Leila's Ear Care Journey

My Shepherd has one ear that has bothered her for a long time. I've taken her to the vet multiple times and every time I get the same answer: "No yeast, no infection." So what we found the last time I brought her in (during my Veterinary Assistant days) was that she gets a wax build up, then scratches it, makes it bleed, blood runs down the ear canal and cakes, causing her to become frustrated and uncomfortable. So last night I tried something new and we'll see if it works.

1) 50/50 Apple Cider Vinegar "rinse" if you will. I didn't squirt it down the canal because I couldn't find a syringe, so I just soaked cotton balls and massaged them in her ear. She didn't like it. Probably because she's more than likely scratched in there and it stings. Tough love.

2) After we cleaned them, I let her shake. Then I put Calendula gel in the ear (with my finger) and then took some Tea Tree Oil on a cotton ball and rubbed that in there.

Usually she's at her ear a few times a day, but she hasn't touched it since last night. Unfortunately for her, I'm going to repeat this until I think it looks better. I think I'll probably use some Q-tips to get a little deeper (don't worry, the canal of a dog's ear is different than a humans...its VERY hard to injure them) and get some of that gunk out. I'll keep updating with changes I make, what works, what doesn't.