Vet's closed but my dog needs help now.

May 31, 2010 4:55 PM

My beagle has an ear infection. I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow. He's scratching to the point of bleeding. is there anything I can do for him tonight to ease his pain/itching?
posted by JV to pets & animals (6 answers total)

For a human, a microwaved gel hot pack wrapped in a cloth, held against the ear, helps tremendously with the pain from an outer- or middle-ear infection, if only for a little while. When my mom was small, before antibiotics, her parents warmed olive oil to put in her ear to relieve the pain of an infection. The warmth is the key. Make sure it's not too hot for your own skin. If the vet prescribes drops, he or she will probably tell you to warm them to body temperature before applying them; this is really important for comfort.

Also see this previous question for some useful info.
posted by Ery at 5:17 PM on May 31, 2010

Beagle...floppy ears...ear infection. It's a pretty good guess that the infection is caused by anaerobic bacteria, since the insides of those ears don't get aired out nearly enough as a rule. Assuming that this is the case, you could use a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide to wipe out the ear. (The peroxide super-oxygenates the area, which helps combat anaerobic infections.) When you've finished wiping what you can reach, squeeze a few drops of fresh peroxide into the ear canal and massage it. (Most dogs absolutely adore having their ear canals massaged and doubly so if they're sore from the infection.)


YMMV, but that's what I'd do with my dog in the same circumstances.
posted by DrGail at 5:18 PM on May 31, 2010

Take the dog to an emergency clinic instead of waiting so he isn't suffering all night. While olive oil might be some sort of human "remedy," it's not gonna help with a dog. You can also get an e-collar from the pet store to keep him from scratching, but it's not going to take the pain away.

The dog's obviously in alot of pain, take him to the emergency vet.
posted by TheBones at 5:21 PM on May 31, 2010

Please don't put anything in your dog's ears. It could very likely make things worse. You can knock him out with a Benadryl (plain, nothing added Benadryl), 1 mg per pound. For most Beagles = one 25 mg Benadryl.
posted by bolognius maximus at 6:41 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]

and by 'knock out', I mean he will go to bed and not think of his ears until you can get him to the vet tomorrow.
posted by bolognius maximus at 6:42 PM on May 31, 2010

Do you have one of those cone things you can use? You know, the plastic ruff thing you can fasten around his neck. He won't like it so much but it's only for tonight and will keep him from scratching.
posted by Allee Katze at 7:52 PM on May 31, 2010