My puppy's ear is red, itchy, greasy after swimming. What should I do?

It could be due to yeast or bacteria. Vets are seeing pets for emergencies, and this would count due to the risk of leaving it untreated. If left untreated, it can cause hearing loss. Give Sparky's vet a call to have him seen.

Poor Finn, his ear does look red in the picture. Yes, I would be concerned about an infection. Olive oil should never be put in a dog's ear, I know you said it's a natural cleaner, but these natural cleaners often contain ingredients that are frankly not safe to use. I would throw away this cleaner and if you want to use a safe cleaner in the future for his ears, I recommend Epi-Otic. You can get it from your vet. Speaking of your vet, you need to give them a call now to make an appointment as he has to get his ears checked out and treated. Please get him in as soon as possible, as ear infections are very uncomfortable for dogs and leaving them untreated can lead to hearing loss. I hope this helps!

I would ideally recommend a veterinary visit as ear infections are often times a mixed population of yeast and different bacteria. Or ear mites may play a role as well. You can try using an over-the-counter ear cleaner every other day for a few days but if that does not cleared up a veterinary visit for ear cytology and medication is recommended. Epi Otic is a good general ear cleaner. . https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056EAKSM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apis_1501590855840 The home remedies that use vinegar or alcohol tend to be very irritating or painful with infected ear so I don't recommend those.

This looks like it could have an early infection. I would recommend having your veterinarian do an exam to make sure there isn't anything going on like a middle ear infection. Since you've caught it early hopefully only a short course of topical medication will be needed.

Hi and thanks for posting. Yes, Theo's ear is very red and appears to have a good amount of debris in there as well. Ear infections can and are indeed painful. I would wait to clean it until your veterinarian has examined the ear. Your vet will need to ensure his tympanic membrane (ear drums) are intact before using any kind of cleaner in the ear. A sample of the debris in his ear will be taken to determine what is causing the infection so it can be treated most effectively.

If you are noticing a lot of redness in the ears, the most common reason for scratching at them are infections, allergies to food/environment, or parasites like fleas or mites. To determine this, a veterinarian can obtain an ear swab to look for the presence of bacteria, yeast, inflammatory cells, or a mixture of everything. Usually an ear flush that is treated with something antimicrobial and anti inflammatory will help quite a bit. Some of these are over the counter while others are prescription only. You will also have to fit Mushy with an e-collar to prevent further itching during the healing process. He won't like it but it is for his own good! In terms of cleaning the ears, periodically you can use some q tips and an ear flush to wipe out the ears. You don't have to worry about puncturing the dogs ear drums since their ear canal is curved. You would have to be bending the q-tip to cause damage. There are several videos on Youtube on how to clean ears if you need to see someone do it first. Let me know if there is anything else that I can assist with.

Caleb is one handsome pup and I'm sorry to hear that his ear has been bothering him so much! The redness in and around his ear are most suspicious for a bacterial and/or yeast ear infection. Ear infections typically occur as a result of underlying allergies, and are quite itchy, resulting in intense scratching and head shaking. You can try to clean Caleb's ear with a balanced ear cleanser ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24165 ), but the only way to determine a) if he has an infection, b) the type of infection, and c) the best medication for treatment is to take him to the vet. There are no effective over the counter medications available to treat ear infections, as all are prescription based. If Caleb is obsessively scratching, you can put an e-collar (cone) on him until you can get to the vet to prevent him from causing more trauma to the skin around his ear. I hope that he's feeling better soon!