My dog is shaking his head, ear infection? Is it an emergency if vet closed?

Unfortunately if he won't let you near his ears you may have to wait until tomorrow when you can get Wrigley in to see your veterinarian. If you can pick up an ear cleaner from a pet store you can try flushing them out between now and tomorrow morning. If he is walking with a head tilt I would be worried that his inner or middle ear may also be affected, if this is truly the case, I wouldn't recommend putting anything more in his ears until you see your vet. If you feel he is really uncomfortable and you don't want to wait, an emergency vet should be able to evaluate him today.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Ear infections can affect the balance system which can lead to disorientation and a wobbly walk. Tomorrow for an appointment should be fine as what you are describing is not an emergency. When you see the vet tomorrow Pookie will be taken care of and will receive the most appropriate treatment. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Poor Scout! If he is really lethargic or walking in circles then I would have him seen today as it could be an inner ear infection. But if he is otherwise acting okay except for shaking his head or pawing at it then yes, it can wait until tomorrow. Your vet will be able to determine the type of infection and put him on the proper ear meds if needed. I hope this helps!

He may have an infection, inflammation, mites or something stuck in his ear. A gentle cleanser from the pet store can be applied to see if this will flush the ear and provide some temporary relief - alcohol free cleanser is recommended if the ear is very sensitive

You already did everything you can do, which is to clean out the ear. If you have an ear cleaning fluid you can use that as well. Do not put any left over medication into the ear as it may influence what your vet sees when he examines the ear on Monday.

This looks like an aural hematoma, a condition where the space between the skin and the ear cartilage fills with blood. It most commonly occurs secondary to an ear infection. While a veterinarian needs to be involved to treat the hematoma and the underlying cause, it is not necessarily an emergency and I think it would be okay for the dog to wait a couple days if necessary as long as he isn't too uncomfortable. If your neighbor is out of town for more than a couple days you should take the dog to a vet.

If ear infections are left untreated, they can lead to hearing loss. Unfortunately this cannot be treated at home without prescription medication, but a vet should see you for this problem. Give your vet a call.