Dog ear infection head tilt: Why muscle twitching after walks?

I would be worried about a potential inner ear infection. Other ear infections can progress to inner ear infections which are painful, can result in hearing loss and balance issues. It is possible that the head tilt is the first sign that the balance Centers are being affected. I would advise taking Dahlia back in to the vet.

Dogs can have head tilts because of a neurologic problem (such as vestibular syndrome), or if something related to their head is bothering them. If the issue just started after your walk, and given Charlie's young age and the fact he was wearing a muzzle, I would be suspicious there's something bothering him with one of his ears - perhaps the strap of the muzzle irritated it, or he has an early ear infection, or got a little debris in his ear. Even if his ears look fine to you, the ear canal has a bend in it that requires an otiscope to be able to see all the way down to his eardrum. Problems in the mouth don't usually cause a dog to tilt their head. If the issue just started, and if he's acting completely normal otherwise, I'd keep an eye on it for a day or two. If he keeps tilting his head, or if any other symptoms start, I'd have him seen by a vet. Hope this helps!

Unfortunately if he won't let you near his ears you may have to wait until tomorrow when you can get Wrigley in to see your veterinarian. If you can pick up an ear cleaner from a pet store you can try flushing them out between now and tomorrow morning. If he is walking with a head tilt I would be worried that his inner or middle ear may also be affected, if this is truly the case, I wouldn't recommend putting anything more in his ears until you see your vet. If you feel he is really uncomfortable and you don't want to wait, an emergency vet should be able to evaluate him today.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Cutie. He could be experiencing neck or back pain that is making him walk in the way that you have described. He could also have a problem with his vestibular system as this can affect balance. Problems such as an inner ear infection will cause a dog to have a head tilt, walk in circles or off balance. In any case, he will likely need to see his veterinarian. In the meantime, do not give any over-the-counter pain medication as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

The inability to walk strait could be related to the vestibular syndrome caused by the perforated ear drum and infection, this would not explain the second symptom though, which is more likely to be related to a brain condition and can cause the other vestibular symptoms too.

Poor Bella! Shaking her head and twitching her ear are very common signs of an ear infection. These can be quite painful and uncomfortable for dogs, just as they are for people. If your regular veterinarian can't see her for two weeks even after you've explained how uncomfortable she is, then I would recommend taking her to another vet instead - two weeks is not a reasonable time to wait for this problem. In the meantime, you can get some over-the-counter ear flush for dogs such as Zymox or Epi-Otic, and use this to clean her ears and remove any debris or discharge that may be present. This will not treat the underlying infection causing the problem, but it may help to make her feel a bit better until you're able to see the vet.

An ear infection does take longer than three days to clear up, so that could still be the cause of Nyang-nyang's ear twitching. In addition, ear infections can also be caused by yeast or ear mites, so the antibiotics may not be treating the ear infection if she has one (yeast and ear mites require different medications to treat). If she is still having trouble with the ear twitching in another 72 hours, then I would take her back into the vet for an exam.