Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

    rewards header
    Become a member today!
    Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
    Already a member? Sign in
    Petco Pay LogoBecome a credit card member today!

    Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
    when you use Petco Pay!

    APPLY NOW
    Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Why does my dog's painful, swollen ear infection keep returning?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Male | neutered | 5 years and 7 months old

My Jack Russell has a continual swollen inner ear red with discharge giving him pain. Have washed it out daily with ear cleaner. Vet has seen him numerous times but it come back.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

David Darvishian

Answered By David Darvishian

Veterinarian

Published on September 29th, 2017

Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry to hear about Arnie. Recurrent ear infections (usually otitis externa or external ear infection) are usually due to allergies, either seasonal or non seasonal, among a few other things including foreign bodies, anatomical problems, and even growths/tumors.
All of this is most likely due to allergies- Atopy or inhaled allergies, flea allergy, and food allergy are all possible and ear problems (especially recurrent) are almost always associated with allergic skin disease. Your vet can take a sample from the ears and look at it under the microscope to diagnose the infection/cause in the ears. That's usually yeast, bacteria, and other causes such as ear mites. This will address the ear problem and your vet can present a sound treatment plan. As for the allergies, there are skin tests and blood tests to help determine the source of allergies. Again, diagnostics and treatment are often based on severity of signs, duration of signs, etc. Your vet can discuss this complex problem and advise many forms of treatment including ear meds, antibiotics, fish oil, allergy shots or oral drops to treat allergies, antihistamines, steroids, and others. If this is recurrent and severe, maybe it's time to talk with your vet about allergy testing. There are skin tests and blood tests to assess allergies. Some vets refer these cases to a skin specialist known as a veterinary dermatologist. Allergy shots or oral preparations can then be used to hyposensitize the immune system and dampen down the response to the allergens. Treatment involves oral antibiotics, anti itch medicines, ear treatments, immune modulating drugs, special diets, fish oil, allergy shots/oral drops, etc. I would advise checking out the following for fish oil and a skin supplement.
http://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/?petcoach=1977951
Check out the Omega benefits and Cutaneo TruBenefits Good Luck!!!
Vote Icon2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Mirissa Duncil, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 26th, 2017

    Goodness, poor Bella.

    Ear infections can be very painful and difficult to heal if not treated appropriately. This will likely require a trip to your veterinarian, as the ear canal will have to be examined with a special scope, as well as a check to make sure the tympanic membrane (or eardrum) is intact. Many medications are not safe to use if the membrane is ruptured and can make your pet very ill and have unwanted side effects.

    After examining the ear, your doctor will likely do a cytology (or exam on a microscope slide) of the discharge and debris-this will determine what kind of antibiotic your pet will begin and for how long.

    As aforementioned, ear infections are very painfil-if you've ever had one you know this already. Your vet will likely also prescribe some medication for pain for Bella.

    Please don't put any water or other subtance in the ear before you have it checked out, as many of these things can actually worsen the infection.

    I hope this helps, and that Bella gets well soon!

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 26th, 2017

    Oh my, that does sound like he is suffering from a major infection. With ear infections you have to be very careful, because things can look ok from the outside, but the inner ear canal could be full of debris that has just gotten pushed down in there and is harboring bacteria, yeast or both. Your pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian for this and the ear examined using an otoscope. It also sounds like he has a major infection and inflammation now that has traveled to his muzzle causing pain and discomfort. He needs to be placed on both antibiotics (prescribed by your vet) and pet friendly anti-inflammatory medication. Also a culture of the discharge may be needed as well, depending on how badly the ear looks in person and its response to the antibiotics.
    For future ear infections you almost always have to have not just an ear cleaner, but also an ear medication prescribed by a licensed veterinarian. Just using a cleaner isn't enough.

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Vet Q & A
Why does my dog's ear infection keep returning after treatment?
Unfortunately, some dogs do get recurrent ear infections, and from your description, it does sound like Taffy is getting another one. I would take her back into the vet for an exam. If ear infections continue to be a problem for her, I would consider doing a surgery called a total ear canal ablation and bulla osteotomy. This surgery involves removing the ear canal completely, thus eliminating ear infections. It is done on dogs who have continual ear infections where other methods of treating them have failed. It does leave the dog deaf in that ear, however. It could be that Tuffy is not at the point now where that surgery should be considered, but it would be something to keep in mind if she continues to have problems with recurrent ear infections.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Why does my pet keep getting ear infections? What's the best treatment?
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely an ear infection and I am afraid that there is likely an underlying allergy causing him to scratch a lot and continue to cause further trauma to the ear. I highly recommend that you have him evaluated as soon as possible as this is likely causing him a lot of discomfort. They would be able to diagnose this and start therapy. Medications such as steroids may help decrease the itch. You may use the e-collar to prevent further self-trauma. Best of luck!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
New Pet
Why does my dog have recurring ear infections that won't go away?
Poor Maggie! This looks like quite a severe ear infection, from what I can see in the photo. Normally, we would treat this by taking a sample of the discharge to look at under the microscope, to see what kind of infection is present - it may be yeast, bacteria, or both. Then appropriate medication can be prescribed to treat the infection depending on what is found. So that is how we would typically treat a current, active infection like this. If her ear infections are not responding well to treatment or keep recurring once meds are finished, then this usually indicates that the dog has an underlying allergy problem of some kind (either food, or environmental). The underlying allergy will need to be diagnosed and treated in order to get the recurring ear problems under control, so that's what I would focus on once the current infection has improved. Your veterinarian should be able to discuss testing and treatment options for allergies, including allergy testing and immunotherapy treatment, daily medication such as Apoquel or Atopica, and/or a food trial with a prescription hypoallergenic diet. You could also seek a second opinion from another veterinarian in your area, or request referral to a veterinary dermatologist, if your current vet doesn't have any concrete suggestions on how to proceed with this.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My dog has frequent ear infections. What causes them? How to prevent?
Recurrent ear infections are often a sign of food allergies. I suggest you get a second opinion from another veterinarian. Recurrent ear infections are NOT normal and not just something some dogs get. It is important, in this case, that your vet does an ear swab, checks that under the microscope or sends it in to a lab to check which bacteria or fungi are causing these infections. It may be necessary to also check for antibiotic resistance. A diet trial with hypoallergenic diet may also be in order.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My cat's ear infections keep returning, plus it's swollen. What now?
Ear infections can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, or a combination of these, and can be associated with dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. If the Surolan helped but the infection has returned, Melcho needs to see a vet to have an ear swab done. Your vet can look at the sample under the microscope and treat appropriately based on what is found. Trying different medications without testing to determine the cause is not effective, and can lead to bacterial resistance to medication. Your vet will likely need to examine the ear with a scope to see if the ear drum is intact, as some medications cannot be used safely if the eardrum is ruptured. They may also recommend a culture and sensitivity test of a swab from the ear to help figure out what specific bacteria could be present and what medications they are sensitive to. Ear infections can be very painful, and as you mentioned, can sometimes progress to include the middle or inner ear, where they can cause neurologic signs or permanent hearing loss. Please book an appointment to have Melcho seen as soon as possible to help get him feeling better, and you can request a referral from your veterinarian if they are not willing or able to provide further care as you mentioned.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Training & Behavior
My dog's ear is irritated again. What causes it & should I see a vet?
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to Diesel's problem has recurred. Given his age the two most like underlying issues are allergies leading to uncontrolled inflammation or a polyp or other blockage of the ear canal. Either can lead to an infection of bacteria, yeast, or acombination of the two which will make the inflammation worse. As the inflammation worsens the infection will worsen, so it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. Ears and skin can be very frustrating, so frequent rechecks and repeated testing via cytology (microscopic look from a swab from the ears) are needed to maximize treatment benefits. Hope this helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Why does my dog have a chronic smelly ear infection with black gunk?
Hey there, Sorry to hear about Cleo's ear. I agree that an ear producing copious amounts of a foul discharge is infected. Sometimes chronic ear infections can be secondary to allergies to their food or their environment. Food allergies in pets often crop up in skin or ear infections. These allergies tend to be to an animal protein- such as beef or chicken. I would recommend finding a second opinion veterinarian to examine Cleo. They will likely recommend doing a swab of her ear, to see what kind of bacteria or yeast is present. This helps to narrow down the causes and pick the best treatment possible. The treatment for this will likely consist of topical medications, such as medicated ear wash or ointment, and possibly oral medications as well, such as steroids or antibiotics. They may also recommend doing a food trial if they notice any signs of food allergies. I like Purina ProPlan Hydrolyzed Vegetarian formula or Royal Canin Hypoallergenic as my two favorite hypoallergenic diets. Some dogs stay on these foods long term, while some dogs benefit from eating them for a few months to get infections under control before finding another select protein diet that they don't react to. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck getting Cleo's ear under control!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Ear CareDog Ear & Eye CareDog Ear & Eye MedicineDog Health & WellnessDog Eye CareDog Pain Relief & Arthritis MedsDog Treats & ChewsDog Allergy Medicine & Itch ReliefPrescription Allergy Medicine for DogsAntifungal Medication for DogsDog Medicine and PrescriptionsPrescription Dog AntibioticsPrescription Horse Ear & Eye CareCat Eyedrops & Ear MedicationCat Ear & Eye CareDog Pain Medicine & ReliefDog First Aid & RecoveryDog Vitamins & SupplementsDog Asthma MedicationPrescription Shampoo for Dogs
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Share

Styled arrow button