My dog's ears are itchy with brown gunk. Is it mites? How to help?

Poor Pookie! It sounds like she has a pretty serious ear infection. Most of the time these are accused by bacteria and/or fungus and mites can occasionally be to be blame as well. These conditions can be very uncomfortable and require veterinary care. Your vet can clean the ears out very well and prescribe oral and topical antibiotics and possibly steroids if needed to relieve some of the pain and itching. In the meantime, you can clean Pookie’s ears with an ear cleaner available in pet stores. This is unlikely to cure the condition, but can help get her some relief. An E-collar or “cone” can also help prevent further trauma. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

This amount of "dirt" on the external part of the ear i would considered normal, ear mites tend to be darker, like ground coffee, but in some cases it's not possible to actually see it from outside, the vet needs to check it with a cotton bud and under the microscope to confirm what it is. there 3 types of ear infections in dogs: yeast, bacterias and mites (less common). if Wallace seems to scratch his ears or shakes his head then it would be a good idea to get it checked by your vet.

Hi. Your pet most likely has an ear infection or ear mites. You can purchase ear cleaner from pet stores and clean with a cotton ball soaked with the cleaner. But an ear cleaner alone would cure an infection or ear mites.

It may be that she has an ear infection (due to bacteria or yeast), or she may have ear mites. Ideally, take her to the vet, as he or she will be able to diagnose the cause and give you medication to effectively treat it. If you are unable to go to the vet, and she is otherwise doing ok, you could try something like this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-ear-solution, but I don't know if its available to you in South Africa. Best of luck, I hope she's feeling better soon.

Those brown clumps could also be ear mites, which itch intensely and can cause a dog to injure themselves by scratching and shaking their head. It could also be some kind of ear infection or other problem. I recommend getting her checked at your vet as soon as possible to have her ear checked to determine why she's scratching so hard and get her treated so she (and you) can get some relief soon.

This sounds quite uncomfortable for Maybelline! Oftentimes a buildup of dark brown debris occurs with ear infections from bacteria and/or yeast. Ear cleaners can help get rid of the bigger pieces of debris, but only prescription based medications will treat the actual infection. Maybelline should see her vet so that her ears can be examined and have a cytology performed to determine the infectious agents causing her infection. From there, your vet will be able to prescribe the most appropriate medication for her.

Unlike cats (in which ear mites are very common), ear mites are not commonly diagnosed in dogs. When they are diagnosed, it is commonly in dogs that live in an unkempt area, in puppies with poor immune systems, or dogs with other diseases. The symptoms your describe can easily be seen in dogs with yeast ear infections. Mites need to be killed with appropriate insecticides, and there are no home remedies that are safe and guaranteed to work. I suggest saving a few more dollars to spend on actual medication that will treat ear mites. You might call local animal shelters, rescue groups, or animal charities in your area to inquire about low-cost options or financial assistance in treating Indica.