My dog has an ear infection. What should I do and how can I help?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Leo. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will be examined. A special instrument known as an otoscope is used to look deep within the ear canal. Typically a swab is taken from each ear. This is evaluated under the microscope to confirm the infection and determine the cause. Dogs can have yeast, bacterial or mite infections. This helps to choose an appropriate medication and ear cleaner for him. Treatment will vary based on the severity of the infection. You can start by cleaning the ears at home if you have an ear cleaner for dogs. However, he will most likely need a prescription medication to clear the problem. I hope this information helps!

It sounds like poor Mario may have an infection. Ear infections can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, or a combination of these, and can be associated with dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. Mario needs to see a vet to have an ear swab done. Your vet can look at the sample under the microscope and treat appropriately based on what is found. Your vet will also need to examine the ear with a scope to see if the ear drum is intact, as some medications cannot be used safely if the eardrum is ruptured. Ear infections can be very painful, and can sometimes progress to include the middle or inner ear, where they can cause neurologic signs or permanent hearing loss. Please book an appointment to have Mario seen as soon as possible to help get him feeling better.

It looks like your kid has a pretty severe ear infection there. The redness is inflammation and the gray area is thickening of the external ear canal from chronic inflammation. What would be best would be for your pup to be seen by your family vet for an ear exam and cytology. In order to treat this appropriately your vet will need to know if there are bacteria (and what type) or yeast or both in the ear canals and if the eardrum is intact. An anti inflammatory may also be needed because of the thickening. If ear infections are a chronic problem for your pup underlying allergy may also need to be explored. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I recommend purchasing a dog ear cleaner at your pet store and cleaning the discharge from his ears. Put some cleaner on a cotton ball and massage the fluid into the ear canal. Rub it around to loosen the debris and then wipe it out. Take a dry cotton ball to remove any cleaner left in the ear. I clean ears daily to start, then as the discharge decreases then clean only when needed. If Maxo has ear mites or a severe yeast or bacterial ear infection this will help but specific prescription medication will be more effective. When you can take him in to your veterinarian for an ear exam. They will look at the ear discharge under the microscope to determine the cause of the problem. Then they can give him the right medication. Ear medication often contains a drug to stop the itching as well as something to cure the cause of the infection and that would be more effective than just cleaning his ears. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Maxo.

This looks like a very severe infection possibly due to bacterial proliferation inside the ear canal. Unfortunately antibiotics and antiinflammatory drops are needed in this case to be able to resolve the problem effectively.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. From the pictures and your description, this certainly looks to be an ear infection. I would contact your veterinarian and schedule an appointment to have Harley examined. Your vet should perform an ear cytology to figure out what organisms are causing this problem. It may be bacteria or fungus or both causing this. Your veterinarian will be able to prescribe the most appropriate treatments once diagnosed. Most of the time an ear infection can be cleared up by using an ear flush and ear ointment inside the ear. Sometimes with bad enough infections and oral antibiotic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory need to be used. Again, your vet will know what's best for this particular problem. Before using any ear medications that you find over-the-counter, I would strongly suggest having a vet look in ear to ensure that your drum is intact because using medications in an ear with a ruptured eardrum may cause hearing loss or neurological abnormalities. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have. I am also available via text or phone consultation if needed.

Aww I’m sorry to hear that Lil Boy is having a tough time. I agree that his signs are suspicious for an ear infection. Unfortunately, there is nothing really suitable for an ear infection over the counter. I definitely do NOT recommend putting anything in the ear (alcohol, vinegar, peroxide) as these can actually make things worse. I recommend seeing a vet sooner rather than later as it is easier and cheaper to treat an ear infection earlier on.