What causes a sudden brown bald spot and crusty ears on my dog?

Poor Biscuit! I'm sorry to hear that he's having this problem. Patches of hair loss, redness, and crusty skin can be caused by a number of different things. Some common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. I would recommend taking Biscuit to the vet tomorrow for an exam - he/she can do some simple skin tests to help determine what is causing his skin issues and get him started on appropriate treatment. In the meantime, you can try bathing him in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo if you want to. This will not treat the underlying problem, but should soothe his skin and help to remove some of the crusty spots to help make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

It's possible your pet is experiencing symptoms of a bacterial infection due to mange mite infestation. You'll want to be sure to visit your local Veterinarian as soon as possible and request a skin scraping examination. This will allow your doctor to identify the underlying cause of your pets discomfort. You're doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to help stop the infection and mite/mange treatment if needed.

This presentation could be due to a localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). This type of skin infection is commonly called hot spot. A check up, appropriate disinfection and antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello there, Round, circular patches of hair loss are often indicative of a severe skin infection. Simon needs to see his veterinarian this week. They will recommend testing some of his skin to see if bacteria or fungus is causing these lesions to know which medications to use. They may also recommend medicated shampoos. There may be an underlying predisposing factor in this skin infection, such as an allergy to an animal protein in his diet or the environment. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

We commonly see an overgrowth of normal bacteria on the skin cause crusting and scabbing. When this happens around and in the hair follicles, the hair will easily fall out. When a dog has a thick coat, the crusting can spread under the coat and go unnoticed. From your picture, it looks like this area may be over the hip/pelvis. In older dogs, when their bones are more prominent, they will sometimes have areas like that due to lying on harder surfaces. These can become pressure sores, so be sure to keep an eye out for those. I agree that the area does not look irritated, but there is still some brown crusting left, so be sure to monitor the area closely for any spread of the crusting. If the crusting spreads or the skin appears red, be sure to have your vet evaluate the area. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's probably an ear infection, often it cannot be seen from the outside. Ear infections are very common in dogs, it is usually caused by either yeast or bacterial disease. the treatment is usually simple and straightforward, you will have to take him to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.

This sounds like it could be a hot spot or superficial bacterial skin infection. Most of the time hot spots are treated with antibiotics and sometimes some prescription topical medications. I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian.