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My dog has black ear wax in one ear and it's itchy. Is it normal?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Male | neutered | 13 lbs

I'm pet sitting Rufus and I noticed in only one ear he has black ear wax, I was wondering if this is normal or not, it is slightly itchy but it doesn't seem to bother him. Thanks for any help.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on July 20th, 2017

Sometimes black wax is indicative of ear mites so i would get him a spot on treatment such as advocate that kills them. If the ear looks red it would be best to get it checked out as he may need antibiotic drops. If it is just dirty you could start cleaning it once a week with cotton wool and pet ear cleaner. Just dont put anything down into the canal, squirt the cleaner in, massage and remove with cotton wool. If you are unsure about doing this go to the vet and they will show you how.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on July 19th, 2019
It could be Askem has ear mites, a yeast infection, or bacterial ear infection. You need to take him into the vet so the cause of this can be diagnosed and treated. Since his ear is swollen shut, I would take him into a vet immediately, as leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on July 1st, 2019
If she seems to be in pain, I recommend to get a second opinion. Ear infections and foreign objects in the ears can both cause these physical symptoms including pain. Insist on testing the wax for infections and having the ears cleaned followed by an exam of the ear canal with an otoscope. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on January 16th, 2017
It's not normal for a dog to have a wax build up in their ears, and this build up could actually be due to ear mites. It sounds like the ear is very painful to him, and I would have him seen by a vet right away. It's important to have any ear problem checked out by a vet as soon as possible, as leaving it untreated can lead to hearing loss. The vet can diagnose what's causing the pain in his ears and build up, and treat him for it.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

My dog has an itchy ear with black wax. Is OTC medicine safe?

If the q-tip comes out black, then there is an excess of ear wax and likely an infection. The infection can be caused by bacteria, yeast, or even mites. Ear infections in dogs are very itchy, and often require prescription medications to help clear them quickly and manage the itch. The first step in treating an ear infection is breaking down the large chunks of wax and getting them out of the way so that medications can get to the surface of the ear. I like ear cleaners like Dechra Malacetic Ultra Otic that are antibacterial and antifungal. If you clean Remington's ears twice a day for a couple of days and he is still itching, he will need to go to the vet for prescription medications.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Dog has black ear gunk, liquid, shakes head. Mites or infection?

This black, tarry substance is mostly wax and cleansing twice daily with an alcohol free ear cleanser for 5-7 days should help remove this (it will also remove any mites which may be stuck in it). Fill the ear with the solution, rub gently and then wipe away the disolved wax - repeat 3-5 times until ear appears clean; do this twice daily until ear has been thoroughly clean for 2 cleanings and then 1-2 times weekly to prevent build up. Any severe pain, blood or loss of appetite indicates there may be an infection and this would require assessment by a vet to prescribe the correct medicated drops

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog has thick black stuff in his ear. Should I take him to the vet?

Yes, I would take Dax into the vet for this problem. It’s not normal to have a big build up of gunk in the ear or to have an odor. These are signs of an ear infection. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria so the vet needs to diagnose what’s causing this build up so he can be treated properly. I would take him into the vet in the next day or two. Just be careful using q tips in his ears. You could accidentally hurt him or even perforate his ear drum if you stick one in too far. The vet can give you an ear cleaning solution like Epi-Otis which is much safer to use. Best of luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat's ears are black inside and itchy. How can I clean them?

Great question! There is an OTC ear cleanser called Epi-Otic that you can get from your vet's clinic. It helps break up wax and dirt, and it's easy to use. Just put the top of the bottle in Abby's ear, squirt a little in, and the massage the base of her ear. You should hear it squishing around in there. That will help clean her ears. That being said, if Abby is always scratching her ears and there's a lot of black in there, I would be concerned that she has an ear infection. I would have her seen by a vet to check her ears because an ear infection will require prescription medications to treat.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat scratches ears & has dark wax. Is this normal or a problem?

Once or twice a day is not too concerning. Normal ear wax is a dark brown type of color and is usually seen in small amounts inside the ear. However, if the ear seems to be filled with the discharge, then there may be something irritating or infecting it. A very infected ear will also look red. It doesn't seem like Oliver has a big problem right now, so I wouldn't worry too much. You can attempt to flush his ear with some solution (can get this at pet stores, or vet offices) and see if that helps. I would recommend doing this no more than once a week. This can be very difficult to do with cats, but I've given a link below to a good instructional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Dh3mJBzts I hope that helps and all is well with Oliver.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has ear wax buildup. Is it serious? How can I treat it?

This could be a sign of ear inflammation/infection and depending on the type of wax (ideally a picture of it would be needed to be more specific about it) different cause are possible. Brown wax is usually related to Malassezia spp (yeast infection) proliferation. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotic ear drops may be needed.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Brown stuff in my dog's ears and scratching. Are they mites?

This amount of "dirt" on the external part of the ear i would considered normal, ear mites tend to be darker, like ground coffee, but in some cases it's not possible to actually see it from outside, the vet needs to check it with a cotton bud and under the microscope to confirm what it is. there 3 types of ear infections in dogs: yeast, bacterias and mites (less common). if Wallace seems to scratch his ears or shakes his head then it would be a good idea to get it checked by your vet.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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