⚡ Quick answer: Common signs of an ear infection in dogs are head shaking, scratching or rubbing the ear, a brown/yellow discharge, a strong yeasty or rotten smell, redness inside the ear flap, and pain when the base of the ear is touched.
Short answer: Common signs of an ear infection in dogs are head shaking, scratching or rubbing the ear, a brown/yellow discharge, a strong yeasty or rotten smell, redness inside the ear flap, and pain when the base of the ear is touched.
What you should actually do
- Roughly 80% of chronic ear infections are driven by underlying allergies, not ‘bad ears’.
- Don’t use cotton swabs deep in the canal – clean the outer ear with a vet-approved cleaner.
- Yeast smells like sour bread; bacterial smells like rot or fish.
- Floppy-eared and water-loving breeds (Cocker, Lab, Golden) are over-represented.
- An ear that is painful, hot, or has bloody discharge needs same-week vet care.
Owners often catch ear infections only at the smelly, painful stage. The earlier signs are subtle: occasional head-shake, a single paw scratch at the ear, a tiny coffee-ground residue on the inner pinna. If you catch these and use a cleaner (Epi-Otic Advanced, OticClens) twice a week, you can often head off a full infection.
Once there’s discharge or smell, you need a vet exam. The reason: topical treatment (Mometamax, Posatex, BNT) depends on whether the eardrum is intact – using an aminoglycoside-containing drop with a ruptured eardrum can cause permanent deafness or vestibular damage. An otoscope exam plus a cytology stain takes ten minutes at the vet and tells you whether you’re dealing with yeast, bacteria, or both, and whether the drum is intact. Don’t skip this step – chronic untreated ear infections progress to deep ear disease that ultimately may require surgery (TECA).
Dig deeper
- Otitis externa workup (PSPP) calculator
- Mometamax otic calculator
- Yeast (Malassezia) dermatitis severity calculator
- Dog eye discharge triage calculator (sister calc)
Related questions owners ask
- Can I clean my dog’s ears with apple cider vinegar?
- How often should I clean my dog’s ears?
- Best ear cleaner for dogs with chronic ear infections
⚕️ Medical Disclaimer
The information on this page is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace a hands-on veterinary examination. Drug doses depend on your dog’s complete clinical picture, concurrent medications, and the exact product formulation. Always confirm dosing with your veterinarian before administering any medication, and contact a 24-hour veterinary emergency service or animal poison control immediately if you suspect a medication overdose or adverse reaction. Editorial standards: every drug dose published on PuppaDogs is cross-checked against multiple authoritative veterinary references and reviewed by PuppaDogs Veterinary Editorial Team before publication.
