My dog has a crusty, dry ear and keeps scratching. Is it an infection?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Hi there, my french bulldog has one ear that is slightly crusty and dry inside. He keeps scratching it, is there anything you could recommend?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 20th, 2018
Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I am concerned that he has an ear infection. He needs to see his veterinarian. The ears will be examined including deep inside as the dog's ear drum requires a special instrument in order to be visualized. Then a swab will be taken from each ear to be examined under the microscope. This will allow the veterinarian to determine if an infection is in fact present and if so, what medication will be needed to treat it. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 28th, 2019
Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I am concerned that she has an ear infection. The ear is red, swollen and has discharge present. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. The ear canal will be examined and a sample is typically evaluated under the microscope. From there, proper medication can be prescribed. In the meantime, you can clean the ear if you have a cleaner for dogs. This will help to flush away some of the discharge. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Training & Behavior
My dog was excessively scratching her ear all night, when I observed, her ear was flaking and I’m wondering what it is and what I can do to help
Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I am concerned that she has an ear infection. The ear is red, swollen and has discharge present. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. The ear canal will be examined and a sample is typically evaluated under the microscope. From there, proper medication can be prescribed. In the meantime, you can clean the ear if you have a cleaner for dogs. This will help to flush away some of the discharge. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi we have a 4yr old female jackchi, she currently has environmental allergies and has previously been on Prednisone 5mg x1 tablet per day from the vets. At the moment im giving her x1 piriton a day instead of the steroid as I don’t want her system t
Please do not use Sudocrem, as it contains zinc oxide, which would be toxic if she ingests it. If there is a bacterial or yeast infection present in the ear canal, which may be the case especially if she's shaking her head and scratching, you should have your vet examine her. Some ear solutions and medications can damage the middle and/or inner ear if the eardrum has been damaged. Your vet will likely be able to see the eardrum when he or she uses an otoscope to look in the ears. Sometimes the canal is very swollen and /or has a large amount of debris that prevents us from being able to see the eardrum, but we should always attempt to verify that the eardrum is ok before treating the ear, so as to not damage the middle or inner ear. If she does not seem to be shaking or scratching, it may be just the pinna (ear flap) that is affected, in which case I would recommend you try using [Zymox](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone), as it
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
hello my dog has black stuff around his ear on the outside, and i'm not sure what it is. It is crusty.
This is likely to be caused by an ear infection due to proliferation of Malassezia spp (an yeast infection basically). I would recommend an immediate check up to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat accordingly. Antibiotics ear drops will be required. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
He keeps scratching behind one of his ears, would it be an ear infection, slightly red
This could be certainly a sign of ear infection. External ear infections are diagnosed based on otoscopic exam of the ear and ear cytology. For cytology, your veterinarian will take a sample of the debris in the ear and examine it under the microscope to look for yeast, bacteria and mites. Treatment varies depending on the severity of the disease. In external ear infections, a topical antibacterial/antifungal medication will be prescribed for treatment. Your veterinarian may also prescribe a medicated ear flush to remove debris. In mild middle ear infections, oral or injectable antibiotics are often used in combination with topical medications. I would recommend a check up to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog developed a yellow crust. I cleaned it out and it came right back. Once I cleaned it, she kept scratching. It is definitely sensitive since she pulls away whenever I try to look at it. But she doesn’t cry as if she were in pain. Not sure if it
Poor Luna! Yes, it definitely looks like she has an infection in her ear - yellow crusty debris like this is not normal. She will need prescription ear drops from your vet to treat this effectively, so I would recommend taking her in for an exam tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you can use an over-the-counter ear flush such as Epi-Otic to gently clean the affected ear and remove the crusty discharge. This will not treat the underlying infection, but may help to make her a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
My dog scratches his ear so much and he scratched off the fur in his ear. I dont know what to do please help
Hello and thank you for reaching out to Boop by Petco. I’m sorry to hear that Bob is scratching his ear. It is possible that he has an ear infection, likely bacterial or yeast in origin. I recommend having him seen by your veterinarian to have him/her perform an ear smear and cytology to look at the cells and determine what type of infection is present. This way, he/she can prescribe the most appropriate treatment. I hope this is helpful!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has been scratching his ear a lot especially when it is hot outside can it be ear mites? An ear infection?
Ear mites are extremely rare in a pet dog that is well taken care of. It is only usually seen in dogs that are strays or not well kept. I highly doubt that is the issue. It is probably an infection. I suggest you have a vet examine the ear to look down inside with an otoscope to make sure there is nothing down inside causing him discomfort. If it is an infection then they can prescribe the appropriate medication depending on if it is a yeast infection, a bacterial infection or a mixed infection.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I clean Mike's ears regularly with a good ear cleaning solution but he starts shaking and scratching again with 4-5 days.How to cure it completely?
He is probably suffering from an ear infection, unfortunately the ear cleaner will not help cure it, you need to take him to the vet as he will need a prescription antibiotic/antifungal ear drops to treat this infection.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
For the past few days, my dog has been tilting his head and violently scratching his left ear. When I went to check it out, the ear was swollen and full of flaky yellow wax. The other ear seems perfectly normal with no issues. I don't know what to do
Poor Bowey, it sounds like that ear is really uncomfortable! I would recommend a visit to your vet. They will do a thorough exam, and likely take some samples of the debris is Bowdy's ear to look at under the microscope. This will help determine if an infection is present, and what type of medication is most effective. Ear infections can be cause by yeast, or bacteria, sometimes both. Your vet will likely prescribe an ear cleaning solution and a medicated ointment or drops for Bowdy's ear. If the flap of the ear is swollen Bowdy may be dealing with an ear hematoma as well-this is when there is a collection of blood/fluid under the skin of the ear flap. It sometimes happens secondary to an ear infection when they are shaking and scratching a lot. Sometimes they need to be surgically drained, other times can be treated medically. I hope Bowdy feels better soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
hello. my 3 years old french bulldog has very dry coat and on her ears- scabs. her right ear is wet and has crust in it because of itching. she also shakes her head sometimes. what can it be and is it dangerous?
It sounds like Neka could have an ear infection, and the dry coat could be due to dandruff or allergies. I'd have her seen by a vet. The ear problem really needs to be checked out promptly, as leaving it untreated can lead to hearing loss. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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