calliecritturs
Posted : 12/26/2006 9:09:21 PM
That sounds like a bacterial infection -- particularly the pain behind the ears. DEFINITELY needs to see the vet. Probably needs some serious antibiotics -- can be really serious -- it will keep the ear inflamed until the ear canal actually ossifies and hardens.
However, if there is no vet at all available for a couple of weeks, you can try (since this is virtually an emergency - and this will likely help altho not cure a bacterial infection) - I'd make the blue power ear solution.
If you will do a Google search for
"blue power ear solution" dog
You'll get a ton of hits and they all contain the same recipe. Essentially it is:
16 oz bottle of cheap rubbing alcohol
4 tablespoons boric acid
17 drops of gentian violet (1% or 2% either one)
the boric acid and gentian violet will actually 'fit' in the new bottle of alcohol -- they take up space the alcohol molecules don't.
Transfer it to an empty shampoo bottle or some bottle with a squirt top on it. the boric acid never dissolves -- you shake and squirt into the dog's ear canal, close the flap and massage/work the ear cartilage for a FULL minute. I ususally try to fill both ears at the same time and massage one with each hand.
It's MESSY -- this stains so do it outside if you can. But massage the FULL minute. Then let the dog shake it's head to it's heart's content.
Do this TWICE a day for two weeks. Now STILL take this dog to the vet -- tell the vet what you're doing and ask for antibiotics. The vet won't be able to culture the ear because of the blue power but I'm pretty sure you'll need antibiotics. But at least by that time you should have the ear canal clear enough so that when you get antibiotics from the vet it will go IN the ear successfully.
The Blue Power stuff seems to be really good about not crossing the ear drum - some liquids (like chlorhexiderm) will. So it can help a bacterial infection a great deal but likely won't cure it.