finding balance through conscious living
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If you’ve ever had an ear infection you know how incredibly painful they are! I’m sure you sympathize with your dog as much as I sympathize with mine, when their ears are flare up.
Using apple cider vinegar for dog ear infection remedies is simple and inexpensive. One of my boys is prone to ear infections during hot and humid Florida weather (which is 24/7, 365) and nothing works better on him than a natural solution like apple cider vinegar.
Below I’ll share with you how I cure my dog’s ear infections naturally and how you can do the same.
Before we go any further, I want to point out that using apple cider vinegar for dog ear infection cleaning and as a cure should only be used if your dog has a mild infection. Once your dog’s ears become inflamed it’s best to use an all-natural remedy that won’t burn or sting as it works its magic.
My go-to for advanced/severe ear infections is witch hazel. A few drops in each ear, 2-3 times a day is all it takes.
LINK: Here’s the only brand of witch hazel I’ve ever used!
Dog ear infections (also called otitis externa) are very common. You’re not alone in the struggle to keep your dog’s ears healthy.
Ear infections are one of the most frustrating health issues to deal with because in some dogs they tend to come back, again and again.
One reason why ear infections come back and come back with a vengeance, is due to being treated with antibiotics which damage your dog’s immunity and set the stage for another infection.
Not only does apple cider vinegar for dog ear infection treatments heal ear infections, it also strengthens your dog’s ears’ immunity, making your dog less susceptible to recurring infections.
Symptoms generally start with your dog shaking or tilting his head.
Inside the ear:
Odor in the ear is also common.
Other symptoms include:
Unusual eye movements, walking in circles or having trouble with balance, are signs of a serious infection that needs to be seen by your vet. But most infections are only in the outer ear and can be treated at home.
Top Causes of Dog Ear Infections
Diet plays a big part in your dog’s ear health. I’ll explain more below.
If your dog has infected ears due to allergies and you want to know the specific cause, the allergen will need to be identified by your vet.
You can treat the infection but the condition will return again, possibly becoming chronic, if the allergy isn’t being treated also.
Allergies can be environmental or dietary. Either way, a raw diet of meats, bones and organs is needed to increase your dog’s immunity and eliminate allergens from your dog’s body.
Bacteria is the most common cause of ear infections in dogs. Your dog has beneficial bacteria in their ears that keep harmful bacteria in check but this balance can be easily upset by poor immunity, swimming/playing in water, heat and humidity, etc.
Harmful bacteria enter the ear and quickly start to colonize because there aren’t enough strong beneficial bacteria to crowd them out. When your dog’s immunity is low and/or stressed, infections can be recurring.
Yeast issues are very common in dogs fed kibble or unhealthy raw diets that include plant matter.
When you feed your dog a proper raw diet, yeast problems are not an issue.
Yeast lives in harmony with bacteria in your dog’s ears, in colonies called the microbiome. Like bacteria, yeast can grow out of control if your dog’s immune system is stressed or not functioning well. Poor diet and leaky gut can cause this.
I’m sure you’ve noticed the common theme, that ear infections are the result of immune dysfunction.
One infection isn’t a big deal or cause for concern. With the use of apple cider vinegar to clean and restore the balance in the microbiome within your dog’s ears, you should see improvement pretty quickly.
However, if your dog suffers from recurring/chronic ear infections, you need to focus on their immune health by taking a good hard look at your dog’s diet and environment.
Apple cider vinegar is my “go to” remedy for just about everything. There’s a good reason for that. It works!
Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apples and has a plethora of healing properties.
One of these properties have two characteristics:
Apple cider vinegar is known for its ability to fight chronic yeast infections. It can also tackle fungus that causes ear infections.
The acetic acid in vinegar helps remove dirt and debris from ear but more importantly, it kills yeast and bacteria.
Reminder: If your dog has red, sore ears, don’t use vinegar because it will sting and burn. Use witch hazel.
To use apple cider vinegar for ear infections:
If your dog’s ear is dirty at the outside of the ear, you can gently clean the ear with a cotton ball first. Just clean what you can see. Not the canal.
Because a wet environment causes ear infections, you want to dry your dog’s ears. Gently dry your dog’s ears with a hair dryer set on low.
Consuming apple cider vinegar is an extraordinary health booster. A dash of apple cider vinegar in your dog’s water or food is all they need to benefit from apple cider vinegar’s magical properties.
Adding ACV to their diet through food or water will also help heal and prevent ear infections.
You must buy quality ACV for your dog to fully benefit from the best apple cider vinegar has to offer. Cheap ACV doesn’t contain the same benefits as quality ACV.
I only buy and use one brand of ACV. I’ll leave links below to the brand I recommend.
Don’t skimp on quality when it comes to ACV!
Note: If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, I do not suggest you use white vinegar. White vinegar does not have the same properties as ACV and most brands of white vinegar are made from GMO corn.
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