My dog has ear drainage, head shaking, and is unsteady. What's wrong?

Poor Jersey's ear looks red and inflamed! His symptoms are indicative of an ear infection, and he will need to see a vet as soon as possible for it. Ear infections can be caused by bacteria, yeast, or ear mites, so the vet will need to confirm he does have an ear infection, what is causing it, and then can prescribe the correct treatment for him. It's very important to have him seen as soon as you can because leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi. Poor Bo Luke. Sounds like he most likely has an ear infection. Sometimes these can be in the middle or inner ear, or be bad enough to spread there from outter ear. This can then cause pain, lethargy, swelling, head tilting, and walking as if drunk/ to one side. He will need an exam, ear exam, ear cytology to see if yeast or bacterial, then put on the correct medications, and pain medications! With these signs, I would take him to ER tonight. He is pprobably pretty uncomfortable. Good luck

This presentation could be due to an ear infections. Three sections of the ear can be infected, the external portion (otitis externa), the middle portion (otitis media) and the inner portion (otitis interna). Otitis externa is the most common ear infection in dogs. In this case it seems an external ear infection but an otoscopic examination will determine the exactly the extension of it. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed.

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.

Poor Kodiak! It's possible that Kodiak could have an ear infection of the external, middle or inner ear, but other conditions such as neurologic problems (like focal seizures) or a brain tumor are also possible. The only way to get to the bottom of this issue is with a thorough physical exam and some diagnostic testing. Since it sounds as though he's uncomfortable and bothered by this issue, it would be best to have him checked out by his vet sooner rather than later. I hope that all goes well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his 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!

I'm so sorry that Shadow's ear is hurting. From the appearance of the picture, I presume that the discharge is coming from the ear canal. Unfortunately, there isn't any way to determine what is causing an ear infection except for performing an ear cytology. An ear cytology is when your vet takes a sample of the discharge from the ear and looks at it under a microscope. They can then determine if the infection is caused by yeast or bacteria or both and determine the best way to treat it. I wish I had another answer for you, but I think it's time to take Shadow to the vet for an examination and ear cytology. I would not recommend cleaning the ear before taking him in, so your vet can get an accurate sample of the ear discharge. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.