How to Soothe Your Dog’s Itchy Ears

Dogs can scratch their ears to some degree, but if you find that your dog is scratching constantly or has an itchy ear, you need to determine the cause of the itching. You can treat your dog’s potential ear infections once you’ve determined what’s causing your dog’s discomfort. Most cases of itching are caused by a parasitic infection, an ear infection (bacterial or fungal), or a foreign object in the ear (such as a cotton ball).

Table of Contents

Instantly relieves itching

Know when to take your dog to the vet. If you notice that your dog is constantly scratching his ears, you should take him to the veterinarian for a checkup. Your veterinarian may use an instrument (otoscope) to examine the depths of the ear canal and determine if the eardrum is damaged. Your veterinarian may also look for other causes of itchy ears. For example, your veterinarian may wipe your dog’s ears to diagnose an infection.

If your dog is in pain and makes it difficult to examine, your veterinarian may prescribe a sedative and clean the dog’s ears. This allows the veterinarian to see the eardrum and allows the topical medication to penetrate the skin.
Do not apply medication to your dog without consulting your veterinarian. If the eardrum is damaged, the drug can enter the middle or inner ear and cause permanent loss of balance or affect the dog’s hearing (even deafness).

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Use caution when using tea tree oil. Tea tree oil may be recommended for inflammation and skin infections, but it contains terpenes that are toxic to dogs. ^{[1] X Research source In vitro evaluation of topical biocide and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus from dog. Valentine, Dew, Weese. Vet Dermatp. 2012 Dec 23(6):493-e95} Animals can only tolerate diluted 0.1-1% tea tree oil. However, most pet store shampoos, antiseptics, and skin treatments contain high concentrations of essential oils, which can be dangerous for dogs. If using a tea tree oil product, make sure the essential oil is diluted.

Monitor for signs of terpene toxicity after administering tea tree oil to dogs. Signs of terpene toxicity are usually nausea, vomiting, and paralysis (often in both dogs and cats). Dogs can experience severe paralysis, convulsions, and even death when using tea tree oil. ^{[2] X Research source Concentrated tea tree oil toxicosis in dogs and cats: 443 cases (2002-2012). Khan, McLean, Slater. J Am Vet Med Assoc.2014 Jan 1;244 (1): 95-9}

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Try an antihistamine for your dog. If you’re not sure what’s causing your dog’s itchy ears, you can help ease the itching before determining the real cause. Dogs can be given 2 mg of a common antihistamine such as Diphenhydram. Antihistamines are usually in tablet form and are given 3 times per day. ^{[3] X Research Source The Veterinary Formulary. Ypande Bishop. Pharmaceutical Press. 4th edition.} Antihistamines work by stopping and preventing inflammation.

Note that even after you have started treatment, your dog may continue to scratch his ears. In addition, not all cases of itchy ears can be cured by antihistamines. You can try an antihistamine if your dog feels better, but only about 10-15% of dogs get rid of the itching after taking the medicine. ^{[4] X Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook . Donald Plumb.}

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Temporarily relieves dog itching. Your veterinarian may be able to give your dog a short-term corticosteroid to provide temporary relief from the itching before a specific medication is found. Corticosteroids are strong anti-inflammatory drugs and can effectively relieve itching. In addition, you can also consult your veterinarian about using over-the-counter creams containing 0.5-1% hydrocortisone. Applying these creams to the outer ear and around the ears will help soothe the inflammation of the skin.

Care should be taken as steroids should not be taken with certain medications such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for arthritis. Taking these two drugs at the same time can cause an inflamed dog to develop a serious stomach ulcer, eventually bleeding and lead to death. ^{[5] X Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook . Donald Plumb.}

Recognizing and Treating Ear Infections

Look for ear infection symptoms. Ear infections often cause intense pain and discomfort for dogs, so you should pay attention when your dog rubs and scratches repeatedly on the ears. You may also notice that your dog’s ears are red, swollen, hot to the touch, foul-smelling, and oozing pus (like a thick layer of wax or pus). There are many causes of ear infections (ear lice, bacteria, or fungi). Therefore, you should take your dog to a veterinarian for a diagnosis.

If you’re not sure if your dog has an ear infection, you should compare the ears. If one ear is abnormal or irritated, the dog may have an ear infection. ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Take your dog to the vet. There are many causes of ear infections, so your dog should be diagnosed by a doctor and prescribed antibiotic ear drops. If your dog has had a previous ear infection, your veterinarian may wipe your dog’s ears to get a sample of the cap for transplant. This helps identify the bacteria causing the ear infection and find an antibiotic to kill the bacteria. Severe ear infections need to be treated with a combination of ear drops and oral antibiotics. ^{[7] X Small Animal Internal Medicine Research Source . Nelson & Couto. Mosby.}

There are many drugs available. Your veterinarian can choose the best one for your dog and tell you just how often and for how long. The extent of treatment depends on the size and condition of the dog.

Clean dog ears. You should choose cleaning products that are gentle, pH balanced, moisturizing and volatile. Choose a water-based product instead of cleaning your dog’s ears because water can penetrate deep into the ear canal to remove sticky pus and bacteria. Place the spout of the earwash bottle into the ear canal and comfortably squeeze the water into the ear. Cover the ear canal with a cotton pad, while massaging the dog’s head on the outside. Remove the cotton pad and wipe the water out of the ear. Repeat until the dog’s ears are completely clean.

If you notice your dog tilting its head to one side, it’s very likely that the eardrum has ruptured and the earwash could enter the middle or inner ear. You should stop using ear cleaners and take your dog to the vet.
Cleaning the ear pus can reduce the number of bacteria and help relieve the dog’s itching. However, if ear cleaning causes pain or swelling in your dog’s ears, you should stop and take your dog to the vet.

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Be aware of allergies. In some dogs, recurrent and unexplained ear infections may be related to an allergic reaction. Dogs can be allergic to something in the environment (like dust or mites) or to an ingredient in food. Talk to your veterinarian about this possibility if your dog continues to have ear infections – they may be able to prescribe a hypoallergenic diet to see if that improves.

Identify and treat parasites

Look for signs of infection by external parasites. If both ears are healthy, but the dog is still scratching, the dog may have an infection caused by an external parasite (such as fleas or scabies). You should check to see if fleas and flea droppings (flea residue) are pushed from the hair into the ears and cause an ear infection. ^{[8] X Small Animal Internal Medicine Research Source . Nelson & Couto. Mosby.}

Fleas move very quickly so you can’t always see them. Flea residue looks like brown dust, and when you wipe it off with a damp cotton pad, you’ll notice an orange halo from the flea bite that has dried up and is in the process of healing.
Scabies lice are very small and cannot be seen with the naked eye. However, you may notice that your dog’s coat is duller than usual, especially on the ears and legs.

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Follow your veterinarian’s treatment plan. If you think your dog’s itchy ears are caused by fleas or lice, you should talk to your veterinarian about an anti-parasitic product to treat the infection and relieve your dog’s itching. ^{[9] X Small Animal Internal Medicine Research Source . Nelson & Couto. Mosby.}

There are many topical medications available that effectively kill fleas and mites. You should consult with your veterinarian to choose a medication and determine the right dosage for your dog.

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Look for signs of internal parasitic infection (ear lice). It’s very difficult to see deep inside a dog’s ear, so you can only tell if an infection is inside when your dog scratches the ear or sees thick, brown patches of wax break up. It is the ear mites that cause earwax to build up and cause ear infections that are common in dogs. Your veterinarian will need to use a magnifying device (such as an Auroscope or an otoscope) to see the louses moving around or look at the lice or eggs under a microscope. ^{[10] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

With Otodectic scabies or an ear lice infestation, the ear mites can eat the wax in the ear canal and cause an infection of the horizontal and vertical ear canals.

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Follow your veterinarian’s ear lice treatment plan. Your veterinarian may recommend an over-the-counter medication containing Pyrethrin. Typically, you have pyrethroids applied in the ear canal 1-2 times per day for 10-14 days. Topical pyrethrin is generally safe for dogs because it is difficult for the drug to get into the bloodstream. ^{[11] X Research Source Poisoning due to Pyrethroids. Bradberry, Cage et al. Toxicpogy Review. 2005:24(2):93-106}

bacteria.
In theory, dogs are at risk of poisoning if they ingest pyrethrin or lick the medication from the ear of a dog that has been treated with it. Signs of poisoning include increased salivation, muscle tremors, agitation and convulsions in severe cases. If you notice the above signs, you should keep your dog in a dark and quiet room to help reduce his agitation and call your veterinarian for advice.

Identify and remove foreign objects

Pay attention when your dog scratches his ears and tilts his head. Getting a foreign object such as grass or grass in the ear canal is a common problem in dogs. You should look out for signs that your dog suddenly starts to itch after a walk, or a normally normal dog suddenly tilts his head to the side and frantically scratches his ear after a walk.

Foreign objects such as grass can travel down the dog’s ear canal and cause severe itching. Dogs may tilt their head to one side if there is a foreign object in the ear.

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Take the dog to the vet clinic to remove the foreign body. You can’t look deep inside a dog’s ear to find a foreign object. Because the ear canal is shaped like an “L”, foreign objects can get inside. Your veterinarian will need to use an otoscope (an instrument that magnifies and illuminates) to look deep inside the dog’s ears. Your veterinarian can remove the irritating object from the ear with a special long forceps called a biopsy forceps. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Removal of the foreign body usually does not take much time and is not painful for the dog.

Advice

Do not use standard over-the-counter medications to treat a dog’s infection without first consulting your veterinarian. When an infection occurs, the dog needs antibiotics to kill the bacteria or fungus. However, antibiotics must be used under control, so no over-the-counter drug or pet store product is allowed to contain antibiotics. So over-the-counter medications may not be as effective or cause further irritation to your dog.

Steps

Instantly relieves itching

Recognizing and Treating Ear Infections

Identify and treat parasites

Identify and remove foreign objects

Advice

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