My 10-month-old puppy has brown ear discharge. Is it an infection?

Hello. Molly has an ear infection, but you will need to see your veterinarian to diagnose what the causative agent is & whether there is an allergic component to this. Ear infections can include the presence of a foreign body like a grass awn, or it can consist primarily of bacterial or yeast organisms. Using the wrong medications may delay healing, & if the eardrum has ruptured ( which can occur in severe infections ) even more care is needed during treatment. Hopefully, you can have Molly's ears examined soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor girl. She may have an infection that is deeper in her ear canal. This typically won't be as visible to owners, but we can often see evidence of it during an otoscopic exam. However, there is typically a mild odor to the debris. If the infection just started, the odor may not be as evident. The fact that she is also sensitive to the touch, means that the ear is bothering her, which is usually due to an infection. I would recommend taking Molly in to your vet to have a full otoscopic exam done to gather samples of any debris present so that we can find out once and for all if there is truly an infection and then treat it appropriately depending on the type of infection (i.e. bacteria, yeast) present. You can continue cleaning her ears with whatever ear cleaner you have on hand for pets. You mentioned you placed drops in her ears so I'm not sure if this is medication or cleanser. I hope that Molly's ears feel better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ear mites generally are noted first with signs of thick, dark discharge which appears a bit "crusty". However-the lack of these symptoms does not mean all is well with the ears of your pup. Dogs can get frequent ear infections, just like we can. I can tell from your photos that your pup has hair that grown down into the ear canals-this will be part of the problem. Those hairs trap debris, water from bathing, extra wax, etc and act as a great reservoir for bacteria to grow. I always recommend to my clients to have the hairs "plucked" by their groomer when they go or to come in to the office so that we can do it. After the hairs are cleared and the ears are cleaned, I like to do an exam of the ear canal and to take a swab of the ears to see what kind of yeast and/or bacteria are present there. It is important to have this exam performed by your vet to verify that your pet's eardrum is intact and not perforated. Likely your pet will get prescribed some antibiotics if your doctor finds it necessary, as well as pain medications or something for that awful itch. After everything is well controlled, it is usually easy to get my owners on a good ear cleaning regimen to keep ear infections at bay. I hope this helps! My best to you and your pup!

Unfortunately no, there are no OTC medications for Daisy. It sounds like she has an ear infection, and that can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria. The only way to treat it is to have a vet diagnose the cause and then prescribe the correct treatment. I would take her into a vet today or tomorrow. Best of luck.

It sounds like Princess has an ear infection. Leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss, so you need to take her into a vet now. Ear infections in dogs her age are typically caused by yeast or bacteria, so you need a vet to diagnose the cause in order for her to get the correct medication.

Brown ear discharge is not necessarily an ear infection. I recommend cleaning the ears with the cleaner to remove the waxy discharge. As long as the ears don't have a foul odor and are not inflammed or painful that is probably just normal ear wax. If the wax builds up too much then it's more likely to become an infection. With a dog like Wilson with flap ears that cover the ear canal I recommend that you check ears every week and clean the wax if needed. That way you'll know right away if an infection is developing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Wilson.

It's probably an ear infection, often it cannot be seen from the outside. Ear infections are very common in dogs, it is usually caused by either yeast or bacterial disease. the treatment is usually simple and straightforward, you will have to take Brownie to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.