My dog has a red, crusty, itchy spot on her ear. Should I see a vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This would actually warrant a visit to your veterinarian as this may be present due to an infection for example. I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. The ear could have a small mass that has now become infected. The leg appears to have an elbow callus. Her veterinarian will determine if this is the case. If a mass is present on the ear, it may require surgical removal. If it is a wound, then antibiotics could be needed. If the limb has a callus, treatment is generally not required. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Momo is so cute! If he has been scratching at one ear a lot, and there is more discharge in the ear than the other, then yes I would suspect he has an ear infection. I would take him into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose if he does have an ear infection, what's causing it (ear mites, yeast, or bacteria), and can prescribe treatment for it. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to allergies affecting just the skin of the ear or even also causing an ear infection. This warrants a visit to your veterinarian. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello. This may be some allergic reaction as I do not see any indication that Jimin has ear mites. You can go to your local Petco & pick up a tube of Zymox Hydrocortisone cream. Apply a little on the red areas you see, but do not put it into the ear canal. Use it twice a day until you can see your veterinarian. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Milo is scratching hard enough to damage the skin. It would be best to have him examined by your vet to see if there is a primary ear problem ( infection or ear mites ) or if he has a mild allergy. Different things require different treatments so I hope you can have him seen soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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/