My dog has a red spot and is scratching his ear. What is it?

This is called moist dermatitis or a hot spot. They start with an itch from an insect bite or an ear infection then become severe when the dog scratches it excessively. The skin then weeps, becomes painful in addition to itching and will often have a lot of sticky discharge on it and in the surrounding fur. I recommend washing this with a warm wet cloth to remove the discharge. Then you can spray a hot spot medication on it. You can purchase one at PetCo. The most important thing is to put him in a cone to prevent scratching. If you are unable to do this then bring him in for an exam so they can treat it. They can give him pain medication and something to reduce the itching. They will also check his ear for infection. These are painful and take time to fully heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Duke.

Ouch, poor Chewie! This lesion looks most consistent with a hot spot (moist dermatitis). Given the location, I would also be concerned that he created the lesion from trying to scratch his ears from an ear infection. If you have clippers on hand, you can clip the hair around the skin lesion and then clean it with an antiseptic soap, such as chlorhexidine or betadine. It is worth taking a trip to the vet to have his skin and ears evaluated. Until you can take Chewie to the vet, keep an e-collar on him to prevent further skin damage. I hope that all goes well!

I would recommend that you have Cooper examined by a vet. Areas of hair loss like this can be caused by demodex mites. Other possible causes include bacterial or fungal infection or other parasites. The vet will likely do a skin scraping to look for the mites under a microscope. Then they can get Cooper started on an appropriate treatment plan.

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!

Poor Winston! It looks as though Winston may have developed a hot spot (acute moist dermatitis) under his ear. This occurs most commonly due to either scratching from an ear infection or due to underlying allergies. If Winston has any redness or brown debris in his ears, he will need to go to the vet to have a possible ear infection evaluated. If his ears look completely normal, you can try using clippers to remove the fur from around this lesion (usually a good 1-2 inches of fur around the red area), then clean the lesion with either chlorhexidine or betadine antiseptic solutions. Keep an e-collar (cone) on Winston at least until the lesion dries out because constant scratching will only make matters worse. If the lesion worsens or has not improved in the next few days, Winston will need to go to his vet for evaluation.

This looks like a hot spot on Lucky's leg. This usually occurs from excessive licking of the area and an infection that is present in the skin. Lucky will need antibiotics to help clear up the infection. He may also need some allergy medication to prevent the area from coming back. The bumps behind the ears are probably due to allergies as well. I would recommend a trip to your vet to get some antibiotics for the leg and possibly some allergy medication if indicated. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Poor guy. Unfortunately you will need to take him to your vet to get his ear infection treated, since there are no over the counter ear products available for dogs. He also likely has skin allergies which are best treated with allergy medication (i.e. Apoquel) through your vet as well. Until you can get him seen, you can try giving him over the counter pet formulated fish oils, which are a natural anti-inflammatory for the skin, daily to help somewhat. Also you can bathe him with an over the counter pet formulated shampoo that is either aloe based or oatmeal based. The vet will be able to give him stronger medication once you go to your appt. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951475 I hope that Coco's skin and ears resolve soon! Best wishes and take care.