My dog's ear is bent back, scratching, and licking. Was she attacked?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Willow has a cut on her ear. It is possible that she caused it herself by scratching, but if you did not observe it happening, she could have traumatized it on something else, or been wounded by another animal. Based on your description of the wound, I recommend bringing her to your local veterinarian to have her evaluated. At the very least, the wound likely needs to be cleaned and flushed with a sterile solution to prevent infection. Depending on how deep or infected the wound is, it may require more extensive management such as surgical closure of the wound, or bandages. Willow likely also needs an Elizabethan (cone) collar to prevent her from further traumatizing the wound. Unfortunately, dogs like to scratch at their ears and can make it very hard for wounds to heal. If the wound is superficial and Willow is otherwise healthy, you may be able to apply compression to the wound to get it to stop bleeding, and monitor it closely at home for signs of infection (redness, swelling, yellow-green discharge, foul odor). If you see any of these signs, Willow should definitely be evaluated by a veterinarian. Just a reminder, NEVER give dogs any pain medications that are intended for humans, as they can be lethally toxic to dogs. I hope this is helpful!

Poor Lola! Her ear does look quite irritated in the photo. Scratching at the ear is usually caused by an ear infection or underlying allergy problem, which may also be why she is scratching at her mouth and face as well. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam when you are able to, to find out for sure what's wrong and get her started on appropriate treatment. In the meantime, you can place an e-collar (plastic cone) on her to prevent her from continuing to scratch at her ear and make it more irritated, or put a bootie or sock on her rear paw so that she can't scratch as effectively.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Luke can be scratching his ear due to an infection, ear mites, or an allergic reaction. As this condition is likely uncomfortable and can progress, I recommend having him seen by a vet as soon as possible. Your vet can take a sample of any discharge in the ear to determine if the itching is caused by a bacterial or fungal infection and recommend an appropriate treatment. In the meantime, you can get Luke can E-collar or "cone" to prevent him from scratching the ear and causing further trauma. I hope this helps and that all is well with Luke!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I'm sorry that Lucy is having this problem. It is odd that the infection has cleared up but she still has sores on the ear flap. Is she scratching at the ears? If so, you really need to get her a cone collar to wear to prevent scratching. As long as she is scratching them, the will not heal. You can get a soft sided cone similar to this one: ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RV2VG7Y ) You can certainly continue to apply Neosporin and it should not hurt her. She is probably just very sensitive and expecting the ears to hurt when you touch them. If you can apply the Neosporin twice daily for one week consistently the sores should heal. If they do not heal in that time frame, you need to take her back to your vet to figure out what is going on or go to a different vet for a second opinion. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Snow may have an ear infection, which can be pretty uncomfortable for her. She should be seen by a vet to assess the severity of the condition and begin the appropriate treatment. Treatment may include oral antibiotics or topical antibiotics. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any questions you have!

It seems a small trauma, which is healing fine and at the moment (looking at the pic) I cannot see any sign of infection. Disinfection can be done at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any). 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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think it would be best to have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Usually traumatic injuries like bite wounds can become worse with time if not treated appropriately. Also, sometimes the external wound is just the tip of the iceberg and there is more to it internally or locally. Dog bites can also result in infections and antibiotics are often recommended depending on how deep the wound is. Good luck!