What causes a dog's red, oozing ear with thick discharge and head shaking?

Without actually looking into the ear with an otoscope it is not possible to tell you what the cause of this discharge is. It could be anything from an ear infection , to a ruptured abscess, to an ulcerated cancerous growth, to a ruptured ear drum. Please take Your dog to a vet , as the unsteadiness does point to some inner ear problem.

This presentation could be due to an ear infections. Three sections of the ear can be infected, the external portion (otitis externa), the middle portion (otitis media) and the inner portion (otitis interna). Otitis externa is the most common ear infection in dogs. In this case it seems an external ear infection but an otoscopic examination will determine the exactly the extension of it. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed.

It looks like Diamond has a pretty bad ear infection! Ear infections can be caused by yeast or different types of bacteria. Unfortunately without being see by a veterinarian there's not much you can do for an ear infection at home. It would be best to schedule an appointment for Diamond to see your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can make sure Diamonds ear drum is not damaged and take a swab from the ears to determine what type of infection is present and what medication should be used. I would schedule pretty soon as ear infections can be quite painful and the longer they go on the harder they are to treat. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It sounds like Beanie could have an infection in the ear canal. This is called Otitis Externa and can be very painful and itchy. I recommend having Beanie evaluated by your veterinarian quickly so that Beanie can get relief. Usually a veterinarian will take swabs of the external ear canal to find out what type of organism is responsible for the infection and be able to prescribe the correct medication.

This discharge is likely due to an ear infection. I would take Oden into a vet now. It's very important to have this ear infection examined and treated promptly due to the discharge coming from his ear. In addition, leaving it untreated can lead to hearing loss. The vet can confirm that he does have an ear infection, and can prescribe medication to treat it.

Ear infections are very painful and usually need prescription medication to cure them. I recommend a veterinary exam and treatment. They will check the ear discharge to see if it’s from yeast, bacteria or ear mites. He may need medication to stop the itching in addition to ointment inside the ear. Ear infections can become chronic if not cleared up so please take him in for treatment soon. In the meantime you can clean the ear canal with a dog ear cleaner that you can purchase at PetCo and place him in a cone to he doesn’t scratch the ear which can make it worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Hoyle.

I am sorry to hear that! An ear infection- especially if the inside of the ear is red, irritated or malodorous is the most common cause of ear itching. Other things include ear mites, insect bite sensitivity, and allergies. If you are seeing a fluid filled lump, I would also be concerned for an ear hematoma (these are often secondary to infections so you could have both) or a cyst. You may want to visit the vet to see if they need to run more tests or to see if she needs medications. I hope this helps and Rayne feels better soon!