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My dog's ear is swollen and has pus. Is it an infection? What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | unspayed

The inside of my dogs ear is swollen and it look like there is puss coming from it what do i?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on August 21st, 2017

Have him examined by your veterinarian. There may be serious infection and possibly an aural hematoma if she has been shaking her head. A hematoma develops when a blood vessel is broken in the ear flap due to shaking. This results in an ear that looks like a small pillow. Treatment is typically surgical. An ear infection can be diagnosed by examining a swab of the ear under a microscope. This can be done in the clinic. Infection can be caused by bacteria, yeast or a combination of both. The treatment will depend on the cause. "Simple" ear infections can be treated topically and usually resolve within 10-14 days. Place an e-collar (cone) on Nicki to prevent rubbing or pawing until she sees the vet.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on August 6th, 2017
That could be due to an aural hematoma, which is an accumulation of blood and inflammatory fluids between the ear cartilage and skin. This is usually caused by an underlying otitis (inflammation of the ear canal).
A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately.
The ear usually is surgically drained and the skin attached to the cartilage again. Simple drainage can be attempted but usually is unsuccessful.
Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on May 1st, 2018
Poor Kenai! Her ears could be swollen and hot from aural hematomas. This is when blood gets trapped between the layers of skin of the outer ear. An aural hematoma can form when a dog scratches the ear a lot or shakes their head a lot, usually due to an ear infection. It could also be due to an allergic reaction. This is something that needs to be checked out by a vet, so give your vet a call to make an appointment for him today or tomorrow. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on June 19th, 2017
Yes, this swelling is likely an aural hematoma. A blood vessel in the ear flap has ruptured causing the flap to fill with blood and give the pillow appearance. These are most commonly caused by head shaking which in turn is caused by an ear infection. Treatment is surgical. Your vet will open the flap and drain the blood then suture the ear flap together to prevent further hemorrhage. Afterwards, treating any underlying infection should prevent head shaking. The ear can be drained with a syringe but it usually refills requiring repeated draining and leading to a potentially deformed ear flap.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM
Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident
Published on April 24th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! What you describe sounds like an ear hematoma. This condition can develop from head shaking which in turn can occur as a result of allergies or an infection so this may be the primary issue. This is usually treated surgically with drainage and a minor surgical procedure to avoid reaccumulation of blood. However, it could be something else like inflammation or an infection. For this reason, I recommend that you have Lucky evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

My dog has a large, red, swollen ear that smells bad. What is it?

If the ear looks like a small pillow, it could be a hematoma. Blood filling the ear will make it look puffy. The odor can be due to a severe ear infection. Excessive head shaking can cause a hematoma. Treatment is twofold. First, drain the ear or correctly via surgery then treat the underlying ear infection. Daisy will need to be examined by your veterinarian for confirmation and treatment. If it is not a hematoma, your veterinarian should be able to determine what is causing the condition after an exam and diagnostics.

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My puppy's ear is red, swollen, has pus, and a neck lump. What is it?

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. The ball on the side of the neck is probably a swollen lymph node, this should go down with the antibiotic treatment.

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Health & Wellness

Dog's ear is swollen and puffed after shaking. Is a vet visit urgent?

This looks like an aural hematoma, a condition where the space between the skin and the ear cartilage fills with blood. It most commonly occurs secondary to an ear infection. While a veterinarian needs to be involved to treat the hematoma and the underlying cause, it is not necessarily an emergency and I think it would be okay for the dog to wait a couple days if necessary as long as he isn't too uncomfortable. If your neighbor is out of town for more than a couple days you should take the dog to a vet.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's ear is swollen with a large lump. Is it a hematoma? What now?

This is actually filled with blood. This is a hematoma between the skin layers in the ear flap. They develop when dogs scratch or shake their heads excessively, usually from an ear infection or some type of allergy. Generally this requires a veterinary exam and surgical drainage. They will also check Dozer's ears to see if they are infected or try to find the cause of the hematoma. He will need to wear a cone probably until the ear heals. Without treatment the ear swelling will go down but it may take a month or more and the ear will scar up and become deformed. This can be uncomfortable and there is a risk of infection so I recommend veterinary treatment soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Dozer.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's ear is swollen, hard, and thick. Does it need draining?

Hi there. I can't say for sure without being able to examine him, but what you're describing sounds like an aural hematoma - this is basically a pocket of blood in the ear flap. It's usually caused by the dog shaking his head or scratching at the ear due to an underlying ear infection or other problem, which can cause a blood vessel in the ear flap to tear. If he does have an aural hematoma, this can either be surgically drained by your veterinarian, or managed with anti-inflammatory medication and time until it eventually resolves on its own. I would recommend taking Herbie to the vet when you're able to, to confirm the diagnosis and see what your veterinarian suggests as the best course of action.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's ear is swollen, hard, and oozing pus and blood. What to do?

Poor girl. This may be an infected mass or even a cyst. I would recommend having your vet take samples from this to be certain as to what is inside and perhaps the vet can also carefully drain it using a needle and syringe. In the meantime you can do alternating cold and warm compresses on the area for 5-10 minutes twice a day, if tolerated. Otherwise, your vet will need to get involved here to get this resolved. Best wishes with your pet Stormie and I hope you can get this source of discomfort taken care of soon for her. Take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has a droopy ear and is shaking her head. Is it an infection?

If the ear is droopy and she is shaking her head she probably has an ear infection. Because of the head shaking and probably scratching as well, blood vessels in the ear are exploding, causing blood and fluids to fill the pinea ans swell. This condition is called "ear hematoma" and needs medical or surgical treatment. The ear infection needs to be treated as well as it is the primary cause, usually ear drops from the vet will solve this, in some cases systemic antibiotics are prescribed as well. Regarding the the droopy ear I personally prefer the medical treatment (steroids for 4 weeks) over the surgical one, unfortunately most vets will still opt for the surgery.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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