My dog's ears are red, itchy, and he's panting. Is it allergies?

I am sorry to hear about Bella Roca! These symptoms you describe can be seen with allergies in dogs. We can have allergies to things in the environment like grass, pollen, dust, etc. We can have allergies to flea bites. We can have allergies to food ingredients. If allergies are mild, we can sometimes treat them with a fatty acid supplement and an antihistamine such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or Cetirizine (Zyrtec). I would recommend discussing Bella's symptoms with her vet to see if they feel an antihistamine will be safe an appropriate for Bella. Fatty Acid supplements are available over the counter at your vet, pet stores, or online such as the Omega Benefits product at VRS https://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/?petcoach=1977956 . This would be the starting point for most dogs with these symptoms. In more severe cases, prescription medications or diets may be required http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2604 .

I would consider trying a flea tick prevention in pill form. They could also be used off label for mites. I would also talk to your veterinarian about apoquel or cytopoint to treat Rocky’s allergies. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Even though mange cannot be ruled out, this pattern would be more consistent with allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. The cefpodoxime should help with the bacterial infection component and the prednisone should help with the itch component. 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!

It does appear to an reaction. The best thing you can do is give her a cool bath to help alleviate some inflammation in her skin. You can try an over the counter antihistamine to help with the redness but it is unlikely to help with itching if it bothers her. If it continues to spread or you notice any swelling or she is scratching the places, then she will likely need to be seen for stronger medication such as steriods

The skin doesn't look too inflamed, but does appear more red than normal. Based on your description, I would also be very suspicious of allergies being the underlying problem of the skin flare-ups and recurrent ear infections. In these cases, allergy medication is very helpful. Candy's allergies seem relatively mild, so she may be well-controlled with an over-the-counter antihistamine medication. Your veterinarian should be able to prescribe you an antihistamine if they feel this is appropriate/safe for her. One other thing that should eventually be investigated is the cause of the allergies. Usually there is some environmental cause like pollens. Sometimes there are other causes. Your vet would be able to help you narrow-down the cause and provide options for allergy testing if needed/desired. I hope that helps and Candy gets better soon. Below are a couple of links to some useful information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/

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!