| | | Dog and Ear Infections Answered by: Kerry Hackett Question from: Alvina Neault Posted on: April 02, 2006
My dog is a mixed breed with some collie, husky and perhaps some shepherd as well. His ears frequently become infected and he’s been to a vet on several occasions. He eats special Hypoallergenic Formula food and is not allowed table scraps and still his ears become infected. If we are very strict about making sure that he gets nothing but his dog food, it will take longer but his ears will become infected evertually. I hate to keep giving him drugs because he really dislikes the ear drops and struggles to get away from me when he sees that I’ve got them in my hand. Can you suggest a more natural way of treating him?
Whenever I hear stories of recurrent infections, I always think of a weakened immune system. One of the best ways to strengthen your dog’s immune system is to feed him a good, homemade diet. Homemade diets are much different than table scraps or commercial food. Table scraps can include things your dog’s immune system views as foreign and thus sets up an inflammatory response (in his case, an ear infection). Commercial foods can do much the same thing. Please see books by Richard Pitcairn "Natural Health for Dogs and Cats", "The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat" by Juliette de Bairacli Levy and "The Barf Diet" by Ian Billinghurst for recipe ideas. At the same time, you can make up an ear oil which should help with the infection. From your neighbourhood herbalist or health food shop, purchase infused oils of Garlic (Allium sativum), Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium) and Calendula (Calendula officinalis). Mix equal parts and put three to four drops in both of your dog’s ears twice a day. Remember to massage below the ear so the oil can penetrate the lower recesses of his ear canal. Your dog should find this oil quite soothing, so hopefully he won’t run off when he sees you with the dropper bottle!
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