My dog's ear is itchy with a bald spot. Could it be an infection?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I’m sorry to hear that Bob is scratching his ear. It is possible that he has an ear infection, likely bacterial or yeast in origin. I recommend having him seen by your veterinarian to have him/her perform an ear smear and cytology to look at the cells and determine what type of infection is present. This way, he/she can prescribe the most appropriate treatment. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These look like alopecic patches which may de due to scratching of her ears which may be due to an ear infection for example. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If this is confirmed they would likely proceed with topical therapy. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sally may have ear canal infection if she is scratching mainly behind the ears. Excessive itchiness can be also related to skin allergies, skin infections or parasites. Please, take Sally to your local vets to check the skin and the ears and to start treatment for her.

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!

Hi and thank you for using PetCoach! I am so sorry to hear that Snoopy's ear is red. It is very possible Snoopy may have an ear infection. Ear infections are most commonly due to underlying allergies such as environmental or food allergies. It is possible Snoopy has mites in that ear but less likely since only one ear is very affected. I would recommend taking Snoopy in to see your veterinarian. They will likely take swabs from both ears and look at a cytology of them (under the microscope) to look for infections. If this is the case, your veterinarian will recommend ear cleaner/ medication. Good luck! Here is an article that describes ear infections in more detail: https://www.petcoach.co/article/middle-inner-ear-infections-in-dogs/

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging by your description, it sounds as though Shiloh may have a skin infection or seborrheic dermatitis possibly. Without pictures and not being able to examine the area myself, it is difficult to say for sure. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Shiloh so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Shiloh may need an oral antibiotic and topical therapy for treatment. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Based on what you are describing, and the pictures, I suspect that Willow may have an infection with ectoparasites, such as mites or fleas, that are causing her to be itchy. Your veterinarian can perform a skin scrape and evaluate the cells under a microscope to look for evidence of infectious agents. Please ensure that Willow is on a monthly topical flea and tick preventative that you purchase from your veterinarian; NOT one that can be purchased from a pet or grocery store, as these are not regulated and can be very toxic to pets. Willow could also have allergic skin disease, secondary to food or environmental agents. You can talk to your veterinarian about trying a diet trial to determine if Willow's itchy skin resolves on a particular novel protein diet. The thickened ears can be due to chronic ear infections, so your veterinarian will be able to examine the waxy debris under a microscope and prescribe the appropriate medication based on whether they see bacteria and/or yeast in Willow's ears. I hope this is helpful!