My dog's ear hair isn't growing back after infection. Vet visit?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Henry. Did his veterinarian see him again after treatment to confirm the infection had resolved? This is important because the external ear can look normal, but discharge can still be present deep within the canal. This will contribute to ongoing itching. So that would be my first recommendation if it had not already been done. Otherwise, you can place an E-collar on him at night to prevent any further self trauma to the area. The skin appears healthy in the picture so I do not believe he needs any topical treatment at this time. I hope this information helps!

It's hard to say. It could be that you are now observing a scab and it could take several weeks to months for the hair to return fully. Keeping an eye on it and making sure Rosie doesn't scratch at it may help. However if the area doesn't appear to be improving, worsens, again, or seems to be infected or bothersome, a vet visit to rule out infections or other issues is best.

Hello. Milo is scratching hard enough to damage the skin. It would be best to have him examined by your vet to see if there is a primary ear problem ( infection or ear mites ) or if he has a mild allergy. Different things require different treatments so I hope you can have him seen soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Elsa. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. I worry that she has an ear infection. This is an itchy condition that can cause changes to the changes to the skin and can even result in hairloss. The veterinarian will examine her and use an instrument known otoscope to look inside the ear canal. Typically a swab is taken from each ear to evaluate under the microscope. This will confirm an infection is present and tell what organism is responsible such as yeast or bacteria. Based on these results, treatment can be started to help her feel better. I hope this information helps!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Barni. The hair could be causing most of the problem right now. 2 schools of thought on hair in ear canals- leave it alone unless it's causing a problem and the other school of thought is to keep them plucked not matter what. Lots of hair in the ear canal can cause excessive itching and can make ear infections worse. Hair is full of bacteria which can aggravate the problem. Normally wax and secretions are produced in the ear canal and those are normally pushed along to the outside of the ear canal. This is a normal process of the ear cleaning itself. Hair causes an obstruction to this process and can lead to problems. Possible reasons for scratching at the ears can be flea infestation on and around the head, too much hair in the canals, an ear infection (ear mites, yeast, bacteria), or some type of skin infection involving the ears. I would advise a recheck with your vet or another vet if you need a second opinion. Typically when I see ears like this and the history you provided, I advise plucking the ear canals and then evaluating the ear canals for signs of problems. Plucking the hair often times requires some sedation/anesthesia due to pain. If there is a discharge in the ears, that should be examined under a microscope to evaluate for ear mites, yeast, and bacteria. If the ears are just inflamed, this could indicate problems with allergies. Once a diagnosis is made or suspected, a sound treatment plan can be implemented. This may include ear plucking, ear cleaning, ear medication, medicine for pain/inflammation, etc. I hope this helps. Good luck with Barni.

Poor Finn, his ear does look red in the picture. Yes, I would be concerned about an infection. Olive oil should never be put in a dog's ear, I know you said it's a natural cleaner, but these natural cleaners often contain ingredients that are frankly not safe to use. I would throw away this cleaner and if you want to use a safe cleaner in the future for his ears, I recommend Epi-Otic. You can get it from your vet. Speaking of your vet, you need to give them a call now to make an appointment as he has to get his ears checked out and treated. Please get him in as soon as possible, as ear infections are very uncomfortable for dogs and leaving them untreated can lead to hearing loss. I hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for posting! If the infection on his tail is healing or is close to fully healed, it may take 2-4 weeks for the hair to grow back in that area. Sometimes, however if the infection is severe enough and leaves scar tissue in the area, the hair may not grow back fully. I hope this helps and best of luck!