My husky's ear is draining and smells bad. Is it an infection?

I'm so sorry that Shadow's ear is hurting. From the appearance of the picture, I presume that the discharge is coming from the ear canal. Unfortunately, there isn't any way to determine what is causing an ear infection except for performing an ear cytology. An ear cytology is when your vet takes a sample of the discharge from the ear and looks at it under a microscope. They can then determine if the infection is caused by yeast or bacteria or both and determine the best way to treat it. I wish I had another answer for you, but I think it's time to take Shadow to the vet for an examination and ear cytology. I would not recommend cleaning the ear before taking him in, so your vet can get an accurate sample of the ear discharge. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It looks like your kid has a pretty severe ear infection there. The redness is inflammation and the gray area is thickening of the external ear canal from chronic inflammation. What would be best would be for your pup to be seen by your family vet for an ear exam and cytology. In order to treat this appropriately your vet will need to know if there are bacteria (and what type) or yeast or both in the ear canals and if the eardrum is intact. An anti inflammatory may also be needed because of the thickening. If ear infections are a chronic problem for your pup underlying allergy may also need to be explored. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sheriff. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian as I worry that he has an ear infection. His veterinarian will examine each ear canal with an instrument known as as an otoscope. A sample will be taken from each ear and evaluated under the microscope. This will confirm an infection and determine the best medication for him. In the meantime, you can clean both ears with an ear cleaner for dogs. I hope this information helps!

From what you describe it sounds like Koda may have an ear infection. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian. He will likely need a topical medication to help resolve it. Best of luck and I hope he improves quickly.

Hi there. Unfortunately, these photos are very blurry, so I can't really see much. But, if he is scratching his ear until it bleeds, it's likely that he has an ear infection - this is a common problem in dogs. He will need prescription ear meds from your veterinarian to treat the infection, so I would recommend taking him in tomorrow for an exam. In the meantime, you can try cleaning his ears with an over-the-counter ear flush labeled for dogs such as Mal-Acetic or Epi-Otic. This will not treat the underlying infection, but may help to make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

Ouch! Looks like your boys may be dealing with ear infections or ear mites. Ear infections 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. Please make an appointment to have your dogs seen by 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 ears with a scope to see if the ear drums are 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 neurologic signs or permanent hearing loss. Please do not apply anything into the ears without checking with your vet, as some substances can cause ear damage. Please book an appointment to have both your pups seen as soon as possible to help get them feeling better. Good luck!

It sounds like Beanie could have an infection in the ear canal. This is called Otitis Externa and can be very painful and itchy. I recommend having Beanie evaluated by your veterinarian quickly so that Beanie can get relief. Usually a veterinarian will take swabs of the external ear canal to find out what type of organism is responsible for the infection and be able to prescribe the correct medication.