Why is my dog shaking his head after ear plucking at the groomer?

Hello. The vinegar & water may be a little irritating, or your pet just does not like the feel of any liquid in his ears. Try distracting him with some play time or a good romp & see if he responds this way. Otherwise, most irritations/sensations calm pretty quickly. If he continues to show signs of discomfort, please your pet examined by a veterinarian to make sure there is nothing abnormal with his eas, such as a ruptured ear drum or the presence of any foreign material deep in the canal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would get it checked to make sure there isn't something going on. If his ears were plucked at the groomer it may have irritated his ear canal and that could make him hold his ear down rather than up if he feels he needs to protect it.

Honestly, I would just leave it alone for 24-48 hours since putting anything in the ears will hurt very much. Ear plucking is commonly done in this type of breed, but you may ask the groomer not to do it in the future. In a day or two, if Shotsie still seems uncomfortable and the ears are still irritated, you can get a pet ear cleaner like Dechra EpiKlean Ear Cleanser - it is balanced, so it won't burn like vinegar would, and will help the ears stay dry. Use the ear cleaner once a day for a couple days. If the ears still look irritated, then Shotsie should be evaluated by a vet for infection or other damage.

It could be the stitches are irritating and itchy which is causing Grizzly to shake his head more, however keeping an eye both on the wound and his ears are a good idea. If his symptoms worsen, the wound or ears seem to look worse, or other signs of illness appear, having your vet take a look and rechecking both areas is best. Keeping an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Grizzly may also help prevent him from pawing at or shaking his head as much to allow the area to heal.

It sounds like Sage could have an ear infection or may be having an allergic reaction to something. If her face appears swollen you should see an emergency veterinarian right away. If she continues to rub or scratch her ears tomorrow you should make an appointment with your regular veterinarian to have her ears examined.

Yes, it sounds like something is bothering her. Dogs have very long ear canals so what you can see just by holding up the ear flap and looking down there is not even 10% of the ear. It is best to take her to the vet so they can look down into the ear with an otoscope to see if there is something down there.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know for sure without an examination though this is not uncommon following ear cleaning. It is a reaction to the ear cleansing solution. This is likely going to improve on its own with time. Good luck and have a good night!