My dog is unsteady. Could it be an ear infection? What are the signs?

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.

Hello, thank you for your question about Max. Based on the symptoms you are describing it sounds like Max may just have some mild irritation in his ears. You can have his ears cleaned and continue monitoring him for any discharge/scratching/redness/head shaking. If any of these signs develop I would recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian so that they can look for signs of an ear infection. Hope this helps, good luck!

That could be a minor infection. Check the ears for redness, an odd smell or any sensitivity. Also check the other ear. They should look similar. You may also try cleaning out the ear. If the debris come back within a few days, it’s likely infected.

Oftentimes when a dog is rubbing his ear it can be because of an itch caused by infection. If the infection travels to the inner ear it can effect the dog's vestibular system (the system that helps a dog keep his balance). I would recommend taking Sonny to your vet to check for an ear infection or other inner ear problems.

Hi. Poor Bo Luke. Sounds like he most likely has an ear infection. Sometimes these can be in the middle or inner ear, or be bad enough to spread there from outter ear. This can then cause pain, lethargy, swelling, head tilting, and walking as if drunk/ to one side. He will need an exam, ear exam, ear cytology to see if yeast or bacterial, then put on the correct medications, and pain medications! With these signs, I would take him to ER tonight. He is pprobably pretty uncomfortable. Good luck

Hello, thank you for your question about Penny, she is adorable! Floppy eared dogs can be more prone to ear infections. Common signs of an ear infection include head shaking, scratching/rubbing at the ears, brown/colored debris in the canal that often has an odor, and redness of the ear. If Penny is exhibiting any of these symptoms she should be seen by a veterinarian so that they can collect a swab from her ear for evaluation and discuss further treatment recommendations. Hope this helps!

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.