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Why is my dog's ear red, swollen with liquid, and skin breaking out?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 2 years and 8 months old | 75 lbs

My dog has been digging and scratching at her ear. It is red and swollen..u can hear that it has liguid in it. She also is broke out around her mouth and her chest has sores that looks like pimples, when they bust they are full of blood.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 18th, 2020

It sounds like there are a few things going on with Izzy. It sounds like she has a bad ear infection and may also have a skin infection. This cannot be treated at home, you have to take her into a vet asap.

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog keeps itching at her ears so bad that she keeps making them bleed, she’s doing the same to her paws. What can I do to get her to stop and what can I put on her to help with the itching?
It sounds like Izzy has a bad ear infection, and she could also have allergies if she is itching at her paws. She sounds miserable. She needs to see a vet today to have these problems diagnosed and treated.
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Stormie Scratched open was was a bump we think but now we think it was a blood blister. It opened up and I caught it but didn’t think much because she wasn’t bleeding but now her ear is swollen, tender and hard. I thought about squeezing it but when
Poor girl. This may be an infected mass or even a cyst. I would recommend having your vet take samples from this to be certain as to what is inside and perhaps the vet can also carefully drain it using a needle and syringe. In the meantime you can do alternating cold and warm compresses on the area for 5-10 minutes twice a day, if tolerated. Otherwise, your vet will need to get involved here to get this resolved. Best wishes with your pet Stormie and I hope you can get this source of discomfort taken care of soon for her. Take care.
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What is causing this? I have attached 3 photos.
Isabella's skin looks horrible, and this could be a severe skin infection. The discharge from her eye could be due to an eye infection. Her skin is really bad and you cannot treat this at home. Please take her into a vet immediately.
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His ear is puffy, red and swollen. He keeps itching it and puss is coming out
Poor Ron! It sounds like he has a very bad infection. Unfortunately there is not really any options for home care for something like this and he needs to see the veterinarian. This is likely painful as well so try to get him in quickly. Dogs have various types of ear infections and the doctor will need to look under the microscope to know what type of infection is present and what type of treatment is most appropriate. The doctor will also provide medications to decrease inflammation and pain. I hope he starts feeling better quickly and that you found this helpful. Please feel free to post any additional questions.
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Hello,, while I was brushing my Yorki dog I noticed redness and it’s swollen on her upper head , I also noticed like wound just behind her ear seems like scratching wound... what do you think is this allergy or what ..? And what should I apply as a M
Hi and thanks for posting on Boop by Petco! There are a lot of things redness and swelling could indicate. Sometimes it means there is an infection present such as a bacterial infection. It could indicate an underlying allergy of some sort (environmental, contact allergy, or to food). Redness around the ears especially could mean an ear infection is present. My advice would be to take her into see her veterinarian so this can be evaluated. Your veterinarian may check her ears for an infection and may recommend antibiotics or certain topical medications depending on what your vet suspects.
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My dog's skin is reddish because of itching and sometimes its bleeding because of too much itching, i really wanna help my dog her face is swollen. How can I help her?
Please get trish assessed as soon as possible by your vet to identify and treat the underlying cause as well as any infections which have developed in the damaged skin. Your vet may wish to do tests to identify any mites which may be present under the skin
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Hello, my dog has a terrible ear infection. I think it allergy related. I came home from work and she had scratched them so bad she had blood in her bed.
Ouch, poor Remington! You are correct - most ear infections in dogs stem from underlying allergies. Allergy issues in dogs mostly cause skin problems and ears are skin, after all. The allergies could be associated with environmental issues (atopy), food allergies or flea allergies. I can certainly see the discharge and swelling in Remington's ear. Her excessive scratching obviously indicates that she's quite uncomfortable. Allergy issues cause dogs to itch, which damages the skin barrier and then leads to ear infections from an overgrowth of yeast and/or bacteria in the ear canal. There are no effective over the counter treatments for ear infections. At this point, I recommend taking Remington to her vet for an exam and ear cytology. Your vet will be able to look at her ear discharge under a microscope to determine the type of infection present, and will then prescribe an appropriate medication based on those results. Until you get to the vet, consider putting an e-collar (cone) on Rem
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My dog has a patch of black, dry, wrinkled skin in one of her ears. It's inside the outer ear and it hurts her a little if touched. It's about the size of a quarter, irregular shape and 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
I am so sorry to hear that Gizmo's ear is bothering her. From what you are describing I believe she has an ear infection, and has been scratching at her ear causing the changes you observe. Ear infections in dogs can be very difficult to manage, and are very common. Though cleaning may help prevent ear infections ruins, it won't treat an ear infection that is present. Antibiotics are needed. Unfortunately, there aren't any medications over the counter which would be helpful at this stage. Outer ear infections can progress to inner ear infections. Inner ear infections are very difficult to treat, are very painful and have serious potential complications, such as hearing loss and problems with balance. I would suggest a trip to the vet as soon as you can. The vet will use a tool to look into Gizmo's ears, and may take a swab of the infected ear and send it away for analysis, so that the exact pathogens causing the infection can be identified and therefore a specific antibiotic can
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Hey I have puppy that's 2/half months old. And as I was petting her I noticed her fur under your ear was stiff so I was pulling it back and noticed puss. I shaved the area and it's all crackly and puss is dried up on and around it. The skin looks cra
It sounds like she has a bacterial skin infection so she should be examined by a vet for treatment. Your vet can shave the area, flush and clean the area, and then prescribe an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory, if needed, to help treat.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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I have 3 dogs, all of them have red swollen ears on the inside, head shaking. one dog seems a lot worse then the others.
It sounds like your pets may be dealing with ear infections, which can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, or a combination of these, and can be associated with dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. Buddy and your other dogs need to see a vet to have an ear swab done. Your vet can look at the sample under the microscope and treat appropriately based on what is found. Your vet will also need to examine the ear with a scope to see if the ear drum is intact, as some medications cannot be used safely if the eardrum is ruptured. Ear infections can be very painful, and can sometimes progress to include the middle or inner ear, where they can cause neurological signs or permanent hearing loss. Please book an appointment to have Buddy and your other dogs seen as soon as possible to help get them feeling better.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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