The symptoms of your dog having ear problems are head shaking and ear scratching. Violet head shaking, often caused by a foreign object in the ear canal, may rupture a blood vessel and cause the ear flap to swell as it fills with blood. Some breeds, such as retrievers are prone to this condition called haematoma.

• If your dog is shaking his head more than usual, probably there are ear mites in your dog's ear. Take your dog to see the vet.
• Do check if there is a pungent green-yellow or dark discharge from either ear. If there is, your dog may have an infection. Carefully pull out hair from inside ear and remove excess debris with cotton wool, then take your dog to the vet.
• If your dog is shaking and stratching its ears and the ears have crusty tips, it could be a skin infection or scabies. Use insect repellent in the summer to prevent insect bites. Take your dog to the vet if the insect bites are already there.
• If there is a swollen ear flap on your dog's ear, check if it is painful when touched. If it is not painful, it could be a blood blister in the ear (haematoma). See the vet quickly. If it is painful when touched, it could be an abscess, perhaps from a dog's bite. Take your dog to the vet quickly.