My dog's ear is swollen from scratching and has gunk. See a vet?

If this presentation is due to a trauma and secondary localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria), a check up, appropriate disinfection and antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Yes I would recommend to have them prescribed by your vet. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

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.

It sounds like there are a couple of things wrong with Brownie at the moment. The swelling of his ear could be caused by an ear infection, and that could affect his hearing preventing him from responding to your call the other day. The scratching could be due to an ear infection, but it could also be caused by fleas, allergies, ringworm, or mites. With these number of symptoms, I'd recommend a vet visit first thing Monday. The vet can diagnose what is causing all of them, and can prescribe a treatment for him. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Mac! It sounds as though Mac has an Aural (ear) Hematoma. Ear hematomas results from a break in the ear cartilage or a bleeding vessel that causes blood to fill up in the ear pinna. Most commonly this is due to shaking of the head due to an ear infection from yeast or bacteria. Seeing that Mac is an English bull dog and this breed is very predisposed to ear and skin infections that is very likely the cause. Mac needs to see a Vet to have his ears checked, medicated ear drops and ear flush need to be prescribed. As for the ear hematoma there are many options for treatment: either medical management with steroids or surgery. Your vet will discuss the best choice for Mac. I hope this helps and I wish Mac a speedy recovery!

That much discharge in the eye generally means an infection could be brewing. If the discharge has been present for longer than 2 days, I recommend to have Max examined by the veterinarian for treatment. Make sure he is not rubbing at the eye because this could make it worse. Also make sure to keep the eye clean. Look inside his right ear for any signs of an infection: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ear-infections-otitis-externa-ear-cleaning-in-dogs/ Have the vet examine his ear as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

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.