in the ears for my dog. I mix one part white vinegar with one part water, lay him down on his side, poor it in his ear and rub to let it soak. Then I let him shake it out and rub in there good with a cotton ball to sop up all the moisture. When he got it really bad I did this twice a day, since I read the ingredients on the stuff the vet prescribed and realized they were trying to charge us for what amounted to a vinegar and water solution. For the duration of warm weather I do it whenever I feel he'd benefit from it, and it really does keep it in check.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

I would use a few drops of tea tree oil a bit of water.
Then rub the ear with raw coconut oil.

We used this method for getting rid of ear mites as well.
Works right away.

 

[Skyesrocket]

I had Chinese Shar-Pei and they had frequent ear problems due to the ears being tight against the head. My vet told me to use white vinegar, water and alcohol. It has been so long ago that I can't remember how much of each though.

 

[alpinefarm]

For recurring yeast/fungal infections, it is helpful to adjust the diet. Many/most commercial dog foods have sugar/high carbohydrate content, which feeds the yeast. Find a diet to feed your dog that is higher protein/lower carb/no sugar.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

This will work, and it's cheap:

Blue Power Ear Wash Recipe:

16 Oz. Isopropyl Alcohol

4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder

16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%

Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well.

Shake this solution every time you use it to mix the Boric Acid Powder.

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
I totally agree. My lab had yeast in his ears forever; he even had some on his belly and I tried everything to get rid of it. The last thing I did was get him some hypoallergenic food and it worked like magic.

He has always been pretty thin and since December he has gained 14 lbs and looks very healthy and the ears and the skin has cleared up.

 

[mom2jedi]

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I never thought to change his food. He's on Iams Large Breed dog food and has been his entire life even before he got the yeast infection. There are no other spots of yeast just the one ear. I will try the alcohol/water/vinegar solution and if that doesn't work I will look into changing his food.

I will let everyone know how it turns out and what exactly I did. Glad to hear I'm not the only one that has to deal with this supremely irritating problem, poor doggies!