The Magic of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Our husky, Harley, recently came down with an ear infection. Unfortunately, the symptoms were all too familiar from Isla having had an ear infection before.

For Harley, we decided to try using an apple cider vinegar solution and it cleared his ears in no time! Here are the steps we followed to clean Harley’s ears:

1. Wipe the ears

Using non-scented gentle baby wipes, we cleaned each ear thoroughly. This step is important to keep the area clean, and I recommend cleaning both ears twice a day. When cleaning the ears, be very gentle and do not clear deep into the ear. You want to be careful not to damage their inner ears, so wipe the outer ears only.

2. Mix and apply the vinegar solution

We used the following for the solution: apple cider vinegar, water and an ear dropper. We mixed a solution of one part vinegar, two parts water. After having wiped down the ears, we filled the dropper with the solution and apply two drops to each ear.

If your dog is anything like ours, you will find that this is easy the first time, and near impossible the next. The sensation of ear drops is not pleasant, so dogs often jerk away when you try to apply the solution.

Our fix was to approach Harley very calmly and praise him immensely for cooperating. Feeding plenty of treats while administering the solution is a great tactic to help your dog feel more comfortable.

Once the drops are applied, your dog will shake their ears like crazy. This is perfectly fine, and won’t delay the recovery time.

3. If needed, use the “cone of shame”

To speed up recovery, I recommend using a cone to keep your dog from scratching their ears. Harley’s ears were so itchy, he had scabbing from trying to scratch them so much. Because apple cider vinegar is acidic, having the solution near scabbed ears can also be quite painful.

If you decide to use a cone, I recommend a fabric one that is comfortable to wear. They’re more expensive, but a lot more comfortable for your dog to wear as they recover. As an added bonus, you can keep the cone for your pup, should they ever need it in the future.

4. Repeat for 10 days

It should only take about 10 consecutive days for the entire infection to clear. If you don’t see significant improvement by this point, take your dog to the vet right away.

 

Please note, you should make sure that what you’re dealing with is in fact an ear infection before administering this treatment. Head to the vet first to get the diagnosis, especially if you can’t tell for sure what it is. 

 

Dealing with ear infections as soon as possible is very important. To help prevent ear infections from happening, here are some things you can do:

-Check your dog’s ears at least once a week for signs of infection

-Clean their ears gently with baby wipes once a week

-Dry their ears after swimming and bathing

-Pay special attention to their ears if they have floppy ears. Floppy ears are adorable, but also more prone to infection

-Keep your dog well-groomed

-If your dog suffers from itchy seasonal allergies, bathe them once a week with dog shampoo and conditioner to soothe their skin

 

I hope these tips will prove helpful to you and encourage you to try out the apple cider vinegar solution on your pup! If you’re looking for other cool ways you can incorporate apple cider vinegar into your dog’s healthcare, check out this article from Dogs Naturally Magazine!