My Golden Retriever is scratching under its ear. How can I help?

This looks like an area of moist dermatitis, or hot spot. They get these from licking or rubbing an area of skin that was irritated from an insect bite, allergy or injury. To treat this I recommend trimming the fur around the area, then cleaning off the discharge with warm water and antibacterial soap. Once it’s rinsed and dried you can apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. The most important thing is to prevent her from scratching or rubbing this area so it can heal. Use a cone if needed. If it’s not improving then I recommend a veterinary exam and treatment. They may give medication to prevent the itching, and possible a topical spray or ointment to dry up the skin. Hot spots are common in Goldens so I’d have a cone and medication on hand to treat these at home before they get bad. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Daisy.

Lemuiex is adorable! The crusting and scaling on his ear margins could be due to vasculitis or a fungal infection, among others. Scabies does not typically cause this type of lesion on the ear margins, but the only way to determine that is through skin scraping. Vasculitis can be caused by a wide variety of issues, including infection, immune system disorders, drug/vaccine reactions, burns, cancer, among others. Until you take Lemuiex to the vet, you can try applying topical antibacterial/antifungal ointments to this area, but prescription medication is most likely necessary for this type of issue. I hope that all goes well!

With that amount of dirt and wax from his ears, it is possible it is ear mites, a bacterial or yeast infection, or just dirt. If there is an odor, any redness or he is shaking or scratching his head, then I would get his ears checked to make sure. The scab may be a pustules from a bite. If it is the only one, then you can apply some cortisone cream and alternate it with Neosporin. If it does not improve over the next 2 days, then it will need to be checked by your regular vet.

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!

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!

It looks like the start of a hot spot. I would be suspicious of scratching this area because of an ear infection. I recommend that you have Cooper checked out by the vet to check for an ear infection or other cause of itchy ears and get the hot spot treated. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-treat-and-prevent-hot-spots-on-dogs/

From the excellent picture you have provided it looks like Winstyn may have moist dermatitis, or a "hot spot". Unfortunately, hot spots often require a trip to the vet for clipping of the area, cleaning, and prescription of a healing spray / ointment with antibiotics and a steroid. All of these interventions will help the area heal quickly, and minimise the level of discomfort that Winstyn has to experience. Due to the location of the sore it will particularly difficult to treat at home. In the meantime you can help Winstyn by; Placing a an e-collar to prevent him biting or attracting at the sore and making it worse Attempt to air out the area as much as possible to help it dry out. This is key to healing. Do not attempt any medications at home as they can cause pain and in some cases delay healing. I hope this is a helpful answer and that Winstyn feels better soon. Warmest regards to you both.