Home › Care Library › Health and body
Ear infections
Third most common claim. Recurring ones are usually allergies in disguise.
01The signs · 1 point›
· Scratching at the ear or rubbing it on furniture
· Head shaking or a persistent head tilt
· Odor — often yeasty or sour
· Redness, swelling, or discharge (brown, yellow or black)
· Pain when you touch the head
· Sudden loss of balance or circling, which is urgent
· Head shaking or a persistent head tilt
· Odor — often yeasty or sour
· Redness, swelling, or discharge (brown, yellow or black)
· Pain when you touch the head
· Sudden loss of balance or circling, which is urgent
02Who gets them · 1 point›
Drop-eared breeds, dogs who swim, dogs with allergies, and anything with a hairy canal. Recurring ear infections in an adult dog are very often ALLERGIES showing up in the ears — treating the ear over and over while ignoring the allergy is why it keeps coming back.
03What to do · 1 point›
· Get it looked at. A vet needs to see whether the eardrum is intact before anything goes in, and needs to know whether it is yeast, bacteria or mites — the treatments are completely different.
· Use the full course. Stopping when it looks better is how resistant infections start.
· Clean as directed with a proper drying ear cleaner, especially after swimming.
· Use the full course. Stopping when it looks better is how resistant infections start.
· Clean as directed with a proper drying ear cleaner, especially after swimming.
04Never · 1 point›
· Never cotton buds in the canal — you push debris deeper and can perforate the eardrum
· Never leftover drops from last time, or another dog's. If the eardrum is ruptured some drops cause deafness.
· Never hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or oil mixtures from the internet on an inflamed ear
· Never leftover drops from last time, or another dog's. If the eardrum is ruptured some drops cause deafness.
· Never hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or oil mixtures from the internet on an inflamed ear
05Prevention · 1 point›
· Dry the ears after every swim and bath
· Check weekly, especially drop ears
· Address the underlying allergy if infections recur
· Ask your groomer about hair in the canal for your breed
· Check weekly, especially drop ears
· Address the underlying allergy if infections recur
· Ask your groomer about hair in the canal for your breed
06Sources — check this yourself · 1 point›
· American College of Veterinary Dermatology (acvd.org)
· Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) — the standard clinical reference, free online
· Cornell Riney Canine Health Center (vet.cornell.edu)
· Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) — the standard clinical reference, free online
· Cornell Riney Canine Health Center (vet.cornell.edu)
07Everything here is free · 1 point›
Weekly checks and drying after swimming prevent most of these.
Rosette Dog is educational and is not veterinary advice. In an emergency, contact your veterinarian or the nearest emergency animal hospital.
The itchy dogUpset stomach & diarrheaEye problemsArthritis & chronic painUrinary problemsCruciate ligament tearsCancer — the signsThe preventive health yearBody conditionParasitesHealth testingAnesthesia and dentalsDog food standards, country by countryUS vs European food standardsSupplements: what the evidence saysThe aging mindSpay and neuter timingDog years, properly
Free, and free of ads
Rosette Dog is live.
Add your dog and get feeding by weight, training that fits their stage, emergency red flags for their breed, and a day plan built around your hours. Works offline. No account needed.
Open the app Browse the breeds
Opens in your browser — nothing to download. Put it on your phone and it works like any other app, with no signal needed.