Dog bites when I clean ears. Is he in pain? What should I do?

The problem with trying to stop this behavior is that you will not always be present to witness it. If you correct him when you're there, he will learn that it's okay to do it . . . just not when you are around! If this is play biting, the other dogs seem to be tolerating it or they would react and stop him themselves. If it is more aggressive, you might put some Bitter Apple or a hot chili paste on the outside of the ears. This should dissuade him, although there are a few dogs that like the taste.

Hi, have you promptly disinfected it ? If so, you could give it a bit of time and disinfect it on a daily basis and see if it does heal on its own. If you haven’t it is best to see the vet as dog’s teeth carry a lot of infection and Bubba might need some medications. Hope goes well, I also have a Basset ! She was bitten on her ear last year and it did heal without any antibiotics but I must admit it does not happen very often ! Hope all goes well !

Hi and thanks for posting. Yes, Theo's ear is very red and appears to have a good amount of debris in there as well. Ear infections can and are indeed painful. I would wait to clean it until your veterinarian has examined the ear. Your vet will need to ensure his tympanic membrane (ear drums) are intact before using any kind of cleaner in the ear. A sample of the debris in his ear will be taken to determine what is causing the infection so it can be treated most effectively.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ear infections are fairly common. The good news is that these usually respond readily to therapy when treated appropriately. I recommend that you have Clay evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If an infection is confirmed, treatment would be based on the type of infection it is. Good luck and best wishes!

Ouch, poor Happy! He's lucky to have such a considerate neighbor! Based upon the location of these lesions, my best guess is that he has caused significant skin irritation as a result of scratching his dirty ears. Some dogs do not scratch as much when they are distracted by their surroundings and save the scratching for quieter times of the day. Dirty ears in dogs most commonly occurs as a result of ear infections (bacterial or yeast). Happy really needs to take a trip to the vet to have his ears addressed with appropriate medications and he may also need oral antibiotics to manage a possible skin infection around the ear. I hope that all goes well!

Poor Canelo! Ear infections can be very painful. I would recommend asking your veterinarian about one of the long lasting ear infection treatments that do not require you to medicate them at home. There are a few on the market now, but here is one of the them ( https://osurnia.com/ ). We certainly don't want to ruin your relationship with Canelo, so I would recommend having your vet do all treatments until this infection is resolved. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Your dog could have a middle or inner ear infection. The symptoms for middle and inner ear infections are often similar to outer ear infections, and include pain in the ear, head shaking, infected or bloody discharge, and scratching or pawing at the head or ear. Your vet can diagnose an ear infection, and because untreated ear infections can lead to hearing loss, I'd recommend taking Speckles into your vet to have them examine the ear. If it is an ear infection, Speckles will need an antibiotic to treat the infection.