Why do my dog's ear smell bad?

[cassie]

Treatment for infected ears should not be put off. The longer they go untreated the worse they get and the harder it is to get it cleared up.

 

[New2Chicks97]

I have an 11 month old chocolate lab and her ears smell really bad like cheese. Even if you wash them the smell remains. She's also always itching them. I don't believe she has mites.. What else could it be?

Probably an infection. If you take her to the vet you can get antibiotic drops that will clear it right up.

Our last puppy came home with an ear infection and the ear drops they gave us cleared it up within a week.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Would peroxide work?

Please don’t put peroxide in her ears!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Okay, I will get some kind of medication for her ears.. I also heard that someone else has a lab with bad smelling ears, and they would give her drops for the ears, and the smell never went away.. Why would that be?

That is probably because dogs who are prone to yeast infections will always have the issue. Yeast affects not only the ears, but also the whole body. Ask the vet about controlling the yeast infections. There are shampoos that are recommended for dogs who are prone to them as well.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Be careful, I found my dog had a reaction to zymox that caused hot spots. Not saying it's bad for everyone though!

Zymox has different products for different skin conditions. Not saying your dog didn't have a reaction to it, but what did you use to clear up the hot spots? Was the zymox product you used for the ears or a different problem?

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Popping in to add that it may not be just a yeast infection. Sometimes it will just be yeast, sometimes just bacteria, sometimes a combination of both. Different types of ear infections require different medications, and the ear cytology done at the vet is vital in order to have the right medication prescribed. Some infections are severe enough that oral medications may be needed.

Also, the vet will be able to Check to see if your dog’s ear drums are intact. Bad infections can potentially cause the ear drum to rupture, at which point you have to be very very careful about what cleaner and medication to use to not cause serious damage to the dog’s middle and inner ear. Good luck, and keep us updated!

 

[ChickNanny13]

There are times that we should not be treating our animals & seek medical treatment from a Vet. It's knowing when ...

 

[christwodog]

Popping in to add that it may not be just a yeast infection. Sometimes it will just be yeast, sometimes just bacteria, sometimes a combination of both. Different types of ear infections require different medications, and the ear cytology done at the vet is vital in order to have the right medication prescribed. Some infections are severe enough that oral medications may be needed.

Also, the vet will be able to Check to see if your dog’s ear drums are intact. Bad infections can potentially cause the ear drum to rupture, at which point you have to be very very careful about what cleaner and medication to use to not cause serious damage to the dog’s middle and inner ear. Good luck, and keep us updated!

Yes, in my dog's case, there was no actual infection, just yeast - this was diagnosed by my vet. He recommended the Zymox since there was no need for antibiotics in my case. Have the vet check her out and determine if there is infection or not, then go from there. You may be able to just use the Zymox as a preventative once the initial problem is resolved.

 

[MissChick@dee]

The ears need to be cleaned!!
Before any medications otherwise you’re adding to the problem.
We cannot clean them properly ourselves.
A mild case yes we can help.
But by the time they smell you’ve got a real problem.

 

[tripletfeb]

A dog's ear canal is actually shaped like the letter "L". It can be safely cleaned with a qtip by you. You can't hit the ear drum because of the shape. But she does indeed need to see the vet. I had a beagle that had chronic ear infections his whole life. Thought for sure he would go deaf because of all of them. He ended up going blind instead for some reason! But, that silly dog always did things backwards!