My dog's red, bumpy ear got worse with mite meds. Is it an infection?

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 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!

It looks like Chubby has been scratching his ears or that he has an infection of the outside of the ear. Since he was just treated for mites I’d recommend rechecking with your vet so they can see if he still has mites or an infection in his ear canal. There is not an over the counter medication that I would recommend using.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Snow may have an ear infection, which can be pretty uncomfortable for her. She should be seen by a vet to assess the severity of the condition and begin the appropriate treatment. Treatment may include oral antibiotics or topical antibiotics. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any questions you have!

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! The best medicine to treat an ear infection will depend on which type of infection is affecting Pepper. In general a good ear cleanser just to start by cleaning the ears is epi-otic advanced which you may obtain online. That is just to clean the ears though generally further therapy is needed dependent on what type of infection it is. This is something that can be easily determined by sampling the exudate and looking at it under the microscope. The good news is that most of the time it does respond to the right therapy. I recommend that you have Pepper evaluated by your veterinarian for this assessment and to start therapy. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The medication has an antibiotic and an antifungal in it. If it didn’t help the infection, she may have a bacteria that is resistant to the antibiotic. I recommend taking her back to the vet for a culture of the bacteria in her ear to determine what medication will treat it. Good luck and kisses to Bailey!