My 4-month Pomeranian scratches ear with gunk. Is it an ear infection?

Poor Luna! Yes, it definitely looks like she has an infection in her ear - yellow crusty debris like this is not normal. She will need prescription ear drops from your vet to treat this effectively, so I would recommend taking her in for an exam tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you can use an over-the-counter ear flush such as Epi-Otic to gently clean the affected ear and remove the crusty discharge. This will not treat the underlying infection, but may help to make her a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Luke can be scratching his ear due to an infection, ear mites, or an allergic reaction. As this condition is likely uncomfortable and can progress, I recommend having him seen by a vet as soon as possible. Your vet can take a sample of any discharge in the ear to determine if the itching is caused by a bacterial or fungal infection and recommend an appropriate treatment. In the meantime, you can get Luke can E-collar or "cone" to prevent him from scratching the ear and causing further trauma. I hope this helps and that all is well with Luke!

It's probably an ear infection. 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 Sissy to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Momo is so cute! If he has been scratching at one ear a lot, and there is more discharge in the ear than the other, then yes I would suspect he has an ear infection. I would take him into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose if he does have an ear infection, what's causing it (ear mites, yeast, or bacteria), and can prescribe treatment for it. I hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say exactly what is causing the itching the and scratching in the ears without examining Luna first but it could be due to a yeast or bacterial infection or perhaps just a ball of ear wax stuck down in her ear canal. If the itching is more on the outside of the ear than on the inside, it could be due to a flea allergy. Fleas like to hang out by the ears, neck, and tail base region. If you've been cleaning out the ears frequently and she is still itching, you may want to have Luna examined by your veterinarian to check for an ear infection, fleas, and to get a better peak down in the ear canals. Your veterinarian may take a sample of the material in each ear to check for an infection. Luna may need ear antibiotics or other medications as needed. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor Luna! Taking her into the vet on Monday is exactly the right thing to do. You can use a cloth to continue to try to wipe her ear but I would avoid making it damp as water could get into her ear That will make any ear infection worse. I would place an Ecollar on her to keep her from scratching at her ear, as that will cause trauma to the ear. You can make an Ecollar at home, and I will put a link below on how to do that. Definitely get into her the vet first thing Monday. Best of luck! http://dogsaholic.com/care/homemade-dog-cone.html

Ouch, poor Remington! You are correct - most ear infections in dogs stem from underlying allergies. Allergy issues in dogs mostly cause skin problems and ears are skin, after all. The allergies could be associated with environmental issues (atopy), food allergies or flea allergies. I can certainly see the discharge and swelling in Remington's ear. Her excessive scratching obviously indicates that she's quite uncomfortable. Allergy issues cause dogs to itch, which damages the skin barrier and then leads to ear infections from an overgrowth of yeast and/or bacteria in the ear canal. There are no effective over the counter treatments for ear infections. At this point, I recommend taking Remington to her vet for an exam and ear cytology. Your vet will be able to look at her ear discharge under a microscope to determine the type of infection present, and will then prescribe an appropriate medication based on those results. Until you get to the vet, consider putting an e-collar (cone) on Remington to prevent her from causing further damage to hear ears. I hope this helps and that she's feeling better soon!