Jack Russell..

[john1066]

My daughter's J. R. keeps holding his head to one side and scratches his ear very carefully. Can anybody tell me what the problem might be? He is 11 years old.x

[woofgang]

umm a bad ear??? If he will let you then gently have a look and a sniff to see if it looks dirty/smells bad but I think a trip to the vet would be in order. ear troubles are very distressing for the dog and if let get out of hand can be hard and lengthy to treat...recent personal experience :-(

[fredpuli47]

Could be a number of simple causes, from ear mites to 'canker' [ our word for a number of fungal and other minor infections].Might even be a grass seed stuck in the ear. Short answer is that a visit to the vet is necessary.