Can I Treat My Pets Ear Infection With The Same Medication As Last Time?

Your dog is shaking their head, you think to yourself “Here comes another ear infection, I have some drops from the last time, I’ll just use those.” We want the best for our pets, and we want to give them relief quickly. However, there are many causes for an ear infection. Even if the ear looks the same and smells the same as the last infection, the source could be completely different. Many different types of bacteria can cause an ear infection and unfortunately, there isn’t one medication that can cure them all. It is very important to have the ears checked by our veterinarian because there are other risk factors involved. Some infections can be so severe, they can rupture the ear drum, so applying an old prescription can cause more harm than good. We also would be checking for foreign objects, like fox tails, which can also damage the ear drum. Finally, reapplying an old medication too often can cause a resistant infection and be more difficult to treat in the long run.