My dog yelps when I touch his ear and tilts his head. Is he in pain?

Head tilting and head shaking are common occurrence when inner ear problems such as an ear infection, allergies or even mites occur. It is possible that there may be something bothering the inside of your dog's ear and it may be that either barking helps relieve it, is a symptom of it (IE he is barking because it hurts) or the barking is the cause of the irritation. It is a good idea to take a peek into your dog's ears if he'll let you to see if you can see any signs of infection or irritation such as redness, dirt/debris, bad smell (usually a "corn chip" like smell) or other signs of problems. If the ear is irritated to the point where it can't be touched, this is also a good indication of a possible ear problem. Ear infections are usually treated with a medicated ear ointment and cleaner from your vet over a period of 7-10 days to relieve the problem, while allergies can be treated with a daily oral allergy medication (your vet can give you dosing information if this is the case). In some cases of severe infections, your vet may also want to sedate your dog to get a thorough ear cleaning in and to relieve the problem quickly. In some cases, head tilt and shaking can also indicate an illness called Vestibular Disease. This is commonly seen with other symptoms such as walking in a circle (usually in the direction of the head tilt), scratching at the ear, constant head tilt or signs of dizziness such as nausea and vomiting. This situation is more serious, and can be caused by a number of issues ranging from severe infections, to neurologic problems and should be looked at by a vet as soon as possible if suspected. If this behavior is new, then making a checkup with your local vet is the best option to look for ear problems causing the odd behavior. In the mean time, prevent him from scratching at or shaking his head when possible- an Elizabethan collar (cone) can help to stop this and prevent any spread of infection/irritation.

I'm sorry Draco is hurting! A dog's ear canal is very deep, so it is very possible that he may have an infection or even an object in the canal and you wouldn't be able to see it without an otoscope. If it is still tender tomorrow I would recommend an examination by your veterinarian so see what can be done to make him more comfortable. Thanks for using Pet Coach!

Your dog could have a middle or inner ear infection. The symptoms for middle and inner ear infections are often similar to outer ear infections, and include pain in the ear, head shaking, infected or bloody discharge, and scratching or pawing at the head or ear. Your vet can diagnose an ear infection, and because untreated ear infections can lead to hearing loss, I'd recommend taking Speckles into your vet to have them examine the ear. If it is an ear infection, Speckles will need an antibiotic to treat the infection.

It could be that Jax is suffering from an ear infection. This would be painful to him, and it would cause him to touch his ear. In dogs, ear infections can be caused by yeast, bacteria, or ear mites, and the cause of the infection needs to be diagnosed so it can be treated correctly. Only the vet can do this, so I would take him into the vet on Monday to have his ear examined, diagnosed, and treated. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

I would be worried about a potential inner ear infection. Other ear infections can progress to inner ear infections which are painful, can result in hearing loss and balance issues. It is possible that the head tilt is the first sign that the balance Centers are being affected. I would advise taking Dahlia back in to the vet.

Poor Troy! Itchy, painful ears with the redness and discharge visible in the pictures are most consistent with bacterial and/or yeast ear infections. Some dogs are quite uncomfortable and will hold their ears in different positions. There are no effective over the counter medications to treat actual ear infections, so it would be best to take Troy to his vet. The vet will be able to examine him and perform an ear cytology to microscopically determine the type of infection present in order to pick the most appropriate medications. I hope this helps and that Troy is feeling better soon!

We will very commonly see ear infections in dogs. The infection is most commonly due to an overgrowth of normal yeast and bacteria in the ear. I am attaching a link with more information below. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951507 Ear infections can be very painful or sometimes the only sign is that they are holding their ear in an abnormal position. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Jax. They will be able to examine into the ear and take a sample of any discharge to evaluate under the microscope to determine if there is anything abnormal going on then determine the best treatment for him. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Jax feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.