Coconut Oil for Dog’s Ear Infection: How to Use It Safely

Why Do Dogs Get Ear Infections?

• Skin Allergies (Environmental or Food Allergens): Dogs can develop allergies from pollen or foods they eat. These allergies can make their skin itchy and irritated, including the skin in their ears.
• Secondary Yeast and Bacterial Infections: Infections usually start because of changes in the skin caused by allergies. The moist, inflamed skin inside the ear becomes a perfect place for yeast and bacteria to grow.
• Parasites: Tiny ear mites can set up house in a dog’s ear canal. They feed on the ear wax and skin oils, causing irritation and may lead to infections.
• Tumors or Foreign Objects in the Ear Canal: Unusual growths or objects like grass seeds or bits of hair can go undetected deep in the ear canal. These can cause inflammation, increased moisture and infections.

To clear up a dog’s ear infection, we need to kill bacteria and yeast and reduce skin inflammation. Prescription ear medications include antibiotics such as orbifloxacin and terbinafine to kill micro-organisms plus a steroid like mometasone to reduce inflammation.

But how does coconut oil fit into this equation? It’s a natural remedy with properties that may promote healthier skin and prevent recurring ear inflammation.

• Anti-bacterial & Anti-yeast Effects–Studies have shown it reduces bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, which can overgrow in inflamed dog ears. (3, 5, 7) It may also combat yeast like Malassezia, commonly found in dogs with allergic ear issues, though more research is needed for dogs specifically. (4)

• Moisturizing Effects–Allergic skin tends to become too dry and promotes bacterial growth. In a study on humans with allergic skin conditions, coconut oil was more effective than olive oil at reducing bacterial infection and overgrowth when applied topically to dry skin. (6)

• Kills Ear Mites–ear mites (Otodectes cyanotis) are tiny parasites that infest dogs’ and cats’ ear canals. These mites feed on ear wax and oil, causing inflammation, itching, and potential secondary bacterial and yeast infections. Coconut oil application can “smother” the parasites and reduce inflammation (2) but prolonged treatment is usually necessary.

Side Effects of Coconut Oil

It’s probably better to apply coconut oil to your dog’s skin and ears than it is to feed it to them.

That’s because coconut oil is low in the nutritional essential fatty acids that dogs need for healthy skin. (1) It may also cause digestive upset and weight gain when added to your dog’s food.

If you want to help a dog with ear and skin allergies, consider using fish oil supplements instead of coconut oil. Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and has plenty of scientific evidence showing it improves allergic skin conditions in dogs.

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