Why are my dog's ears itchy, bloody, and not responding to treatment?

Poor Hogarth! I think he has got a severe ear infection ! The drops can help but sometimes you need some oral medications too such as antibiotics and pain relief. If ear drops have not worked, I think your vet might want to take a swab and send it to the lab to check what bacteria / yeasts are present, and what is the best medication for it. Sometimes it can take quite a while for the infection to clear and several check ups but it will get better, it' s a metter of time and regular medications .

Hi there. Unfortunately, these photos are very blurry, so I can't really see much. But, if he is scratching his ear until it bleeds, it's likely that he has an ear infection - this is a common problem in dogs. He will need prescription ear meds from your veterinarian to treat the infection, so I would recommend taking him in tomorrow for an exam. In the meantime, you can try cleaning his ears with an over-the-counter ear flush labeled for dogs such as Mal-Acetic or Epi-Otic. This will not treat the underlying infection, but may help to make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

Ouch, poor Remington! You are correct - most ear infections in dogs stem from underlying allergies. Allergy issues in dogs mostly cause skin problems and ears are skin, after all. The allergies could be associated with environmental issues (atopy), food allergies or flea allergies. I can certainly see the discharge and swelling in Remington's ear. Her excessive scratching obviously indicates that she's quite uncomfortable. Allergy issues cause dogs to itch, which damages the skin barrier and then leads to ear infections from an overgrowth of yeast and/or bacteria in the ear canal. There are no effective over the counter treatments for ear infections. At this point, I recommend taking Remington to her vet for an exam and ear cytology. Your vet will be able to look at her ear discharge under a microscope to determine the type of infection present, and will then prescribe an appropriate medication based on those results. Until you get to the vet, consider putting an e-collar (cone) on Remington to prevent her from causing further damage to hear ears. I hope this helps and that she's feeling better soon!

These signs could be compatible with an otitis (inflammatory or infective most of the times). Often otitis can have an underlying allergic predisposing disease. A check up should be ideally seek to confirm this clinical suspicion and have it treated appropriately. Antibiotics and anti-antiinflammatory ear drops are probably needed. 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.

I am so sorry that Cooper is so uncomfortable. Mites are microscopic, so you won’t see them with a naked eye. At 7 months old ear mites are the most likely problem but a bacterial, yeast, or combination bacterial and yeast infections are also possible. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. After a diagnosis has been made then medication to solve the problems and improve his comfort will be started. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello, sorry to hear about Georgia. Its likely that she does not have ear mites, but likely has allergies and secondary ear infections. Ear mite medications wont do anything for this. Unfortunately, she may need to be evaluated to prescribe her some allergy medications and which ever medications she may need for her potential ear infections. In the future, if she is truly diagnosed with allergies. Controlling these will prevent her from getting recurrent ear infections. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It sounds like Max has an ear infection. He will need to see a vet in order for it to be treated, as it can't be treated at home. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria, and in order for it to be treated correctly, the underlying cause has to be diagnosed. The vet can diagnose what is causing the ear infection, and can prescribe a treatment for it. It's very important to have any ear infections examined and treated promptly, as leaving them untreated can lead to hearing loss. I would take Max into the vet today for an exam.