My dog's ears are crusty and infected. What's causing the issue?

Please do not use Sudocrem, as it contains zinc oxide, which would be toxic if she ingests it. If there is a bacterial or yeast infection present in the ear canal, which may be the case especially if she's shaking her head and scratching, you should have your vet examine her. Some ear solutions and medications can damage the middle and/or inner ear if the eardrum has been damaged. Your vet will likely be able to see the eardrum when he or she uses an otoscope to look in the ears. Sometimes the canal is very swollen and /or has a large amount of debris that prevents us from being able to see the eardrum, but we should always attempt to verify that the eardrum is ok before treating the ear, so as to not damage the middle or inner ear. If she does not seem to be shaking or scratching, it may be just the pinna (ear flap) that is affected, in which case I would recommend you try using [Zymox](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone), as it may get things cleared up. If you aren't seeing improvement in 3-5 days at home, take her to the vet. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to allergies affecting just the skin of the ear or even also causing an ear infection. This warrants a visit to your veterinarian. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

It looks to me like something more serious could be going on, although it can be difficult to tell from a picture. Sometimes vasculitis can cause discoloration and poor blood flow to the tips of the ears - this would need a biopsy for a definite diagnosis. I would recommend rechecking with your vet.

Poor Luna! Yes, it definitely looks like she has an infection in her ear - yellow crusty debris like this is not normal. She will need prescription ear drops from your vet to treat this effectively, so I would recommend taking her in for an exam tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you can use an over-the-counter ear flush such as Epi-Otic to gently clean the affected ear and remove the crusty discharge. This will not treat the underlying infection, but may help to make her a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I am concerned that he has an ear infection. He needs to see his veterinarian. The ears will be examined including deep inside as the dog's ear drum requires a special instrument in order to be visualized. Then a swab will be taken from each ear to be examined under the microscope. This will allow the veterinarian to determine if an infection is in fact present and if so, what medication will be needed to treat it. I hope this information helps!

Hi and thank you for using PetCoach! I am so sorry to hear that Snoopy's ear is red. It is very possible Snoopy may have an ear infection. Ear infections are most commonly due to underlying allergies such as environmental or food allergies. It is possible Snoopy has mites in that ear but less likely since only one ear is very affected. I would recommend taking Snoopy in to see your veterinarian. They will likely take swabs from both ears and look at a cytology of them (under the microscope) to look for infections. If this is the case, your veterinarian will recommend ear cleaner/ medication. Good luck! Here is an article that describes ear infections in more detail: https://www.petcoach.co/article/middle-inner-ear-infections-in-dogs/

This is likely to be caused by an ear infection due to proliferation of Malassezia spp (an yeast infection basically). I would recommend an immediate check up to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat accordingly. Antibiotics ear drops will be required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.