My dog's ear scab isn't healing. Is it safe to wait for the vet?

You may want to give your vet a call and tell them it is getting worse. It sounds like this scab could be a hot spot or superficial bacterial infection. While stopping the itching sometimes helps an infection resolve (if that’s what this is) other times topical or oral antibiotics are needed. It’s a good idea to keep the e-collar on until the lesion is gone.

If it really is just a scab, then I would leave it alone, since pulling it off will hurt and may cause bleeding. Scabs are there to protect the new tissue that is growing underneath. Scabs can often be confused by small moles, ticks, small papillomas or warts, or even a tumor. When Sven is calm and sitting near you, look and see if it looks like a scab (usually flat) or something else. If it is something else, then you should have it checked out by a vet.

It's not an emergency likely but it may need to be addressed. For bleeding lesions, apply firm pressure for 10-15 minutes. You can use hydrogen perxoide to clean the area one time but don;t use it more than that because it can impede healing. After that, use soap and water to clean the ear if it gets dirty but otherwise leave it alone. You need to prevent Reese from shaking her head and traumatizing the ear. Sometimes and elizabethan collar can help. This is is though the best product to prevent shaking the ear: https://www.noflapearwrap.com/?variant=1045913141273 Lesions on the ear tips are commonly due to fungal infections, vasculitis or fly bites. You can keep the ear clean and dry. Keep the ear protected from trauma. You can give Reese a supplement for omega 3 fatty acids for pets to help with inflammation. You can apply a tiny dab of organic coconut oil to the lesion 1-2 times a day and rub it in well. If the lesion is not improving within 5 days, if it starts looking worse or if it will not stop bleeding after 15 minutes, have Reese examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

He will be fine. You’ve already applied the medication so don’t clean it as you may break the scab and start it bleeding again. This is a common injury and it will heal in a few days to a week. I recommend using clippers rather than scissors to trim the fur as it’s safer. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Max.

Annie is adorable! This lesion certainly could be irritation from an injury, but could also be related to ringworm or mange. You can try cleaning the area with an antiseptic solution (diluted chlorhexidine or betadine) 1-2 times per day, taking care to rinse and dry thoroughly. Also keep an e-collar (cone) on Annie until the lesion heals, because it will not heal if she is scratching or rubbing at the lesion. That said, if this does not start to improve in another week, Annie will need to go to her vet for further evaluation. The vet may need to perform skin scrapes (to check for the mites that cause mange) or a fungal culture (to look for ringworm). I hope that all goes well!

Hello. If things are pretty static it is best just to leave the scab alone. Chances are at some point it will fall off. Most likely another scab will form & the process will repeat itself. The scab is somewhat protective, so I agree with your vet & leave the scab alone. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately those ''ointments'' (they are based silver nitrate usually) are usually not good and a bit too painful when used for skin lesions. A buster collar and potentially head/ear bandage (frequently changed) can be used for enough time to allow the skin to heal completely.