Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 10/8/2010

Question
My little guy is a Shi Tsu/Bisshon cross. He is 6 months old and just had his ears plucked for the first time. 2 days later he is shaking his head constantly and there was blood in both ears and one ear smells bad. Why did this happen and what should I do?

Answer
Plucking the hairs from a normal dog can lead to severe inflammation and infecion. Sometimes there is ear trauma from the instruments that the groomer uses.  Have the pup's ears checked by your vet and treated.  Ask the groomer to resist plucking the hairs next time the pup is groomed.