My dog's ear is draining and painful. Does he need to see a vet?

Question

My male dogs ear is draining and you can tell he’s hurt. We really don’t have money to go to a vet but if we have to we will figure it out but can you tell me what this could be and how to treat it? Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 10 months old | 70 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

I'm so sorry that Shadow's ear is hurting. From the appearance of the picture, I presume that the discharge is coming from the ear canal. Unfortunately, there isn't any way to determine what is causing an ear infection except for performing an ear cytology. An ear cytology is when your vet takes a sample of the discharge from the ear and looks at it under a microscope. They can then determine if the infection is caused by yeast or bacteria or both and determine the best way to treat it. I wish I had another answer for you, but I think it's time to take Shadow to the vet for an examination and ear cytology. I would not recommend cleaning the ear before taking him in, so your vet can get an accurate sample of the ear discharge. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog's ear is draining and painful. Does he need to see a vet?

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