Relief for Your Pit Bull's Ear Problems

Pit bulls are a breed apart.

Pit bull owners know that their dogs are some of the sweetest animals on earth. Popular dog trainer Cesar Milan has done much to dispel the notion that they are an inherently aggressive breed.

Pit bull’s large heads seem to indicate an equally large brain, ready to be imprinted on whatever it’s taught. Pit bull breeders often crop the dogs’ ears when they are puppies to conform with show dog standard but this may be being phased out, and many pitbulls sport their original floppy ears. If you’ve had a pitbull for some time, you are probably familiar with the fact that pitbulls often get ear infections.

Welcome to the “Pit Bull Ear Club”

Your pit bull may have had chronic ear infections, often for years, and you may have visited the vet for antibiotics, cortisteriods like prednisone, ear washes, and ear drops without much relief. Or you may be facing a first-time problem. And as your pitbull is probably very affectionate and wants to be close to you, the last thing you want in your dog is smelly ears.

How to Treat your Pit Bull’s Ear Infections at Home

For those who’ve dealt with chronic ear infections and recurrent yeast problems in their pit’s ears, nothing seems to get rid of them. 

Here’s one dog owner’s plea: 

My female pit bull dog has had bad ear infections (that smell bad, and cause her to walk with her head tilted to the side and off balance and she constantly shakes her head aggressively) for a while now also she bites on herself (on her tail, legs, and sides) until she has bleeding sores and patches of missing hair. I’ve tried special, expensive shampoos, ear drops, ointments…. I NEED to figure out everything that is wrong with her and why this is happening and MOST IMPORTANTLY what I can do to make her all better and healthy again and prevent this from coming back. Please…. help.

Antibiotics & Other Prescriptions to Treat Ear Infections
– Use With Caution

Antibiotics can cause ear infections to become chronic or recurring. Antibiotics used to treat ear infections can cause yeast infections as a side effect.  Some prescriptions for ear infections include hydrocortisone and other steroids which, as they are hormones, may result in dramatic long-term side effects.

If you decide to take your dog to the vet, they will look at it and determine if the problem is fungal or bacterial in nature to find a medication that can be given. Vets may give your pit antibiotics for yeast and bacteria—neither of which is guaranteed to work, potentially along with ointments to put in their ears, as well as an ear wash perhaps. Infections may clear up after a round with antibiotics but often reoccur after antibiotics are stopped.  As for the various ear medicines, as the owner above said, forget it, he won’t let you near him to apply them so, and so you’ll have to go back to the vet so your dog can be sedated. Meanwhile, your pit bull dog still has that bad ear infection and that smell…

Ear Infection Remedies

Whether your dog has chronic ear infections or just an occasional ear infection, it’s frustrating to see your dog scratching its ear, and maddening to go through expensive treatments, while watching your dog’s discomfort. 

Folklore cures for at-home treatment for ear infections include a kitchen-sink approach and trial and error, with substances including coconut oil, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and even yogurt, but often these suggestions are ineffective or can sting. 

Helpful Tips

• Sometime ear infections crop up seasonally, especially when dogs are outside more, or the weather is hotter and more humid.

• Since pit bulls are prone to allergies and allergies can cause skin issues and ear infections, you can expect to deal with an ear infection or two. 

• Chronic ear infections can be a sign of of food allergies. Changes in your dog’s diet may help. You may want to try switching your dog to a high-quality, grain-free food.

• If you notice dark, waxy gunk coming from inside your pit’s ear when you clean it, stay with the treatment as this will eventually subside as the ears get cleaner.

• Causes of the infection could be a number of things such as a yeast or fungal infection, or ear mites. As you can see below, many pitbull owners swear by EcoEars, which effectively treats all of these conditions.

It’s easy to use. Just gently massage it in and use cotton balls to clean out any debris. EcoEars contains all-natural ingredients tested and proven to be effective on thousands of dogs. It clears up conditions like yeast, ear mites, bacteria, fungus, and be used to keep your pit bulls ears clean. If there are signs of serious infection like bloody discharge or fever, take your dog to the vet.

Here are some 5-star EcoEars reviews by satisfied pit bull owners…

Amazing product  ✫✫✫✫✫ By VintageMe

I have a GameBred PitBull, who is the love of mylife! ; ) and since we’ve got him as a puppy 6 yrs ago, he’s had his on & off again share of ear issues ; ( I use to use vet solutions ear cleanser not that it was a bad product, it just took some time to work! And I wanted to start using organic/natural products. Well I found the perfect product this stuff is amazing! 24 hrs after the first use he stopped shaking his head (could have cause an aural hematoma~very costly & time consuming to fix) loosened all the dirt and debri right away and was easy to remove (my dog does not give me any problems, he loves having his ears cleaned, he just rolls right over) smells great, and is priced great! Highly recommend this product! … I’m very pleased with the eco ears cleanser! I finally found my go to stuff : )

 

BEST EAR CLEANER!!!!✫✫✫✫✫ By Lauren Metzler

I have a 15 year old pug and a 3 year old pit who has 1 floppy ear. My pug has always suffered from horrible ear infections. Her ear is very hard to clean. It has so many little groves and she can actually close her ear all together. One day I was talking to another pug owner in my neighborhood and she had the same issues with her put and suggested this cleaner. I was willing to try anything at this point!!!!! Within 4 days I saw a complete difference. She was no longer scratching or rubbing her head and the nasty smelling brown gunk was finally gone. So I tried it on my other dog and 2 days her ears were perfect…the results are AMAZING!!!!!!!!

The only thing that cured our dog’s infection ✫✫✫✫✫ By JL Moon

My husband and I are currently living overseas for his job and where we are located vet services are minimal. We found a doctor that works with large animals, but mostly, where we are – people do not have dogs as pets. He prescribed anti-biotic after anti-biotic to help clear the ear infection. The infection got so bad that our dog (pit bull terrier) would cry in his sleep if you would touch his ears. We tried regular ear washes and changing his food, treats, etc. He does tend to get re-occuring infections due to allergies; however, anti-biotics only work for a week or so and then it comes right back. I read reviews online and went on forums, desperate to find some relief for our dog. When I saw this product I thought, what can it hurt to try. As soon as it came in the mail we started using it and continued with the course for ten days – 2 x’s per day. By day three the smell was gone and his ears looked clean and healthy again. It was amazing. At the end of day 10, he was 100% better – it’s the best his ears have looked in years. I was SO thrilled with this product, I cannot even say it enough. And I NEVER write reviews. Anyone desperate to find a cure, consider trying this. …Totally happy and wanted anyone seeking some sort of cure for their dog (like I was) to know about this! Good luck!


Further Reading

• "Dog Breeds Prone to Ear Infections," PetMD
• "Discharge from a Dog's Ear: Causes and Treatments," WebMD
• "Dog Ear Infections," American Kennel Club