Why is my Maltese dog's inner ear red, crusty, and itchy?

It sounds like Pluto has an ear infection and I would recommend to take him to the veterinarian as soon as you can. Infections can be painful, can damage the ear drum, causing hearing loss and can even cause calcification of the ear canal (which is very painful). The vet will look at a sample under the microscope to determine what type of infection is present and what kind of medication is needed. Pets have have chronic ear infections may have underlying allergies or endocrine disease which causes them to be more prone to getting an infection. Talk to your vet about exploring these options. I hope this helps and thank you for Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thank you for using PetCoach! I am so sorry to hear that Snoopy's ear is red. It is very possible Snoopy may have an ear infection. Ear infections are most commonly due to underlying allergies such as environmental or food allergies. It is possible Snoopy has mites in that ear but less likely since only one ear is very affected. I would recommend taking Snoopy in to see your veterinarian. They will likely take swabs from both ears and look at a cytology of them (under the microscope) to look for infections. If this is the case, your veterinarian will recommend ear cleaner/ medication. Good luck! Here is an article that describes ear infections in more detail: https://www.petcoach.co/article/middle-inner-ear-infections-in-dogs/

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! From your pictures I think the crusts are epidermal collarettes which are the end results of a pustule. A pustule usually indicates a bacterial skin infection. Skin infections can be from allergies due to food or the environment. Ideally oral antibiotics are used to clear bacterial skin infections. If she is also itchy then we prescribe medications to helps that as well. Below is a medicated shampoo that may help. I recommend bathing 2-3 times per week and allowing the lather to sit on for 10 mins on the affected areas before rinsing. If the skin doesn't improve I recommend a Vet exam. I wish Bella a speedy recovery! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27306

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ear mites generally are noted first with signs of thick, dark discharge which appears a bit "crusty". However-the lack of these symptoms does not mean all is well with the ears of your pup. Dogs can get frequent ear infections, just like we can. I can tell from your photos that your pup has hair that grown down into the ear canals-this will be part of the problem. Those hairs trap debris, water from bathing, extra wax, etc and act as a great reservoir for bacteria to grow. I always recommend to my clients to have the hairs "plucked" by their groomer when they go or to come in to the office so that we can do it. After the hairs are cleared and the ears are cleaned, I like to do an exam of the ear canal and to take a swab of the ears to see what kind of yeast and/or bacteria are present there. It is important to have this exam performed by your vet to verify that your pet's eardrum is intact and not perforated. Likely your pet will get prescribed some antibiotics if your doctor finds it necessary, as well as pain medications or something for that awful itch. After everything is well controlled, it is usually easy to get my owners on a good ear cleaning regimen to keep ear infections at bay. I hope this helps! My best to you and your pup!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to an ear infection. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian would be able to check what type of infection is present and treat accordingly. Usually this resolves with topical therapy. Good luck and have a good night!

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!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Milli Rock. It could be she has an ear infection causing the redness and crusting spot. It would also cause her to itch her ear. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria. She does need to see a vet to have this diagnosed and treated. Leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss. Give her vet a call to make her an appointment. I hope this helps!