My dog's ear is bald and black after scratching. Will hair grow back?

Scabbing/hair loss can be caused by a number of things including infections from bacteria/yeast/fungus on the skin, allergies, metabolic changes internally, wounds or scratches, parasites, and more. Making sure Rosie is on a good monthly flea and tick preventive may help if you see parasites. If the area is not improving or is expanding in size it is best to have your vet take a look. They may recommend taking a skin scraping of the area to have it tested for possible causes. Be sure to also let your vet know of any other changes such as changes in appetite or energy levels. As some infections can be contagious to other pets and people, washing your hands after handling the area is best to help minimize spread.

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!

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!

I think it would be a good idea to have your vet recheck Finnigan. It is unusual that the hair still has not grown back and in your picture his skin looks a little red as well. Your vet can make sure he doesn’t have another ear infection.

Because it is localized to the one spot than you can alternate neosporin with cortisone cream to help keep it clean and take away some of the itching. It does not appear scarred so hair should regrow when it heals. If it doesn't improve in the next day or so your vet can prescribe oral medication to help with the itching and infection

It could be that he suffered an injury in that spot, causing the hair loss. It can take weeks to months for fur to grow back in fully. It could also be due to a medical illness such as ringworm. It's always a good idea to have any hairless spots checked out by vet to determine if there is a medical problem causing it so it can be treated as needed.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Rosie! From the pictures it looks like Rosie may have a hot spot (superficial skin infection). Hot spots can start off small then spread quickly and become larger and painful. Goldens commonly get them from ear infections or from being wet from swimming. I recommend that you take her to the Vet today. The Vet will clip the fur away, clean the area and prescribe antibiotics, steroids, and likely something topical. They will check for an ear infection and prescribe ear wash and ear drops if needed. I hope this helps and I hope Rosie has a speedy recovery!