My dog shakes head, itchy ears, groans. Vet says normal, but I'm worried.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Brigg is shaking his head so much. These are classic clinical signs of an external ear infection, or otitis externa. I recommend bringing Brigg to your veterinarian at their next available appointment for an exam. Your veterinarian can perform an ear smear of any debris in the ears, and look at this under a microscope. Most ear infections are either bacterial and/or yeast infections, treated with topical medications. I hope this is helpful!

If Bruno is scratching his ears and shaking his head it does not point to flea infestation but rather an ear infection with either mites, bacteria or a fungus. You will need to take Bruno to your veterinarian for an ear exam and then treatment for the cause of the itch and shake. Treatment will depend on the cause (acaricide for mites, antibiotic for bacterial infection, fungicide for fungal infection )

It’s possible his anal glands are full/uncomfortable. If they are bulging on either side of his anus when you palapate from the outside, then that definitely could be the case. I recommend bringing him to your vet for a rectal exam/anal gland expression and to check his ears. He likely will need and ear cleaner and a steroid/antibiotic/antifungal/antiyeast ointment such as otomax/kometamax/posatex if he has an ear infection. A few days of an allergy medication called Apoquel may help as well. Good luck!

I am sorry to hear about Kiba! Even if his ears appear normal when you are looking into them, without an otoscope you cannot tell if there is an infection or something like a foreign object inside the ear, as a dog's ear canal is curved and you can only visualise the vertical part of the canal if you do not have an otoscope. If he seems otherwise comfortable and is not traumatizing his ear, I would just monitor him closely until his appointment.

I agree, it sounds like Voodoo is having a problem with her ears, and I suspect an ear infection. The problem with waiting a few weeks is that this is going to get worse, and if she keeps shaking her head, she will develop an aural hematoma which means more treatment. I would get her into a vet this week. Best of luck.

Poor Bruno! It sounds like he may have an ear infection, which is typically caused by a mix of bacteria and yeast. These conditions are very uncomfortable and can result in permanent damage to the ear and ear drum. Bruno should be seen by a vet as soon as possible to begin the appropriate oral and topical medications.

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!