Tea Tree Oil or Sweet Oil for Dogs With Earaches

Depending on the cause of your dog's earache, treatment with tea tree oil or sweet oil may relieve symptoms or even cure the illness. Tea tree oil or sweet oil can also be an important part of regular preventive care that will reduce the likelihood of your dog getting an ear infection or ear mites. One precaution: while tea tree oil is a great natural treatment for dogs, tea tree oil can be toxic to cats.

  1. Preventive Care

    • One of the best ways to use tea tree oil or sweet oil for dog earaches is in preventive care. Regularly cleaning your dog's ears will help to prevent earaches from developing as well as to help you identify any problems with your dog's ears before they progress to the point that more extensive treatment is needed. Tea tree oil in particular has natural drying agents, making it a good choice for cleaning your dog's ears following a swim or bath. The best method is to put a few drops of tea tree oil or sweet oil on a cotton ball or piece of gauze and use that to gently swipe inside the dog's ear. Preventive cleaning should be done weekly if your dog is prone to ear infections.

    Dirty Ears

    • Among more common problems dogs experience with their ears is an excess of wax buildup and other debris in the ears. At some point, this can damage the dog's hearing as well as cause discomfort. If your dog is exhibiting symptoms of an earache, one of the first steps you should take is to look inside your pet's ears and see if there is a heavy buildup of wax or dirt. If there is, clean the dog's ears using tea tree oil or sweet oil just as you would during regular preventive care. Clean the dog's ears daily for several days.

    Ear mites

    • Another of the more common dog ear problems that responds well to treatment with tea tree oil or sweet oil is ear mite infection. Before treating for ear mites, clean your dog's ears carefully, just as you do during regular preventive care. After the ears are clean, apply three to five drops of oil into the pet's ear and repeat this process daily for up to a month. This process is effective because the oil smothers the ear mites.

    Ear infection

    • A true ear infection is caused by bacteria, fungus or yeast. If a true ear infection is present, you will likely need to take your pet to a veterinarian for prescription medications. However, in some instances, if the infection is mild, tea tree oil or sweet oil might help. Both types of oil will reduce inflammation caused by infections. Tea tree oil is also a mild antiseptic and fungicide and has antibacterial qualities.