The American Beagler Forum

My beagle tends to have a redness in his ears. It almost looks like dryness and he scratches them. Sometimes the redness will only last a day or two, then disappear, then reappear. Wondering if I should take him to the vet for some sort of treatment. Thanks for any info or recommendations.

Rebecca

I would certainly buy some ear-cleaner and clean your dog's ears every few weeks. The best ones have a drying agent.

My dog's ears do get red from time-to-time, and even if there's not a problem with the ears, it seems like the ears get scratched more than any other part of the body with dogs (especially the flopped-ear breeds).

Redness in the ears usually indicates an ear infection. If the dog is scratching at the ears, that would be a telltale sign in my book. I would recommend a trip to the vet.

Emery

If its chronic, you may want to check what you're feeding. Too many grains can cause or aggrivate allergies, especially corn and yeast. Reduce the grains or switch foods and see if that doesn't help

Thanks for the advice. I usually clean out his ears using a cotton swab. Yes, I know to be very careful. He is only allowed his dog food and treats (every once in a while he steals some table food), but I think the cleaning solution is probably the best bet. He doesn't run through the fields or anything of that nature, so just wanted to get some suggestions. Thanks.