Our dog is shaking his head a lot and the inside of his ear is red and has a smelly brown fluid discharge. Any solution for this? We’ve been cleaning his ears with a water/vinegar solution or water/hydrogen peroxide.

It sounds like your pet has an ear infection.  Ear infections may be caused by bacteria, yeast, or even mites.  The first step in treating your pet’s ear infection is determining what type of infection it is.  Different medications will be used to treat different types of infection.

Your veterinarian will perform a simple, quick test to determine the type of infection that is going on.  A swab of material from the ear is examined under the microscope and then the appropriate medication will be dispensed.  Ear infections are also painful (ask any person that you know that has had one) and often a pain medication will be prescribed as well.

If the infections recur, further testing may be required to determine whether your pet may have an underlying condition such as allergies, low thyroid levels, or other systemic problems that can lead to recurrent ear and skin infections.

Please feel free to contact us regarding any further questions, or to schedule an appointment.