Dog ear yeast infections are quite common, and the ears often smell sweet or musty. Usually, you will see redness, which may extend onto the flap of the ear, and the discharge is generally brown.
If your dog has a yeast ear infection you may notice one or more of the following symptoms: Red or brown waxy discharge in the ear. Itching, scratching & pawing at the ear. A cheesy or musty smell coming from the ear.
Healthy dog earwax tends to range from pale yellow to light brown, whereas darker colours tend to be associated with infections and should be observed by a veterinarian.
Dogs get earwax just like humans do – it's how the ears self-clean against pollen, dirt and debris. Normal dog ear wax ranges from pale yellow to light brown. Keep in mind, the wax may look darker if there's dirt in the ear. The consistency of the wax should be semi-soft.
Dog Ear Infection Treatment
Your veterinarian will take a swab of the ear discharge and look at it under a microscope to see if it's mites, yeast, or bacteria, and then prescribe the appropriate medication. Treatments include antibiotics, antifungals, and anti-mite medications that are usually applied to the skin.
Here's what to look for. Healthy earwax should be a pale, yellowish color. If your dog appears to have dark brown or black earwax or if the earwax looks dirty gray instead of golden, this isn't normal. A noticeable increase in wax build-up can be a sign of a problem as well.
Dog Ear Yeast Infection vs Ear Mites
Yeast Infection: A dog ear yeast infection often includes symptoms like itching, redness, a yeasty odor, and dark brown or black discharge. Yeast infections are not contagious to other animals or humans.
Noticing drainage or discharge in their ears that can be black, brown, white, green, or yellow in color. Having redness or swelling in their ear canals. Yelping out when their ears are touched, which indicates pain. Seeing blood coming from their ears in severe cases.
The skin in the ear canal looks reddened and inflamed. There is a lot of wax. You can see anything ‘moving' in the ear canal (ear mites are relatively common in young dogs and can be very uncomfortable. New lumps or bumps you hadn't noticed before.
When some dogs eat ingredients such as chicken, wheat, corn or other individual items, ingestion will trigger an allergic reaction that can alter the natural flora and allow an unnatural growth of yeast. If your pet suffers from yeasty ears, attempt altering their diet to eliminate common triggers.
Prescription shampoos are most effective and your vet can prescribe the right one for your dog's specific medical needs. For dogs that have oily coats and are prone to yeast infections, even routine bathing with an over-the-counter dog shampoo can be a helpful step.
Since all vinegar is acidic and will kill yeast, you can treat your dog's yeast infection with regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (ACV). I have used both, but as a control method, I think that the ACV is the best.
Yeast overgrowth in the ear canal can cause itching, inflammation, and secondary infections. Fortunately, many holistic remedies like apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, calendula, and probiotics are effective in treating these infections.
Causes of Yeast Ear Infection in Dogs
There are numerous reasons why the delicate environment within your pup's ear can be thrown off and lead to a yeast infection, some of the most common include: Trapped moisture - particularly in dogs with long floppy ears. Antibiotics. Immunodeficiency.
A dog ear yeast infection usually occurs when there's an excess of moisture in their ear. It typically begins in the outer ear canal (or the otitis externa) but can progress to involve the middle ear canal (otitis media) and inner ear (otitis interna) if left untreated.
If the wax is accompanied by odor or inflammation, it can be a sign of infection. Veterinary consultation is recommended. Yellow—Yellow earwax is considered normal, but an infection can be festering if there's swelling, redness, or discomfort. Red—Red earwax can indicate the presence of blood.
Ear drainage that is cloudy, whitish-yellow, or pus-like can indicate an ear infection or ruptured ear drum. Pus due to an infection may also have a foul smell. A chronic ear infection can cause pus or a pus-like drainage to drain from the ear.
Dogs can experience three types of ear infections, known otitis externa, media, and internet. The most common is otitis externa, or an outer ear infection, which happens when there is inflammation in the outer ear canal. Otitis media and interna refer to infections of the middle and inner ear canal, respectively.
This condition can make the infected area of your dog's skin itchy, red, and irritated. Yeast infections in a dog's ear can also cause deafness if it goes too long without treatment.
Many of the symptoms are the same if your dog has swimmer's ear. These symptoms point to a yeast infection in your dog's ears. This is not only uncomfortable, but – if left untreated – is very painful. If you see these signs, take your dog to your vet.
Redness and swelling of the vulva. Vaginal pain and soreness. Vaginal rash. Thick, white, odor-free vaginal discharge with a cottage cheese appearance.
Even the color of your cerumen can say a lot about you: Dark brown or black colored earwax is typically older, so its color comes from the dirt and bacteria it has trapped. Adults tend to have darker, harder earwax. Dark brown earwax that is tinged with red may signal a bleeding injury.
Dark earwax can be normal for many people. The substance begins as a pale yellow or light-brown but this changes as it moves along the ear canal. Earwax is designed to pick up dirt and bacteria, preventing infections from occurring — the more it picks up, the darker it becomes.
Ear mites cause intense scratching. If you look in your dog's ears and see dark brown debris that resembles coffee grounds, then your dog most likely has ear mites. This parasite can be shared with cats, dogs and other animals (like the family ferret).