My dog has flaky, itchy ears. What gentle treatment can I use?

It looks like your dog could have a bacterial and/or a yeast infection. Have him examined by a vet for treatment. Your vet can prescribe medications to help. Your vet could also test his thyroid level to make sure he doesn't have a thyroid issue. You could also bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo and see if that helps.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Bentley. It is possible that Bentley is experiencing environmental allergies if he is itchy and having dry/flaky skin. Another sign of environmental allergies can be licking/ chewing on paws. If Bentley continues to itch and have skin problems medications can be added to help minimize his environmental allergies. Alternatively it is possible that Bailey is having skin problems for another reason. The areas that you describe are most commonly affected in pets that are dealing with a flea problem. If you notice any dark colored debris in those areas, this could potentially be the problem. Bentley could also have a skin infection or other problem. If he continues to itch and experience dandruff I would recommend having him evaluated by a veterinarian. They may perform skin tests such as a skin scrape or impression smear to look for infection and other abnormalities. Hope this helps, good luck!

This could indicate an infection of both bacteria as well as yeast. While Malaseb usually works on the skin it may be your dog has an infection deeper in the ear causing this as well as it might be resistant to the medications in Malaseb. I recommend having your veterinarian examined Ollie's ears as well as inside his ears at the time of his appointment to make sure he doesn't need stronger medication.

They appear swollen and rough on the ear margins. Those are signs of an infection. You will need a prescription from the vet for medication to completely treat it. Until then the best thing is actually use an ear wash to keep it clean. I would not use Q tips anymore. But if you can get an ear cleaner from a pet store, just rinsing them daily will help dilute out the bacteria/yeast causing the problem and soften the edges to help. This will also help loosen up whatever is inside so every time he shakes, it will wash more debris out. It is best to wipe it with a clean tissue or cotton ball.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to allergies affecting just the skin of the ear or even also causing an ear infection. This warrants a visit to your veterinarian. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging by your description, it sounds as though Shiloh may have a skin infection or seborrheic dermatitis possibly. Without pictures and not being able to examine the area myself, it is difficult to say for sure. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Shiloh so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Shiloh may need an oral antibiotic and topical therapy for treatment. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

This could be a fungal or bacterial infection or a mite infection. It could also be a case of seborrheic dermatitis. Unfortunately it is not possible to diagnose which type of problem it is just by viewing a photo. You will need to take her to a vet for an exam and a diagnosis. A bacterial or fungal infection can be treated with antibacterial or antifungal shampoo or tablets and there are anti-seborrheic shampoos as well. A mite infection can be treated with an ivermectin injection or other acaricidal medications.