I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 2002 I had a 6 and a haft years old female golden retriever named Fanny. I got her in April 1996, at the age of seven weeks. In May 1996, a few weeks after her first vaccine, she developed an ear infection, which came back many times during that summer and every summer since then, except for the last summer. The triggers seem to be the vaccine she receives or swimming, either in soft or salt water. I have been told that dog with falling ears are more subject to develop ear infections because their ears are less exposed to the drying quality of air. The inside of ears stays constantly humid and this environment is favourable to recurrent ear infections. The hot and humid temperature of summer increases this situation which could explain why all of Fanny’s ear infections have happened in the summer. It seems that after a dog has had a first ear infection, she is more susceptible to have more, even if the first was well treated with antibiotics.

Until spring of 2002, each time Fanny had an ear infection, I treated her with the antibiotic prescribed by the veterinary. This medication is excellent to cure ear infections. However it can’t be use as prevention and it has a disadvantage: it is an oily product that stick to the hairs of the dog’s ears and then spread to the hairs of the head and neck. When the dog plays outside, dust and dirt also stick to this oily stuff. After a few days the dog’s head gets very dirty and must be wash. I have tried alcohol to clean the hairs with little success. Moreover the repetitive use of an antibiotic (in Fanny’s case: 2 – 3 times each summer!) seems to me questionable, without taking into account the cost implied. It is know that bacteria develop with time a resistance to antibiotics. I am afraid that this antibiotic being use very often will become less and less effective. And anyhow, I think preferable on the medical and social perspective to limit as much as possible the utilisation of antibiotics: they become less and less effective, they must be replaced constantly and this is dangerous for the animal as well as the human health.

For all the reasons mentioned before, I was very happy when I came upon an article by Jonathan Margolis titled L’huile miracle (The Miracle Oil) in an issue of the October 2001 Reader’s Digest (French Canadian edition, pp.: 96 – 100). This article described the antiseptics effects of Tee Tree Oil for a variety of infections. I decide to try it as prevention for Fanny’s recurrent ear infections.

Many companies produce Tee Tree Oil and it comes in various presentations.
After a research on Internet, I chose a company which produces are available in the health stores of the city where I live: Montreal (Quebec, Canada).
I then e-mailed this company to ask if this produce could be useful in Fanny’s case or, in the contrary, if it could be harmful. In their answer they cited Cynthia Olsen in her book First Aid Handbook – 101 Plus ways to use Tee Tree Oil who recommend this produce for ear infections. (Note that I do not know Ms Olsen and that I have not read her book.)
Ms Olsen suggest mixing pure Tee Tree Oil with olive oil before putting it in the ear. However I did not want to use oil because I did not want to use a produce that would make the hair oily (See the part: How I tried to solve this problem until spring of 2002.)
Since I was afraid that the use of pure Tee Tree Oil would cause irritation in the ears, I chose a Water soluble solution with 15% Tee Tree Oil with lavender (Optional – lavender also has antiseptics qualities):
Being water-soluble this lotion can be mix with the liquid that I use regularly to clean Fanny’s ears. This liquid does not make the hairs oily.
With lavender, this lotion has a very pleasant odor. Without lavender, the Tee Tree Oil odor is good too.
This solution is offered in two size: 10ml (about 6.75$ Canadians) and 50ml (about 13.45$ Canadians). So it was possible to try it at minimum cost.

How I used it
In a small dark glass bottle,
I put about ⅓ (1 volume) of tee Tree Oil,
For ⅔ (2 volumes) of cleaning liquid (Bought from the veterinary).
The result is a lightly milky liquid. It is important to use a dark glass bottle to protect the mix from the light. Jonathan Margolis in his article mentioned that Tee Tree Oil can lose it’s efficacy if it is not sold in dark glass containers, kept out of light’s way in the house and rapidly used once open.

Since what I wanted was a preventive effect and that one of Fanny’s ear infections trigger is the vaccines she receive each spring, I started the application of the mix about two weeks before she received those vaccines, in the beginning of April 2002.
I applied the mix every two days.
I applied the content of about one dropper in each ear.
Since swimming is another trigger, I applied the mix every evening of the days where Fanny went swimming.
In August, we spent two weeks at the lake and during this period she swam every day. I cheeked her ears every day and, when I saw some redness, I applied the mix twice a day.
Back from those vacations, for one or two weeks, I had to continue the twice a day application.
In October 2002, I was back to an application every two days.
Note that I have tried to use the Tee Tree Oil lotion by itself. The result was not as satisfactory. The mix of the Tee Tree Oil with the cleaning liquid is better because the ears stay cleaner.
On the other hand the cleaning liquid alone does not prevent ear infections in Fanny. I have tried it before with no success.

Results
NO EAR INFECTIONS THREW ALL SUMMER!
The ear hairs do not become oily or dirty.
I am completely satisfied.
I have use this process until Fanny’s death in January 2010 at 14 years old with the same good result. I did not have to use antibiotics for this problem again.

Warning
I am a dog owner only. I have no formation in veterinary medicine or in any other allied sciences. I have tried the 15% Tee Tree Oil water-soluble solution with lavender and it worked on my dog the way I have described in this text. I did not observed any negative secondary effect on my dog. This is not a guaranty that this produce will function for other dogs with the same problem. Also, this is not a guaranty that this produce could not be detrimental.

I am very happy to have found this way to prevent ear infections in my dog and I am please to share it with you. However, if you decide to try this produce yourself, It will be at your own risks. I decline all responsibility.

I have no financial or other interest in this produce or in the companies mentioned here.

Louise Noel

If you decide to make the switch, be sure to do so very gradually and with your pet’s blessing. Hope this helps.