What causes a painful, crusty, oozing spot on my dog's ear?

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 and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It could be due to skin infection, ringworm or ear canal problem (usually yeast infection). Please, take Shiloh to your local vets as it sounds that the ear is very painful at the moment. He will be likely prescribed pain killers and either ear drops with antibiotics or topical treatment for the skin lesion.

That seems odd. Usually a yellow discharge indicates infection. I recommend to have Nova examined by the veterinarian. The doctor will likely shave the hair to get a better look at the skin. Unless this is tree sap or something else that she has simply walked into, infection of the skin is the next most likely cause. Protect the area from any scratching and have her examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

On the leg she has a hot spot, this is usually caused by skin allergies and aggravated by licking. i can't really see anything abnormal on the ear but it could be related to the same problem. your vet can provide treatment for this condition.

This sounds like an area of moist exudative dermatitis, commonly known as a "hot spot." They frequently show up in front of the ear, just as you're describing. Unfortunately yes, these are painful, and they are very difficult if not impossible to treat at home. Chunk needs pain relief to help with the severe inflammation in this area, and also antibiotics to clear up the infection. If you're tight on money, I'd recommend checking out carecredit.com - they offer credit specifically for veterinary visits. I'd really urge you to get this treated sooner rather than later, as it's intensely uncomfortable, and there's really not anything you can do at home to treat it.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Milli Rock. It could be she has an ear infection causing the redness and crusting spot. It would also cause her to itch her ear. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria. She does need to see a vet to have this diagnosed and treated. Leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss. Give her vet a call to make her an appointment. I hope this helps!

I am very sorry but we can't really tell much from this photo. It may be just a hot spot. You can use some hydrogen peroxide diluted 1/2 and 1/2 with water and try to clean the crusts off it and, if possible, shave the hair from around it. After you do that if you could post again with new photos we may be able to help you better.