What can I use to clean my dogs ears?

The stuff at the store is to strong and I was told NEVER to use water in a dogs ear. So what can I use? He vet checked for ear mites and nothing but she still has a bit of an odor coming from her ears and I really dont want to run back to the vet.

This stuff you can make yourself and works like a charm. But if you're having ongoing issues with ear infections, you should maybe consider a food change.

If the ears are sore or irritated, do not use as it will sting.
Most dogs will not object to even the first treatment. The Boric Acid Powder
soothes the ear. The Gentian Violet is an anti-infection agent. Be careful
where you do it - preferably outside - as it stains fabrics and white
cupboards, etc.!


INGREDIENTS: (all should be available at a pharmacy)
16 Oz. Witch Hazel (you can use alcohol, but I find it too harsh)
4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%

Mix in a bottle and shake well (every time you use it). I apply with an eye
dropper into the ear canal, massage gently for 60 seconds and wipe with a
tissue. Apply a second time, wipe with a tissue and leave alone without
massage. The dog will shake out the excess, which can be wiped with a tissue.

Schedule:
Treat twice a day for 1-2 weeks depending upon severity of ears
Treat once a day for the next 1-2 weeks
Treat once month (or even less frequently as needed)

"The solution appears to work well on any and all ear problems from mites
to wax to canker. After the 2nd or 3rd day you can clean out the ear with a
Q-tip or cotton balls. The success rate for this treatment is 95-99%. Those who
do not succeed have usually not done the treatment long enough or have not been
regular about it.

Dogs on the verge of ear canal surgery have been returned to normal with only
the regular follow-up treatment to keep the ear healthy. If an infection seems
to be remaining in the treated ear after the above course of treatment, you may
also have some Pseudomonas bacteria in the site. This can be eradicated by
using a gentle flush of raw apple cider vinegar and water (warm). Use 2
tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of water, 2 x per week.

They have found the Blue Power Solution to be effective for treating
fungus-type infections on the feet and elsewhere on the dog, for cuts on dogs
or people and for hot spots. You may find other uses for this simple
anti-infective agent. Remember it is for external use only and be careful not
to get into the eyes."

Because of the staining of the violet (above), I use a more simple solution of:

1/3 cup Witch Hazel
1/3 cup rubbing alcohol
1/3 cup white vinegar
5 drops (no more--as it can be toxic in high doses) Tea Tree Oil

I mix it up and keep it in an old (clean) bottle of the solution the vet gave me once when one of the boys had an infection. Shake before using.

You can either squirt it right into the ear, or douse cotton balls (I do the latter for more control--plus I'm using it on two dogs, so I don't want to cross-contaminate).

And yes, this is more for maintenance, as I'm sure it would sting if there were an infection.

Please take note that both above recipes are for maintanence cleaning (like they both stated) and you would not want to use them if your puggy could have an infection. You don't want to hurt the ears and you especially don't want ear cleaning to become a negative experience. Your vet checked for mites, but did they swab for an infection? If there is a strong odor with inflammation, dark/light/excessive discharge, and other symptoms, then an infection is likely. Dog's ear canals go down a lot farther than we can really see, so it is easy for an infection to pop up.

Also, if you are more comfortable buying a premade solution (especially if puggy could have an infection), your vet should sell one they reccomend and use. You're right on never using water. Water trapped in the ears commonly causes ear infections (especially yeast). Like Blanche said, other factors can cause ear issues, especially allergies. My allergy prone dog gets instant ear infections if he eats any beef or chicken products. He had chronic infections for years and since being on a venision diet, he hasn't had any. But, before worrying about an allergy, I would definitely rule out an infection. Some dog's ears will produce more wax, discharge, or dirt than others, but you usually don't smell a strong odor or get a lot of discharge in healthy ears.