Why does my Maltese have yellow, smelly ear discharge after bathing?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Sam! His ears do look infected and painful. It is best to have him seen by a Vet. You can’t tell if it is a yeast or bacterial infection by looking at it. The vet will use a Q-tip to remove some discharge to smear on a slide. Under the microscope they can then tell. They will then prescribe an ear flush, ear drops and likely steroids for the redness and pain. I hope this helps and I wish Sam a speedy recovery!!

It is a possible sign of otitis, inflammation of the external ear canal. If you notice brown wax-like ear discharge, it could be compatible with yeast infection, very common in dogs. On other hand yellow discharge could be due to a bacterial infection. You can clean the ear canal (just the external part) with specific products (like cleanaural) but if there is an infection medications will be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It sounds like Princess has an ear infection. Leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss, so you need to take her into a vet now. Ear infections in dogs her age are typically caused by yeast or bacteria, so you need a vet to diagnose the cause in order for her to get the correct medication.

Poor girl. Any discharge from the ear, especially if it is smelly and causing irritation to the pet, is signs of an ear infection. You will need to take Molly to your vet for an ear exam and can then get prescribed much needed ear medication for her to clear up this infection. There are many homemade remedies that people try for ear infections, but they really don’t work very well. The best thing to do here is to to see your vet so that this infection isn’t prolonged and treated quickly. I do hope that Molly’s ear infection resolves soon. I wish you all the best moving forward. Take care.

Poor Spookette! It sounds like she may have a pretty bad ear infection. Ear infections can be due to mites, bacteria, or yeast in cats. I'd recommend scheduling an examination with a veterinarian so Spookette can have her ears checked out. A swab can be taken from the ears and evaluated under the microscope to determine if the cause is mites, bacteria, or yeast. She will likely need prescription ear medication to treat. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Spookette's ear issue resolves quickly!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to an ear infection. There may be an underlying allergy causing this as well. I recommend that you have Apollo evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian would be able to check what type of infection is present and treat accordingly. Usually this resolves with topical therapy. Good luck and have a good day!

No, that isn't enough to help Charlie. If there is pus from his ears, he has an ear infection and will need to see the vet. Ear infections can be caused by yeast, bacteria, or ear mites. The vet can diagnose the cause of the ear infection, and can prescribe an appropriate treatment. It's very important to have anything here infections examined and treated promptly, as leaving them untreated can lead to hearing loss. I would take Charlie into the vet today.