My Chihuahua has an ear infection. Why is he still uncomfortable?

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 him to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.

I'm very sorry that Joe is in pain. It's common for Cocker Spaniels to have chronic ear infections resulting in just this type of situation. I'm so glad you able to get in to see your local Veterinarian. The mediations he/she has prescribe should help some with the pain. If Joe seems restless and can't get comfortable, you'l want to call your doctor and verify that he's on the appropriate dosage and maybe ask if he can take a little more. Your doctor may also be able to prescribe a light sedative. Unfortunately, a vinegar bath probably won't do much. It's really a just going to take patience. The inflammation should go down within a few days and Joe will have some relief. Please keep us up to date with his progression. If you notice he's uncomfortable eating, you might offer a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice. Try to keep his ears as clean and dry as possible. While he's sleeping you can lay his ears open or find a way to keep them up so that the air will circulate. Yeast and bacteria love a wet warm environment. The more they air out, the quicker the healing. Please let us know if you have any other questions or if there's more we can do.

It may take several days to see improvement after starting medications. If your dog is extremely uncomfortable due to inflammation in the ear, you may ask your vet if an anti-inflammatory drug such as a steroid or NSAID can be prescribed to help with the discomfort until the ear antibiotic kicks in. If you haven't seen improvement and several days have passed, it is possible a resistant bacteria is growing in the ear and you may need a different medication.

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.

I recommend to have China re-examined. Bring a copy of the records and the medication if you can. When pets don't respond to treatment as expected, it can mean that the real cause of illness has not yet been identified. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Bailey - it is vital he is seen by a vet again as soon as possible to have the condition reassessed. Ensure he is fasting as it may be necessary to sedate him in order to fully examine the ear and identify any infections or growths which may be present and to ensure a deep clean can be performed. In some cases further tests for underlying causes such as allergies or thyroid disease may be recommended and in very rare cases surgery is required to remove or bypass areas with permanent scarring which may be preventing the normal healing process. Regular, routine cleaning of ears each week is recommended for dogs with recurrent problems

I suspect Coffee has an ear infection, which could be caused by yeast or bacteria. Leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss, so it's very important you take him into the vet in the morning. The vet can diagnose if he does have an ear infection, what is causing it, and can treat him. I hope this hopes!