What causes brownish-red fluid in my dog's ear? Should I worry?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Boo! The most common reason for extra moisture and wax build up in the ear is an ear infection. Ear infections are caused by bacteria and/or yeast build up which can be from allergies or just extra moisture. Ideally Boo should see your Vet to have the cause identified and appropriate drops prescribed to get rid of the infection. Ear infections are treated topically in dogs and cats. You can try this ear cleaner. I would clean out the ear every other day for 2 weeks. If there is no improvement or he worsens he should see your Vet. I also attached a video on how to clean the ears. I hope this helps and I wish Boo the very best! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24165 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=&aid=165

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your description and the pictures, it looks like Bailey has an ear infection. The build up you see can be discharge of bacteria and/or yeast. He is tilting his head because it is painful. Before purchasing a rinse, I would recommend taking him to the vet to determine what is going on inside the ear. If he has a ruptured ear drum some rinses can be contraindicated. They will be able to prescribe a rinse that is safe for his ear after his exam. Good luck and kisses to Bailey!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You may be referring to ear hematomas. This is usually treated with a relatively simple surgical procedure. However, it is hard to know without being able to see this. I would encourage you to contact your veterinarian to let them know that he has not improved to see if that is something that seems likely based on their examination. Good luck!

Brown ear discharge is not necessarily an ear infection. I recommend cleaning the ears with the cleaner to remove the waxy discharge. As long as the ears don't have a foul odor and are not inflammed or painful that is probably just normal ear wax. If the wax builds up too much then it's more likely to become an infection. With a dog like Wilson with flap ears that cover the ear canal I recommend that you check ears every week and clean the wax if needed. That way you'll know right away if an infection is developing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Wilson.

Poor Bentley! It could be he has developed an aural hematoma, which is a collection of blood and fluid in the outer ear. If there is a dark red discharge, I suspect the aural hematoma may have ruptured. Typically aural hematomas indicate an ear infection. The dog scratching the ear and shakes the head due to an ear infection, and that behavior causes the aural hematoma. You will need to take him into a vet today or tomorrow. The vet can diagnose if he does have an ear infection and aural hematoma, and can treat him for both. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

It looks like Bailey has a skin infection and with how you are describing the smell from his ears he can also have an ear infection. The cause could be from many things like mites on the skin, allergies or even hypothyroidism. I would recommend taking Bailey to a veterinarian, treating the infection, have them perform a skin scraping and blood work to make sure we are testing for different things that can cause skin problems. Once the cause is determined it will be easier to treat or maintain. I hope Bailey starts to feel better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lil Bud! I am not sure what you mean by splitting but in the picture his ear looks red and there appears to be a lot of brown wax. I hope I am seeing what you are worried about. The most common cause of a red ear with a lot of wax is an ear infection. It is usually caused by an overgrowth or yeast and/or bacteria. The overgrowth can happen from allergies or from the ear being too moist. Your Vet can diagnose and ear infection by sampling the wax with a Q-tip and looking at it under the microscope. If confirmed then they would prescribe and ear cleaner and ear drops. I hope this helps and I hope Lil Bid feels better doon!