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My dog's ear is red, crusty, and bleeding. Could it be ear mites?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 6 years and 6 months old | 19 lbs

Hello, last night I was petting my dog and I looked into his ear and noticed there was a non-black clear crust of some sort and flakes inside his ear, he had been scratching there as well so it was also bleeding a little bit. I cleaned it up with a cotton pad and water and decided to make an appointment for the vet, unfortunately, I wasn't able to. I'm not sure if it's ear mites or something else. This morning his ear was bright red and just looks really bad. Please help.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 21st, 2020

Hello. This may be some allergic reaction as I do not see any indication that Jimin has ear mites. You can go to your local Petco & pick up a tube of Zymox Hydrocortisone cream. Apply a little on the red areas you see, but do not put it into the ear canal. Use it twice a day until you can see your veterinarian. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on June 28th, 2018

    I am sorry to hear that Baxter has been so uncomfortable. The description sounds like he likely has an ear infection. These can be yeast, bacteria, or a combination there of. An ear mite infection is also possible. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. They can determine what type of infection it is and provide you with medication to solve it. Often times ear infections are secondary to allergies, so an allergy discussion may be part of the visit as well. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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