Can Coconut Oil Cure Dog Ear Infections?

To put it simply yes. It will take two ticks for coconut oil to clear up your poochs ear infection. In addition to apple cider vinegar and over-the-counter medications from the vets office there are other things you can use for this.

What types of ear infections do dogs get?

A dog can suffer from three kinds of ear infections: otitis externa otitis medina and otitis interna. Each of these three types of ear infections affects a different part of your pups ear.

The most common type of ear infection is otitis externa in which the layer of cells lining your pups external (outer) ear becomes infected. The infection should be treated and cured as soon as possible.

Things can get very dire very quickly if the infection spreads into the ear. Deafness vestibular disorders and facial paralysis are some of the side effects of an internal ear infection.

You might notice your pup tilting his head continuously circling or being uncoordinated due to an ear infection. Your pup needs to see the vet immediately.

What are the leading causes of dog ear infections?

Many factors can lead to an ear infection. Your pup might be allergic to something in his environment or food if he gets chronic ear infections. He might be sensitive to pollen or to ingredients in his diet like chicken beef or soy.

I know it sounds weird but dogs can be allergic to meat.

Sometimes the breed of your pup makes him more prone to infections. Its terrible but you have to manage it as best you can (and so does he).

Then there are those (hopefully) once-off causes such as ear mites those nasty parasites that sometimes make their homes in the ears of our beloved pets.

Fido had a ball rolling through the pile of leaves and somehow got dirt in his ear when he got a piece of dirt in his ear when he had a ball rolling through the pile of leaves. Perhaps he got into a fight with a dog or a raccoon and got pretty badly scratched.

These are all causes of ear infections and should be treated as soon as possible.

There are several medical causes of ear infections including hormone imbalances and tumors or polyps. Your veterinarian will be able to identify these and prescribe treatment.

How does coconut oil cure a dog’s ear infection?

Coconut oil a miracle of nature can cure a variety of ailments. Infected ears are soothed and the infection is cleared when it is dropped into a pups ear. Ear mites are also killed by the product.

There are two main fats in coconut oil: lauric acid and caprylic acid. Researchers have found that these two acids have antiviral antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Essentially coconut oil along with being physically soothing to your pup also kills the bugs that cause infection helping your pup recover faster.

How should you prepare or apply coconut oil?

Coconut oil works wonders for treating an ear infection in dogs. Coconut oil a medicine dropper or syringe and a soft washcloth are all you need. Easy peasy!

You should make sure the coconut oil is in liquid form before you begin. You might have to warm that stuff up because it turns solid at the drop of a hat. Its best not to burn Fido too much as you do not want to aggravate his ear infection.

Make sure the coconut oil is at the right temperature before sucking it into the medicine dropper or syringe. Its even possible to use a straw if your hands are steady. It should be possible to pierce your pups ear with anything with a narrow enough point.

Take a washcloth and wet it with some lukewarm water. Wipe your pups ear with it. In this case you’re aiming for the outer part just inside the ear. Avoid sticking the washcloth into his ear – its too big and you’ll spook him or hurt him or both.

Heres where it gets tricky. Make your pup lie down on his side if you can. This will make getting the stuff into his ear much easier. You may have to pull a few ninja stunts if you do not manage to do that. In either case get a few drops of coconut oil into Fidos ear as deeply as possible without hurting or damaging it. Leave the oil in Fidos ear for a while. Ideally you should have him lie on his side for a bit longer. Dogs are not known for their ability to lie perfectly still especially when being poked and prodded so this would not work for most dogs. You can prevent the coconut oil from running out by placing a cotton ball in his ear.

You should repeat this process every two or three hours during the day with the last run just before you go to bed. If the infection has cleared up repeat this process once or twice a week to keep your ears healthy.

What other natural remedies are there for a dog’s ear infection?

Granny needs to be contacted again. Fortunately there are a number of natural remedies available for doggy ailments and many of them are effective. You can also use apple cider vinegar as a substitute for coconut oil which you mix half-and-half with water before dropping it into your pups ear.

Lastly theres good old yogurt. Its plain and unsweetened. Yogurt is known for its beneficial bacteria. Your pups ear infection could be treated with that good bacteria. Put a few drops of yogurt in your dogs ear.

What have you tried to clear up your dogs ears with green tea? Just place a few drops of strongly brewed green tea in your pups ear and you’re good to go.

Fidos nagging ear infection could be cured by the oil of oregano that natural antibiotic. You may drop a few drops into his ear or on his food by mixing them with some Aloe Ferox juice. Do whatever he permits.

Another essential oil is grapefruit seed extract which has antifungal and antiviral properties by nature. Also this one gets mixed with pure aloe juice and dropped into your pups ear or on his food.

Alternatively you could use the oil of Mullein. The herb contains antiviral properties as well as painkilling properties. In addition to reducing swelling it will also help to cure a dogs ear infection. Drop it into your pups ear after mixing with garlic oil.

What other ways might you use coconut oil with your dog?

Coconut oil is extremely versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes. The internet is full of examples. In fact coconut oil can be used to treat many ailments our four-footed fur kids may suffer including dry skin and dandruff. In this case you could either apply coconut oil directly onto the skin or add it as a dietary supplement to your pups food.

Like us our pups need extra moisturizing during the dry season to protect their paws and noses. Without this their noses and paws might crack and become infected. Apply coconut oil directly to the sensitive areas to prevent this.

There is also the dreaded flea one of the most dreaded parasites. We hate them all. It turns out that coconut oil can be used to treat fleas naturally. Although coconut oil has some anti-parasitic properties it will not kill fleas. They’ll just smother running away to find some fresh air. What else is there to do?

What are the dangers of ear infections not getting to the vet?

Many dogs suffer from ear infections and most of the time its nothing to worry about. It will clear up if you treat it in time. The outer ear is affected by ear infections if they are not treated quickly. You can get seriously ill here and things get hairy. Fido may suffer deafness facial paralysis or vestibular disease if he has an infection in his inner ear or Otitis interna. Fortunately most of these issues can be avoided.

Therefore if you notice that your dog has an ear infection go to the vet right away. He or she might recommend home remedies or prescribe medication. Keeping your pup healthy and happy requires treating ear infections quickly and practicing good ear hygiene.

Conclusion

A dogs ear infection is relatively common and usually easy to treat. If your pup displays any signs of an ear infection you should take her to the vet. He may recommend home remedies or prescribe medication. It is imperative to treat the ear infection before it spreads from the outer ear to the inner ear where it could cause severe damage.

Coconut oil is a good home remedy for dogs with ear infections. It serves a dual purpose here soothing the topical irritation while acting as an antifungal and antiviral agent to cure the inflammation.

If you want to read more about dog health tips read here: Dog Health Tips and Tricks.