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

If your dog had ear mites, he would be really itchy. However, there is a possibility that Otis has a yeast or bacterial ear infection if he has discharge from the ear. Yeast infections smell a bit like beer, bacterial infections often are stinky. Both are painful. In order to diagnose an ear infection your vet will need to examine the ears with an otoscope. Unfortunately just looking at a photograph is not helpful. If your dog appears to be irritated by his ears, best schedule an appointment with your vet. for an exam.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not common for dogs to have ear mites but if they did their ears are very itchy and have dark dried debris. It is common for dogs to have ear infections which can also be itchy and have debris. Ear mites are microscopic so canny be seen by the naked eye. If Truck is exhibiting these signs, I recommend taking him to a vet to get it diagnosed and properly treated. Good luck and kisses to Truck!

Poor Mocha sounds very uncomfortable. Yes it is possible she has ear mites, but ear problems such as hers can also be caused by bacteria or yeast. The only way to cure her ear problems is to have her seen by a vet. The vet can diagnose the cause of her symptoms and can prescribe medication to treat it. I would take her into the vet today, as leaving ear problems can lead to hearing loss if left untreated. I hope this helps!

It could be ear mites, and unfortunately I can't diagnose Peaty online because I can't see him in person or examine the wax coming out of his ears. Revolution treats ear mites, but I do highly recommend a vet visit for this problem. This is because ear infections in dogs can also be caused by yeast or bacteria, and in order to treat him properly, the cause needs to be diagnosed. I certainly don't want you to spend money on a treatment that ends up being ineffective because it isn't the correct medication for the ear infection (Revolution does not treat yeast or bacterial ear infections). I would make an appointment for him to be seen by a vet for this problem so it can be treated correctly the first time. Best of luck.

Those brown clumps could also be ear mites, which itch intensely and can cause a dog to injure themselves by scratching and shaking their head. It could also be some kind of ear infection or other problem. I recommend getting her checked at your vet as soon as possible to have her ear checked to determine why she's scratching so hard and get her treated so she (and you) can get some relief soon.

He needs to see a vet so that they can look down inside the ear with an otoscope. Dogs have very long ear canals. The part you can see with your eyes is only about 10% of the actual ear canal. He likely has a problem way down inside: there may be a chronic infection in the lower part of the ear that is causing an issue (this is my best guess). He could have a problem with the ear drum. He could have a polyp in the ear. There are so many possibilities. If you want to get this cleared up you need to get him to a vet for an exam.

Hi and thanks for posting. An ear mite diagnosis is made when the material in the ears is put on a slide and evaluated under a microscope. I can't tell from just a picture alone. Usually ear mites are incredible itchy and cats who have ear mites will often have a great deal of brown or black debris in the ears and they will itch at their ears frequently. Sometimes they will have a secondary skin infection around their ears due to the intense scratching. If you are concerned about ear mites, my recommendation would be to see your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis.