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Why is my dog shaking his head and scratching his red, pus-filled ears?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 6 months old | 80 lbs

My dog has been itching his ears and shaking his head like crazy. I cleaned them out and found a puss like substance. His ears are red and very dry on the inside. What could that be?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Emily, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 21st, 2017

Samson likely has an infection of his ears, likely bacterial. With this appearance he needs prescription strength medications for this to heal. Therefore he needs to go see his veterinarian so they can do an exam and prescribe the appropriate antibiotic. If left untreated some of these cases can cause permanent changes to the ears, hearing loss, chronic pain and even have resistant bacterial infections that are even more difficult to treat. So early intervention is key.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Samson. This sounds like a bacterial and/or yeast infection. Unfortunately there are not any really effective cleaners that will get rid of the infection itself. I would recommend to have your vet do an exam to determine the type of infection it is and ensure the ear drums are intact and prescribe him a medication to kill the yeast and bacteria. Most meds have some type of syeroid in them to help soothe the ear and make them less itchy as well. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on April 24th, 2018

    Poor Butch! I can see that his ear does look quite red. Redness, scabs, and excess waxy discharge in the ear canal are all common signs of an ear infection. You will need prescription ear meds from the vet to treat the infection, so I would recommend taking Butch in for an exam when you are able to. Once the infection is cleared up, you can use a maintenance cleaner like MalAcetic or EpiOtic to clean the ears regularly, which should help to prevent further infections in the future.

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 13th, 2019

    It's probably an ear infection, often it cannot be seen from the outside. Ear infections are very common in dogs, it is usually caused by either yeast or bacterial disease. the treatment is usually simple and straightforward, you will have to take him to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.

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