My dog's ears smell strong, but they look clean. What should I do?

If your dog had ear mites, he would be really itchy. However, there is a possibility that Otis has a yeast or bacterial ear infection if he has discharge from the ear. Yeast infections smell a bit like beer, bacterial infections often are stinky. Both are painful. In order to diagnose an ear infection your vet will need to examine the ears with an otoscope. Unfortunately just looking at a photograph is not helpful. If your dog appears to be irritated by his ears, best schedule an appointment with your vet. for an exam.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would take Sebastian in to your veterinarian to perform an ear cytology. This is a diagnostic test where they look at the debris in his ear under the microscope. This will help your veterinarian determine if Sebastian has an ear infection and what is causing it (yeast, bacteria, mites or any combination or all of the above). There are multiple treatments for ear infections depending on what the underlying cause is. Your vet will help determine the best treatment for him! I would take him to the vet sooner rather than later as ear infections can be uncomfortable! Good luck!

Hello, thank you for your question about Bayley. If his ears are very odorous in spite of frequent cleaning it is likely that Bayley has an ear infection. Cockers are predisposed to development of ear infections because of their long ears and the ability to trap moisture. I would recommend having Bayley seen by your veterinarian so that they can evaluate his ears and collect an ear swab to look for evidence of infection. Depending on the results of this testing they can determine the appropriate treatments. If Bayley has an ear infection he will require antibiotic/antifungal treatment to cure the infection, simply cleaning his ears frequently will not help. Hope this helps!

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.

That could be a minor infection. Check the ears for redness, an odd smell or any sensitivity. Also check the other ear. They should look similar. You may also try cleaning out the ear. If the debris come back within a few days, it’s likely infected.

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.

It is a possible sign of otitis, inflammation of the external ear canal. If you notice brown wax-like ear discharge, it could be compatible with yeast infection, very common in dogs. On other hand yellow discharge could be due to a bacterial infection. You can clean the ear canal (just the external part) with specific products (like cleanaural) but if there is an infection medications will be needed. 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.