My dog's ears are super itchy--but no ear infection?

4126 Views 15 Replies 7 Participants Last post by KayWilson, Jan 6, 2016

Woofle

Discussion Starter · Jan 5, 2016

I feel terrible, my dog has had super itchy ears and its clear they arent infected, so I assumed getting him some ear relief and ear wash would help relieve it. It was this really recommended natural brand-- expensive too DX and Im pretty sure I just made it worse! the relief stuff dries to a power, and now two days later it's all gone and he instead has dried blood on his ears! Did I just harm my dog??? Should I apply more? I don't know what to do

It was Vet's Best ear relief wash+dry... Maybe I applied it to his ears wrong?

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seashoreduck

· #2 · Jan 5, 2016

Woofle said:
I feel terrible, my dog has had super itchy ears and its clear they arent infected, so I assumed getting him some ear relief and ear wash would help relieve it. It was this really recommended natural brand-- expensive too DX and Im pretty sure I just made it worse! the relief stuff dries to a power, and now two days later it's all gone and he instead has dried blood on his ears! Did I just harm my dog??? Should I apply more? I don't know what to do

It was Vet's Best ear relief wash+dry... Maybe I applied it to his ears wrong?

Please don't try something again if it caused your dog's ears to bleed. There's many, many reasons why a dog has itchy ears. This could be anything from microscopic parasites to dry skin to too much moisture. Does your dog have erect or floppy ears?

Best bet is to call your vet for advice.

Woofle

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 5, 2016

seashoreduck said:
Please don't try something again if it caused your dog's ears to bleed. There's many, many reasons why a dog has itchy ears. This could be anything from microscopic parasites to dry skin to too much moisture. Does your dog have erect or floppy ears?

Best bet is to call your vet for advice.

I want to call my vet but my mom doesn't think its a big deal, so I came here. I dont think the stuff made his ears bleed, but I think he itched them until they did. But I dont know for sure.

I originally felt the inside of his ears and they felt greasy, so I thought the drying power would be a good idea. Im not sure whether or not they are more floppy or erect... They are tipped, but unnaturally big for his breed so they kinda flop?

seashoreduck

· #4 · Jan 5, 2016

Woofle said:
I want to call my vet but my mom doesn't think its a big deal, so I came here. I dont think the stuff made his ears bleed, but I think he itched them until they did. But I dont know for sure.

I originally felt the inside of his ears and they felt greasy, so I thought the drying power would be a good idea. Im not sure whether or not they are more floppy or erect... They are tipped, but unnaturally big for his breed so they kinda flop?

Well I'm not quite worried about ear infectin so much as a skin infection. You don't list your dog.

It was good to come to ask for advice, but when you cross over into the bleeding territory, it becomes dangerous to wait on people who can't see or feel the dog to make guesses.

If this were my dog, right now, I'd wash the ears with clean, gentle soap and water. Then I'd call the vet. You may not even need to take the dog in. A good vet will give you a few things to try unless they think it's an emergency.

Woofle

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 5, 2016

list my dog?

it would make sense for him to have a skin infection, he has had a problem with skin infections in the past my i didnt think it would affect his ears. i dont really know much about medical conditions...

I will try to convince my mom to call the vet, can I just wipe his ears with water? I dont have any gentle natural shampoo, just this generic pet shampoo.

seashoreduck

· #6 · Jan 5, 2016

Woofle said:
list my dog?

it would make sense for him to have a skin infection, he has had a problem with skin infections in the past my i didnt think it would affect his ears. i dont really know much about medical conditions...

I will try to convince my mom to call the vet, can I just wipe his ears with water? I dont have any gentle natural shampoo, just this generic pet shampoo.

Sorry, on this site you have an option to list the dogs you have.

If you're old enough to type on the internet, you should be old enough to use the phone to call a vet. I think most vets (atleast mine would) be impressed by a young person caring for their pet. When I would petsit as a kid (sometimes for month long stretches) I always had a number to the vets, and I think the first time I called was when I was 13 or 14 because the dog had gotten burs all over and I had no idea how to remove them. My own parents only ever had short-hairs and the internet wasn't really big back then.

Do you have any dawn dishsoap? That's a very mild soap. wet a rag or one of those super paper towels with warm (not hot) water and put on a tiny bit of soap. Then wash one ear. Thoroughly wash the rag, or use a new paper towel to do the next ear. Pat dry to make sure there's no moisture left. I remember that this is how my aunt treated her cocker spaniel's ears.

annageckos

· #7 · Jan 5, 2016

Your dog could have an allergy. Food allergies are pretty common. You can try a grain free food with a single protein your dog has never had. But if your parents won't call the vet I'm not sure how they will feel about switching foods to see if it's the problem.
If the ear is just greasy that is normal. Are the ears inflamed, smelly or have thick gunk when you wipe them?

Reactions: 2

lzrddr

· #8 · Jan 5, 2016

I would stop everything you are doing to your poor dog's ears and either get him taken to the vet, or at least let them calm down a bit. The more stuff you put in those tender ears, the worse things may get. Please do NOT shampoo your dog's either, either.

The number one cause of ear problems in dogs is allergies (by a massive majority- probably 85%). But how you can tell your dog does not have an infection, I do not understand. Dog's ear canals are very long and have a right angle bend in them that makes seeing down as far as the ear drum impossible without an otoscope. Not all infections have a bad odor, though I admit most do. But still, an allergic ear without an infection is not that unusual, though infections almost always occur if the ear is not treated eventually (mostly yeast infections... .that is when you dog ends up with that dark brown to black, smelly, waxy goo in their ears). Yeast are virtually in ALL dog's ears all the time, but in small numbers and do not cause any problem unless conditions are 'right' for them to go nuts ... eg. an inflamed, itchy red ear, or an ear full of moisture (see a LOT of those in California dogs that swim all the time). Yeast smells sickly sweet and can often smell across the room. Bacterial infections, can be mild and nearly odorless to severe and smell like something died in there.

Either way, allergic, red, itchy ears need relief! Washing them with anything is not going to help the itching, and often may exacerbate it. Sometimes you need to wash an ear to start with to get all the gunk out of it, but once it's out, STOP washing it. And only use a wash designed for ears (something with a drying agent is vital, something that kills yeast is useful, and something that breaks up the wax is very helpful... you could even use tap water (now what many ear and skin specialists use) to flush out the debris. Problem is many cleaners 1) irritate ears and will make the redness and itching worse... that is why following them up with something that has an anti-inflammatory is so important (like 90% of all the ear meds you can get from your vet). ... but cleaners also can 2) damage the inner ear badly if there is a ruptured ear drum (not that rare with any sort of infection in a dog ear ).... so CAUTION!! Inner ear damage can lead to permanent deafness.

Your dog definitely is having a severe inflammatory reaction, either to some environmental allergen, possibly even a food allergen (a LOT less likely) and/or to your ministrations. Best to treat those ears with medication designed specifically to do so (eg. the antibiotic, anti yeast and anti-inflammatory meds that nearly all ear medications have in them). And the last ingredient is by far the most important.

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Woofle

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 5, 2016

annageckos said:
Your dog could have an allergy. Food allergies are pretty common. You can try a grain free food with a single protein your dog has never had. But if your parents won't call the vet I'm not sure how they will feel about switching foods to see if it's the problem.
If the ear is just greasy that is normal. Are the ears inflamed, smelly or have thick gunk when you wipe them?

She doesn't think it's a big deal. I have tried switching his food but any grain free food puts weight on him and he is already fat. I can't exercise him enough for his breed either, because too much gets him hurt. (he is a senior)

His ears aren't inflamed, or smelly, and dont have gunk thats why I put drying power in them because they dont seem like they need any real treatment, just maybe too much moisture has built up so I figured drying them out would be best.

Woofle

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 5, 2016

seashoreduck said:
Sorry, on this site you have an option to list the dogs you have.

If you're old enough to type on the internet, you should be old enough to use the phone to call a vet. I think most vets (atleast mine would) be impressed by a young person caring for their pet. When I would petsit as a kid (sometimes for month long stretches) I always had a number to the vets, and I think the first time I called was when I was 13 or 14 because the dog had gotten burs all over and I had no idea how to remove them. My own parents only ever had short-hairs and the internet wasn't really big back then.

Do you have any dawn dishsoap? That's a very mild soap. wet a rag or one of those super paper towels with warm (not hot) water and put on a tiny bit of soap. Then wash one ear. Thoroughly wash the rag, or use a new paper towel to do the next ear. Pat dry to make sure there's no moisture left. I remember that this is how my aunt treated her cocker spaniel's ears.

I would but my mom wont give me their number :/
also I have dawn dish soap but some people are telling me to leave his ears alone and others and saying to get ear treatments so I dont really know what to do now...

Woofle

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 5, 2016

lzrddr said:
I would stop everything you are doing to your poor dog's ears and either get him taken to the vet, or at least let them calm down a bit. The more stuff you put in those tender ears, the worse things may get. Please do NOT shampoo your dog's either, either.

The number one cause of ear problems in dogs is allergies (by a massive majority- probably 85%). But how you can tell your dog does not have an infection, I do not understand. Dog's ear canals are very long and have a right angle bend in them that makes seeing down as far as the ear drum impossible without an otoscope. Not all infections have a bad odor, though I admit most do. But still, an allergic ear without an infection is not that unusual, though infections almost always occur if the ear is not treated eventually (mostly yeast infections... .that is when you dog ends up with that dark brown to black, smelly, waxy goo in their ears). Yeast are virtually in ALL dog's ears all the time, but in small numbers and do not cause any problem unless conditions are 'right' for them to go nuts ... eg. an inflamed, itchy red ear, or an ear full of moisture (see a LOT of those in California dogs that swim all the time). Yeast smells sickly sweet and can often smell across the room. Bacterial infections, can be mild and nearly odorless to severe and smell like something died in there.

Either way, allergic, red, itchy ears need relief! Washing them with anything is not going to help the itching, and often may exacerbate it. Sometimes you need to wash an ear to start with to get all the gunk out of it, but once it's out, STOP washing it. And only use a wash designed for ears (something with a drying agent is vital, something that kills yeast is useful, and something that breaks up the wax is very helpful... you could even use tap water (now what many ear and skin specialists use) to flush out the debris. Problem is many cleaners 1) irritate ears and will make the redness and itching worse... that is why following them up with something that has an anti-inflammatory is so important (like 90% of all the ear meds you can get from your vet). ... but cleaners also can 2) damage the inner ear badly if there is a ruptured ear drum (not that rare with any sort of infection in a dog ear ).... so CAUTION!! Inner ear damage can lead to permanent deafness.

Your dog definitely is having a severe inflammatory reaction, either to some environmental allergen, possibly even a food allergen (a LOT less likely) and/or to your ministrations. Best to treat those ears with medication designed specifically to do so (eg. the antibiotic, anti yeast and anti-inflammatory meds that nearly all ear medications have in them). And the last ingredient is by far the most important.

Sorry if I confused you, my dog's ears aren't red. They look really normal and he doesn't even itch them that much but he does sometimes. But when I rub the inside of his ears, he leans waaay into my hand like it feels good and starts grumbling. Just doing that they feel really greasy so I got the natural stuff to put in it and now he has dried blood on his ears and they are tender now.

annageckos

· #12 · Jan 5, 2016

I think a lot of dogs love having their ears rubbed. My dogs will moan and groan when I do that and lean into it. The greasy feel is normal.

Reactions: 2

seashoreduck

· #13 · Jan 5, 2016

Woofle said:
I would but my mom wont give me their number :/
also I have dawn dish soap but some people are telling me to leave his ears alone and others and saying to get ear treatments so I dont really know what to do now...

Can you google it? I'm not sure how old you are but you really need to take ownership if you want to solve this problem.

Here's my take, you may have done more harm than good with over the counter stuff. If it were my dog I would find a way to gentlly clean it off with soapy water. As other people have said some oils are very normal. If you don't feel that you want to go the route of soap then atleast thouroughly and carefully rinse any of the remaining powder residue away.

Master tip--things that say "vets best" and "vet approved" are often the least reliable substances unless actually sold by a vet's office.

Kyllobernese

· #14 · Jan 6, 2016

You are on the Internet so you can look up a Vet's phone number. Most Vets would want to see the dog as it is impossible to diagnose what is wrong over the phone.

One of my dogs gets a yeast infection in his ears fairly often. The last time he was scratching on just one of his ears, I checked it and it looked perfectly healthy. I took him into the Vet and it turned out he had an infection in the skin inside his ear, no mites or yeast infection. I got the proper antibiotics and cleared it up and he has been fine ever since.

Reactions: 2

Rain

· #15 · Jan 6, 2016

Woofle said:
Sorry if I confused you, my dog's ears aren't red. They look really normal and he doesn't even itch them that much but he does sometimes. But when I rub the inside of his ears, he leans waaay into my hand like it feels good and starts grumbling. Just doing that they feel really greasy so I got the natural stuff to put in it and now he has dried blood on his ears and they are tender now.

Personally I'd follow Izrddr's advice over most others since unless I miss my guess he/she is a vet or studying to be one.

My old boy did the same thing when I rubbed his ears, he'd press into my hand and moan and groan in pleasure because he liked it so much. He never had an ear infection or even dirty ears in all of his 17 years, he just really enjoyed having his ears rubbed. What did happen before I figured out he had developed a chicken allergy, was that his ears started to get very itchy, he'd scratch at them and shake his head. Once I switched him to chicken free food, both kibble and treats, his ears stopped bothering him.

KayWilson

· #16 · Jan 6, 2016 (Edited)

Has he been seen at a vet to confirm there is no infection? Sometimes an inner ear infection is so deep that only oral antibiotics will touch it. Also, NEVER put anything in your pet's ears without the advice of a veterinarian, it's so easy to do damage and that damage once done is irreversible. Please DO NOT put soap and water in those ears even to flush them! Take your dog in, especially if he's ears have blood/dried blood in them now.

Also my dog, lab mix, get's itchy ears from yeast so we have to keep her on a diet that minimizes this. No starches like potatoes, no wheat, no corn, etc. She also has issues with seasonal allergies, so we use benedryl during certain seasons to control itchiness.

Personally, If you had just wanted to clean the ears I would have used a wet product called pro-otic or epi-otic and if a day or so of cleaning didn't work I'd take her in. I've never heard of a powder product to clean ears with, can't imagine it would be very effective.

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