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ear infection
Sent to Pet Experts January 22 08:29 AM

My Chihuahua/terrier has dark brown gunk in his ear and he is shaking his head and scrating at his ear...is this an infection and what can i do for him until I can get to the vet? I have heard that a vinegar/water solution works but is it safe? Can I also use peroxide?

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Age: 7; Male; Breed: chihuahua/terrier dog

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January 22 9:29 AM (1 hour and 20 seconds later)
         
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Ed Johnson -- Special Forces Medicine -- 100% Positive Feedback on 27 Pet Accepts
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January 23 8:41 AM (23 hours and 11 minutes and 27 seconds later)
         
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January 23 8:42 AM (1 minute and 21 seconds later)
         
With a dog's ear infection/mites...can you use a vinegar/water solution or peroxide until a vet's visit can be arranged?
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January 23 10:48 AM (2 hours and 6 minutes and 14 seconds later)
         
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Some dogs will commonly get ear infections.

Some vets recommend that you give him an aspirin to control pain. You can get the dosage information here:

Aspirin Info

You will need to see the vet. It sounds like he has a severe ear infection and might even have a hematoma if the ear flap is sticking out like a pillow. If he doesn't have a hematoma yet, he might soon get one because the head shaking will commonly cause a blood vessel to burst in the ear. This requires surgery to fix so you will want to take care of this as soon as you can.

Be sure you don't put anything in the ear through the night. Hot compresses are fine to ease the muscles around the ear but don't put anything in the ear canal until you find out what you are dealing with.

The problem with ear infections is that they can be bacterial or fungal in nature. If you put the wrong medication in the ear, you can actually do more harm than good so you want to be sure of what you are dealing with before you put anything in the ear. So, no peroxide, no ear wash. See your vet for a culture of the gunk in the ear so you can find out what you're dealing with.

Let me know if you still have questions.

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Tammy F. -- Pet Care Expert -- 99% Positive Feedback on 5067 Pet Accepts
15+ years-Pet care, Veterinary shelter medicine and infectious disease, Behavior training, Rescue
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