Lifestyle

How to Get Rid of Dog Ear Infection

Published

6 years ago

June 11, 2020

Dogs suffer from itchy ears with a weird smell, which may be the underlying cause behind ear infection. Ear infection in dogs is very common and veterinarian advice is inevitable during this kind of serious disease. The dog owner must clean the ears of the dog on a regular basis and any sign of infection such as inflammation, redness, and excess warmth should not be neglected. The vet should be informed about the entire history of problems, including symptoms, allergies, previous medications, and other medical conditions.

Dog Ear Infections: What Causes Them & How To Treat Them

An ear infection is dogs are caused primarily due to improper cleaning of ears or excessive cleaning of ears with harsh chemicals. The presence of natural oil and a tiny amount of earwax is necessary as it prevents the inception of foreign bodies into the ear. Most of the time, dog owners perceive the presence of earwax as a sign of infection and thorough cleaning worsens the natural conditioning inside the ear.

Another cause behind ear infection is the lack of immunity inside the body. Sometimes due to improper diet and an unhealthy lifestyle, the natural defense mechanism of dog slows down and when there is an attack by foreign bodies, the defense mechanism cannot combat the infection. The shape of the dog’s ear is ideal for yeast, bacteria, and mites to proliferate and weak immune system cannot prevent their growth, causing a severe ear infection.

Treatment Process

When consulted with the vet, they will meticulously examine the dog’s ear by first cleaning the ear with a medicated cleaning agent. The veterinarian will visually examine the symptoms of infection such as redness, swelling, discharge, and temperature of the ear. The severe ear infection will include the otoscope of the ear canal and eardrum, followed by biopsies or x-rays during chronic cases. The doctor will prescribe medicated cleansers for regular cleansing, in addition to oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications for treatment and prophylaxis of ear infection.

The most common ear infections are healed within weeks to maximum a month’s time. However, complicated ear infections take many more months to cure. The severe and chronic ear infection may involve surgery known as Total Ear Canal Ablation (TECA). This surgery removes the diseased tissue or the infected skin of the ear canal and the recurrence of infection is also prevented. The treatment and regular consultation with the vet continue for some years. The dog owners should avoid any lapses for the recurrence of infection.

Natural Remedies For Curing Infection

There are a few natural remedies that can be used to cure ear infections. The ear can be regularly cleaned with the help of green tea infusions, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil decoction. The ear should be dried after coming in contact with moisture and the use of boric acid powder is advisable after that. Applying warm compresses several times a day can ease the pain and discomfort.

Homeopathic medications can be supplemented with home remedies for better cure and treatment. The primary remedies comprise of administering small pellets of Belladonna, Mercurius solubilis, Chamomilla, Hepar sulphuris calcareum, and Pulsatilla. These medications can be combined with Magnesia phosphorica, Ferrum phosphoricum, Aconitum napellus, and Kali muriaticum. A homeopathy practitioner should be consulted before administering these medications and these are only helpful in the treatment of minor infection.

Prevention of Infection

Cleaning the ears regularly with a proper cleanser is of utmost importance while preventing ear infections. Medicated cleaning agents and gauze must be used for thorough cleaning inside the ear. The medications must be poured in droppers from a nozzle like the opening of the bottle, and while pouring the medicine it should not touch the skin or else it might get contaminated. Medicated and sanitized cotton swabs and gauze must be used for cleaning purposes.

Prescribed medicines should be regularly administered and topical medicines should be applied. Most of the prescribed medicines contain ear drops that comprise antibiotic drugs, steroids, and anti-fungal agents. This provide rapid relief to pain and sensitivity and cures the infection. It also prevents recurrence of infection. Doctors may suggest some oral medications and strict maintenance of lifestyle and environmental conditions.

A dog’s diet must be full of antioxidants and nutrients to boost the immune system. Most of the packaged dog food is processed and contains the majority of carbohydrates which is harmful to a dog’s health. Doctors suggest a grain-free and start-free diet for dogs, including vegetables and fresh meat. Supplements should be provided based on the recommendation and consultation of a veterinarian. The most common supplements include omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin, which improves immunity system of dogs.

For the treatment and prevention of ear infections, dog owners should ensure proper cleanliness and a healthy diet of their pets. Regular check-ups and observation can prevent infection to a great extent.

Lifestyle

Why Toba Ogunremi Believes High-Performing Teams Start with Belonging, Not Pressure

Published

8 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Michelle Langton

Most teams don’t fall apart all at once. It happens slowly, missed conversations, quiet disengagement, people doing what’s required but nothing more.

Toba Ogunremi has spent years working inside care environments where that kind of shift is easy to miss until it starts affecting everything. Leading operations at Samorem Care in the UK, he has seen how systems can appear stable on the surface while teams underneath struggle to stay connected to their work.

One experience early in his career changed how he looks at leadership entirely.

He had taken over a team that wasn’t in crisis, but it wasn’t working well either. The people receiving care were safe, but they weren’t thriving. The same was true for the staff. There was no urgency, no energy, just routine.

The usual solution would have been to tighten control by setting new targets, increasing supervision, and creating performance plans. He didn’t do any of that.

“I started with conversations,” he says. “Real ones. Not rushed, not formal.”

One by one, he spoke to each team member. What came out wasn’t frustration with the job itself, but something quieter and harder to spot.

“They weren’t disengaged because they didn’t care,” he explains. “They were disengaged because they felt unseen.”

No one had asked what they thought. No one had taken the time to understand how they were coping. Over time, that absence had turned into distance. That moment stayed with him. It shaped how he leads today.

His approach is simple, but not always easy to apply: people perform better when they feel they belong.

He believes high performance usually comes when people feel like they genuinely belong and know that what they do actually matters.

In healthcare, where pressure is constant and expectations are high, this idea can sound secondary. The focus is often on outcomes, compliance, and efficiency. Toba doesn’t dismiss those things, but he questions what happens when they become the only focus.

Even when all the processes are in place, if the people delivering the care feel disconnected, it eventually reflects in the quality of the work.

At Samorem Care, this thinking shows up in small but consistent ways. Recruitment is not just about experience. It’s about how someone responds to people, how they handle pressure, and how they communicate. Once they are in, the focus shifts to keeping teams stable and supported, rather than constantly rotating staff or reacting only when something goes wrong. He also pays attention to how leaders show up day to day.

According to him, leadership is not just about giving direction; it’s about being present enough to understand what your team actually needs.

That presence matters more in care than in most industries. The work is demanding, often emotional, and not always recognised for what it takes. When teams feel stretched or overlooked, it affects how they interact with the people they support.

For Toba, resilience is less about constant pressure and more about creating a work environment where people can do their jobs well without burning out. In his view, strong teams are not just coping; they are supported enough to stay clear-headed and consistent in their work.

His background outside healthcare still shapes how he leads. Having worked in sales and communications, he understands how important it is to read people and build trust. In healthcare, though, the impact is far more direct, as decisions affect someone’s everyday life, not just an outcome on paper.

That shift makes leadership more personal. Teams need more than instructions; they need stability, clarity, and a sense that they are understood. What defines Toba Ogunremi’s approach is its simplicity. He focuses on being consistent, listening carefully, and addressing issues early rather than reacting late.

In the end, his belief is straightforward: teams perform better not because they are pushed harder, but because they feel valued and part of something that works.