What does an unhealthy dog's ear look like?
Tiffany Gerhold
2025-09-04 15:06:32
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Common signs of unhealthy ears include: Redness and swelling Sensitive to touch Head shaking or hitting Foul odour Discharge Scratching or rubbing. Ear problems are more common in dogs with long hanging ears, such as Basset Hounds and Spaniels. Dogs who spend a lot of time in water may have regular ear problems, as well as dogs with allergies.
Sandrine Farrell
2025-08-27 14:21:51
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An unhealthy ear is not free of an excessive build up of dirt or wax, and may have discharge. Smelly ears – yeast infections tend to smell sickly sweet. Lots of discharge and dark build up can be a sign of an ear infection. Pain when massaging ears can also indicate a problem. Red, painful looking ear canal is another symptom. Dogs suffering with allergies may scratch their ears and continuously shake their heads. If your cloth is dirtier than normal or has a sweet sickly smell you may need to schedule a vet appointment for a check up. Symptoms of an ear infection include shaking / scratching ears.
Merl Ritchie
2025-08-21 14:11:44
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The normal ear canal and ear flap are lined with smooth pale pink skin. The ear does not have any unpleasant smell or any discharge. The ear may smell. There may be discharge, either wax or pus. The skin of the ear may look pink or red. The ear canal is usually empty and conducts sound down to the ear drum. In cases of otitis externa, the ear canal can be filled with wax or pus, and the skin lining the ear canal can become thickened and inflamed. The ear flaps cover the entrance to the ear canals so that air cannot flow freely into the ear, again making the ear canals more humid. Otitis externa can cause the ear canal to become inflamed and painful, and can lead to permanent damage to the ear, including thickening of the skin lining the ear and mineralisation of the cartilage support of the ear canal.
Rahsaan Klocko
2025-08-14 00:02:05
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: 21
If the ear appears normal and healthy on exam and there is no sign of infection, then there is no reason to clean the ear. If you notice what appears to be excessive wax in the ears, use a cotton ball to wipe the wax out of the ear and then take a look in the ear. If there is any odor to the ear, or if the ear is red, swollen, painful, warm to the touch, or looks different than the other ear, there is a high likelihood that your pet has an external ear infection. Other signs to watch for are: Sensitivity and reluctance to having the ears touched, which can signal pain. Excessive scratching or digging at the ears. Rubbing the ears against the ground or furniture. Sometimes dirt in the ear can look like excessive wax and fake you out. Conversely, a yeast infection can fake you out by creating dark brown debris that looks like dirt.
Buck Wolf
2025-08-05 06:00:23
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Ear problems tend to cause swelling, redness, pain, a bad smell, itchiness, and head shaking. If your dog is suffering from a problem with their outer ear, they are likely to have one or more of the following symptoms: Heat, swelling, itchiness and pain. A bad smell from the affected ear(s) and discharge, dirt, excess wax or blood from the affected ear(s) can also be present. A swollen, droopy earflap is another possible symptom. Severe ear problems that affect deep inside the ear can also cause symptoms such as loss of balance, a head tilt, and flickering eye movements. An aural haematoma, which is a blood blister inside the earflap, causes it to balloon in size, become hot, red and droopy.
Domenica Hayes
2025-08-05 05:46:50
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Dry dog ears can result in itching, scaly patches of skin, and even infection if left untreated. Allergies to food, medicine, environmental factors, or even something as simple as plastic bowls can spark an allergic reaction that causes drying out of the skin on the ears, resulting in scaly patches. Fleas can cause dry and itchy dog ears, they can also cause an allergic reaction leading to swelling and redness or oozing, crusty skin. If your dog’s ears are particularly foul-smelling or emitting a discharge, it’s time for a vet visit. They were so dry and crusty. Fleas can cause dry and itchy dog ears, they can also cause an allergic reaction leading to swelling and redness or oozing, crusty skin.
Ilene Glover
2025-08-05 04:42:12
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Healthy dog earwax tends to range from pale yellow to light brown, whereas darker colours tend to be associated with infections and should be observed by a veterinarian.
Yellow A pale yellow colour indicates normal, healthy ear wax
Light Brown A common ear wax colour for healthy dogs
Dark Brown The colour of discharge often associated with yeast infections
Dark Green Often a sign of bacterial infections.
Dark green ear wax tends to be accompanied by foul smells
Dark Red Dark red ear wax is usually caused by blood, commonly seen with ruptured eardrums and infections
Grey / Black Grey to black shades of ear wax indicate dust build ups, dirt, debris and infections
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