If you look in the ear you will see a yellow or dark discharge. The skin is often bright red or even bleeding. No, ear mites are microscopic insects that bite the animal and feed on it's blood. Ear mites cause a great deal of itching and leave a crusty black material in the ear canal that is actually dried blood. Ear mites are not as common in dogs as they are in cats.
Puppies are at greater risk for developing ear mite infections.
Ear infections are a serious, potentially chronic health problem that needs to be seen by your veterinarian. By collecting the material inside the ear and looking at it under the microscope, your veterinarian can determine if the problem is due to mites, bacteria, or yeast. Bacterial infections often require culture and sensitivity testing to determine what kind of antibiotics will control the infection. Another possibility is that the infection is secondary to a tumor in the ear canal. This may require aggressive surgery to treat.