My dog's ears have black gunk, he shakes his head. What's wrong?

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

Poor guy. This is a laceration, and it looks like it may be deep. It needs to be cleaned with an antiseptic such as Betadine diluted 50:50 with water or Chlorhexidine solution diluted with water until a very light blue mixture. Then Izzy needs to be placed on oral antibiotics and possibly even suturing of this area so that the skin covers it and allows it to heal. It looks like it is already infected, and infected wounds don't heal, so antibiotics are a must. I would perhaps go to a second vet for another look at this or insist on your current vet treating this wound properly. I hope that Izzy's wound heals up well soon! Best of luck and take care.

It looks like there is some dried discharge on the ear. If it isn't bothering Rubble, then I would just wash it out with some warm water and make sure he isn't rubbing the ear or shaking his head. You can also apply Neosporin. If it isn't looking better in a few days, you should call the vet.

Hello. I am so sorry that Buddy is having problems with his ears. Shaking & the discharge are all indications of an ear infection from bacteria or yeast organisms, inflammation from allergies ( food or inhalant ), or ear mites. Your veterinarian can look in the ears & obtain samples to examine under the microscope. Depending on what is seen will dictate treatment to clear up the problem quickly. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oh my. Poor guy. Unfortunately this ear has a hole through it and is badly infected. He needs to see a doctor for proper care of this ear and prescribed antibiotics as well as have suturing of the laceration. This cannot be treated at home with much success. For now you can try cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water to help prevent further infection, but please schedule an appt with your vet right away or if he does no belong to anyone in particular, then he should be surrender to an animal shelter so that they can use their resources there to try and save this pets ear and eye. I wish you all the best moving forward and hope that you can Kata moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

It sounds like Gypsy may have an ear infection. This is a very common condition in dogs and is treated with special ear cleaners and medication for bacteria or yeast, depending on what type of organism is causing the infection. I'd recommend taking Gypsy in to the vet right away (although an emergency clinic is unnecessary) for evaluation and to get treatment started. Best of luck!

It sounds like Blaze is pretty uncomfortable. I think it is fine to use a cotton ball and apple cider vinegar to clean the debris, but I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian soon. Ear infections don’t tend to resolve on their own. In fact, they can be kind of frustrating to resolve sometimes. The longer the infection has been going on the harder to clear it up. Good luck and I hope he improves soon.