[TerryL]

I saw a homeless person's dog keep scratching at the inside of its ear. i was thinking of getting some meds for it but I don't know what is causing the itching. is there some kind of over-the-counter med that might help?

[lizardlady]

I commend you for wanting to help, but maybe you ought to ask the homeless person if it would be okay?

[TerryL]

oh yes I would ask the person if I could help but i didn't want to offer to help if there were no otc options. i have never had a dog of my own so am not familiar with their treatments.

[lizardlady]

Maybe the person already knows what's wrong? There are treatments you could try, but it's hard to know what to recommend without knowing what's wrong. If the owner doesn't know what the problem is maybe they would let you look at the ear. Could be ear mites. Could be fleas or a tick. Could be an injury.

[Travelinglady]

I've heard of what are called ear mites. They might be the problem.

Perhaps you can tell the owner that you see that the dog is miserable ((or some such word) with all that ear scratching. And you'd be glad to get something to help since you are a dog fan--and like the dog.....Something like that. It's nice that you care.

[TerryL]

the owners friend was cleaning the dogs ear today. the discharge was dark brown. i asked them what was the ailment and they said it probably is a yeast infection or allergy and maybe water got in the ear. i googled and they seemed to be spot on. the ear should be flushed and medicated by a vet but i dont think i can go that far to help. i will call petco tomorrow to see if they have any otc meds.

[lizardlady]

Sounds like progress Terry. Thank you for caring.