My dog has a leaking, smelly lump near her ear. Is it serious?

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!

This could be a cyst, an abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Having Rosie seen by a vet for this a good idea. I hope this helps!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This looks likely to be a cyst, which is a benign skin growth that can rupture and exude a thick proteinaceous discharge. I recommend having Roscoe seen by a Vet, as cysts can become infected when they rupture, and Roscoe may need a course of antibiotics. Your vet can then let you know if they have any concerns about the lesion when they’re able to examine it. In the meantime, keep it clean using soapy water (Dawn dish soap works well) and soak/wipe it clean a few times daily. Hope this helps!

Unfortunately this sounds like an abscess and needs to be drained by your vet followed by oral antibiotics to successfully treat this area. When an abscess is present the body has walled off the area of infection with a thick layer of skin, and although this is beneficial for the pet because it prevents the infection from spreading to the rest of the body, it also doesn't allow topical medication to penetrate the area either. Which is why oral antibiotics prescribed by your vet are ultimately needed here.

This appears to be a large, infected mass. You will need to take Roscoe to the vet as soon as possible. Your vet will likely recommend surgery to remove the mass and antibiotics to help the infection clear up. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bertie. Lumps generally fall into a few broad categories including growths/tumors which can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer), granulomas which are a collection of inflammatory cells, abscess/infection, among others. In young dogs, a common benign tumor called a histiocytoma can develop. These are raised growths, often pink and somewhat flat like a button. These growths oftentimes resolve on their own without treatment. I would advise that your veterinarian take a look at Bertie. They can get a detailed history and do a complete physical exam focusing on the area of the growth, They may advise diagnostics such as a fine needle aspirate or a biopsy of the growth to determine what it is. If they suspect a histiocytoma they may just advise monitoring the area but to also be on the lookout for any scratching of the ear/growth. Once a diagnosis is obtained or suspected, a sound treatment plan can be discussed. The ear is a tricky area for growths and their removal because of the lack of skin to close over the incision if they are removed. Thus, a growth in this area warrants a quick analysis by your vet. Good luck with Bertie.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can possibly be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar is useful as well to avoid any scratching (as you have used). 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.