Get your pup to a veterinarian, the only person who can diagnose and treat the "red spots" correctly. Some of us here may have had experience with something similar, but this is no time to experiment with remedies that have worked for other people. You obviously love and care for this pup, and we hope you can get this small problem fixed easily.
A retriever/sharpei mix must be absolutely cute and lovable!

You said yourself that she seems to have pain. Take her to a vet. The internet can't look in her ears and diagnose the problem.

Sounds like what my mom's Sheppard Misty has had for years. She'd scratch at her ear and the vet gave mom something to clean her ear out with. Misty hates it and avoids mom and tries to hide when it has to be done. There never was a diagnosis and my mom has no clue what it is just that periodically she'd have to treat and clean the ear.

One thing we did suspect was a factor is that Misty would sometimes dig in the backyard. We think her digging and then scratching her ears with dirty paws might have been the cause but the vet never gave a diagnosis. Look around to see if your pup is digging into stuff.

Agreed time to see the vet, he or she can diagnose the issue and treat it properly, good luck

Thank you to all who recommend a vet visit, however, I hesitate due to the fact that shelling out fifty bucks for them to tell me there is nothing wrong is just not reasonable to me. None of my other dogs have the spots in their ears. She does not seem bothered by them except for me to handle them and after thinking about my earlier post who really LIKES having their ears handled? - I know I don't. She doesn't cry out like in pain when I clean them she just avoids it as do my other dogs. They are looking better today so I will just keep up the wiping out of the ears with the 50/50 vinegar and rubbing alcohol solution until the spots disappear.
Thank you sweetchastity for letting me know that have seen something similar- and yes, she is a digger- she is always in the hot seat for digging in the yard. We had our entire yard filled with pea gravel for our dogs and they love to dig in it- they get down to the dirt often. Thank you to all who responded- and Yes she is quite cute- she looks like a golden retriever except she is short haired and her ears are not quite big enough for the size of her head like a Shar Pei- she's a sweet girl too!

While I agree that many vets charge way too much for office visits and simple procedures, and I try to avoid them when I can, I think it prudent to call around and get some ballpark figures for office visits... and TAKE YOUR DOG IN!

Even if it ends up costing you $50, at least you'll know what's wrong with your pet, get the proper diagnosis and treatment, and have the peace of mind that comes with all that. Certainly, it's worth that $50 to keep your dog healthy and happy! Make payments if you must, but get your dog in before something small and treatable becomes a potential disaster!

Ear mites in long or floppy-eared breeds are fairly common... simple ear drops and cleaners designed to kill mites can help immensely.

But I would definitely go for that vet visit, regardless of the price tag!

In a nutshell, take your dog in, do research, consult & pray.

One of my dogs had a history of ear issues, she was a mutt, a Shepard/Lab. Ear problems can be caused by many things, and they can also be extremely difficult and frustrating to treat.

I completely agree that money is an issue with any type of pet when they are taken to the vet. Personally, I feel that most (NOT ALL including the one I presently have and love) see an open wallet coming through the door when they see you.

That said. Take it from someone who has spend mega bucks on mis diagnosis and almost lost my dog at least three times because of it.

When you go in and get a diagnosis, ask tons of questions. Anything that pops into your mind. If your vet doesnÂt like it, you need to find another vet. When you get medication, ask for a time limit. Commit the vet to a date when you will start to see positive results. Then, go home a Google everything vets says. Research the meds. Your homework is going to save you so much time and frustration.

IF positive things are not happening by committed date for the meds, ask they vet why on that date. Again, ask tons of questions you can draw from your research and what he/she said during original consultation. If vet wants to extend the date, ask why and make it very clear that you are not happy with what is going on. If vet wants to switch meds, get concerned. Vet probably does not know what is going on.

Good luck!

SG

Man I couldn't even get my mom's vet to put together 2 sentences when I was there with her. Most of my questions were answered with dead silence. Hence why I will never take a pet to him.

Reddish brown spots that are not scabs may be some pigmentation (not a problem) or petechia, which is a MAJOR problem indicating a bleeding disorder. Bleeding disorders are life-threatening and painful. Shar Pei types tend to have major problems with yeast and bacterial infections in the ears and on the skin, so that could also be a problem. Ear mites are very uncommon in adult dogs, and indicate an immunosuppressed individual. Pain is never irrelevant, no dog deserves to be in pain for any amount of time, and it is the owner's responsibility to do everything possible within their means to relieve any pain.

Since poor breeding has become a major problem in this country, genetic immune system deficiency is rampant... therefore, ear mites ARE very common in adult dogs, especially those with long or floppy ears where decent air flow is a problem.

How do I know this? I've been breeding canines for somewhere in the vicinity of 30 years... I've seen my fair share of problems caused by poor immune systems. Demodectic Mange is another problem that has become more prevalent in dogs that are poorly bred.

In essence, the dog's poor immune system can't fight off the microscopic skin and body pests and mites that every living thing has. We have them, too. That's why it's so important to research carefully before buying a pet, and to do an equal amount of research when choosing a diet.

I will completely agree that there are many things that could be the cause of ear problems, and it's best to eat the fifty bucks and get the dog in for a proper diagnosis and comprehensive cure. No pet should suffer with pain or irritation any longer than necessary.

Last year, the cicadas hatched... they brought with them a mite that causes red irritated, itchy bites... something to check for...

Sorry I haven't taken the time to read all the answers so if I'm repeating someone, I'm sorry. If your vet charges $50.00 for a visit, it would be worth it, if it were me, for peace of mind that the problem would be solved. I, personally, couldn't let my pet go in misery. If, when you call for an appointment, do you think the vet would agree to let you pay for this in smaller payments? Most of the time, if you tell them in advance many of them will accommodate you. I truly hope your vet would be agreeable with this. If not, I think I would shop around for another vet who would be more interested in helping your little friend than in the almignth dollar. Good luck. BT

Vinegar and alcohol with little sores or scabs!!! No wonder she hates to have her ears treated. There are plenty of ear cleaning treatments on the market which are not so harsh. You might look into getting an OTC cleaning treatment for your dog. You can train dogs to adjust to some of the things they hate the most ESPECIALLY if started at a very young age. Touching front paws, sticking your finger in their ear (not too far) and looking in their mouths - all done routinely when young make vet visits much less traumatic for all involved.

Find a Humane Society Clinic. For example where I live the office visit for a vet is $65,,,at the Humane society is it $12......I also got an awesome deal on spaying my dog $30 for 30 pounds of dog or $1/pound there after. And this is the second dog that I've brought to this place after 7+ years. Here is a good example: 1st dog was throwing up and bloody type diarrehia so I went to a local vet who wanted to xray and put on an IV,,so I ran the dog over to the Humane Society Clinic,,,different part of county (the cheaper part we'll say) and that vet told me it's just the XYZ virus and would go away in couple days,,,feed rice/cottage cheese etc. Guess who was right,,,Humane Society,,,saved me hundreds!!! My current dog also had an ear infection,,turned out caused by me not knowing you should pluck out ear hairs since this dog I can groom myself. I got special ear cream,,the exam,,lab tests to see if bacteria, yeast, whatever and walked out for $50 total. Really, Humane society clinics are the way to go to save money..I'll gladly drive 30 miles to save a lot since I've got more time than money. Hope this helps you get your dog whatever it needs...many have shot clinics too.

OUCH! I agree, putting alcohol on sores would really hurt. Try hydrogen peroxide instead and then put some antibiotic cream on the scabs.

I have been away on vacation for a few days so unable to post an update. Her ears have completely cleared up using the vinegar/alcohol solution recommended on another forum .It was recommended to use this solution as a general cleaning solution for the ears since the vinegar regulates the pH in the ear and the alcohol is a drying agent. It was not that I couldn't afford to take my pup to the vet I simply don't see a need to throw money away for them to tell me it was nothing. I love my dog as I love my children but I learned early on as a Mother that there is no need to go rushing them to the Dr. for every little rash, bump or boo boo they got. I feel like when you do that and throw money down the drain then when they are REALLY in need for medical treatment it can put a hurting on the finances. With the high cost of medical care I choose to treat these minor ailments at home when possible. Some may not agree. To each his own- I thank you for all of your suggestions and am curious now about this "plucking" of the hair in the ears? I was unaware that the ear hair should be removed-

Glad that your dog's ears are healed. You may want to clean the ears regularly with baby oil on a Q-tip. I cleaned our golden retriever's ears with this, and he never had a problem with ear infections, mites, etc. He even enjoyed it! Our vet suggested the baby oil cleaning, since it is easy on the ear surface and removes any dirt/wax/etc. that collects in the channels.