My Yorkie has a red, swollen head and ear wound. What's wrong?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does sound like possibly an ear infection. Usually, face swelling is not a commonly encountered sign of an ear infection so if his face continues to get swollen before tomorrow when you can have him evaluated by your veterinarian, consider having him evaluated tonight to make sure it is not something more concerning than an ear infection. In the meantime, try to limit his activity in case he has associated pain. Good luck! I will keep my fingers crossed that everything turns out well!

If the ear looks like a small pillow, it could be a hematoma. Blood filling the ear will make it look puffy. The odor can be due to a severe ear infection. Excessive head shaking can cause a hematoma. Treatment is twofold. First, drain the ear or correctly via surgery then treat the underlying ear infection. Daisy will need to be examined by your veterinarian for confirmation and treatment. If it is not a hematoma, your veterinarian should be able to determine what is causing the condition after an exam and diagnostics.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If the sore is mild and not very open or having a lot of drainage you can try to keep the area clean and applying a small amount of triple antibiotic ointment daily. However, of the area is larger or very open and moist you may need to take Millie to a veterinarian to determine if she needs any oral medications like antibiotics. She may also benefit from clipping the hair away from the area so it does not get crusty and it allows the skin to have exposure to air. i hope the issue resolves quickly for Millie!

Hi Rob, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Arlo has an ear hematoma. These are when the ear fills with blood and can be quite painful. A lot of time it can be secondary to an ear infection. It is important to bring Arlo to a veterinarian to have them treat this condition.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Willow has a cut on her ear. It is possible that she caused it herself by scratching, but if you did not observe it happening, she could have traumatized it on something else, or been wounded by another animal. Based on your description of the wound, I recommend bringing her to your local veterinarian to have her evaluated. At the very least, the wound likely needs to be cleaned and flushed with a sterile solution to prevent infection. Depending on how deep or infected the wound is, it may require more extensive management such as surgical closure of the wound, or bandages. Willow likely also needs an Elizabethan (cone) collar to prevent her from further traumatizing the wound. Unfortunately, dogs like to scratch at their ears and can make it very hard for wounds to heal. If the wound is superficial and Willow is otherwise healthy, you may be able to apply compression to the wound to get it to stop bleeding, and monitor it closely at home for signs of infection (redness, swelling, yellow-green discharge, foul odor). If you see any of these signs, Willow should definitely be evaluated by a veterinarian. Just a reminder, NEVER give dogs any pain medications that are intended for humans, as they can be lethally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know what is exactly going on just based on a picture. This could be due to an infection or an allergic reaction for example. I would highly recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and treat accordingly. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This would actually warrant a visit to your veterinarian as this may be present due to an infection for example. I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!