Why does my dog have skin tags and brown gunk in his ears? What to do?

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is always a good idea to seek a hands on veterinary visit, especially as a dog ages & new questions about health arise. Based on your pictures, it is possible that the discolored areas are indeed a reaction to the heat rash. Dog skin will often respond with the production of dark pigments ( melanin ) especially when a condition becomes chronic. As long as the area is not showing signs of a moist dermatitis & there is no significant redness or inflammation, then you can continue to treat the area topically. Skin tags are a common benign polyp, again fairly common as dogs age. The discharge also is probably a benign & normal accumulation of secretions. If each or any of the above become more concerning, then it really is in Nemo's best interest to have things thoroughly looked at & dealt with early on. Take care.

Without seeing your dog an being able to put our hands on him for an exam we can't really say for certain what is going on here. I wonder, however, if your dog has matted chunks of fur behind the ear that appear like a fur covered skin tag. It would be very unusual to see symmetrical skin tags in a dog this young, but not uncommon at all to see long matted hair in identical locations. A visit to your vet can help determine if this is what is going and and remove the matted hair if that is the case.

This could be a sign of an ear infection in Max. Ear infections typically result from yeast or bacteria in dogs and can be itchy and painful. I'd recommend having Max examined by a veterinarian so his ears can be checked out. The veterinarian can take an ear swab to determine what type of infection is present and what medication can be used to treat it. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Signs of an ear infection are often a discharge in the ear, redness to the ear, sensitivity to the ear, scratching, head shaking or an odor. There are three types of ear infections and treatment is different for each one. They need to be treated by a veterinarian who can provide appropriate medication. Ear infections can be painful so I recommend to have Tazzy seen within the next day for so by the veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is difficult to tell from the picture but it could just be some discharge from his ear. You could try to clean his ear with an dog ear cleaner and see if it helps. Otherwise, have him examined by a vet to determine if he has an ear infection. Your vet can do a cytology and look at the discharge under a microscope to determine the type of infection and then prescribe medications to treat.

That much discharge in the eye generally means an infection could be brewing. If the discharge has been present for longer than 2 days, I recommend to have Max examined by the veterinarian for treatment. Make sure he is not rubbing at the eye because this could make it worse. Also make sure to keep the eye clean. Look inside his right ear for any signs of an infection: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ear-infections-otitis-externa-ear-cleaning-in-dogs/ Have the vet examine his ear as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

That swelling is likely to be caused by an hematoma in between the cartilage of the ear (pinna) and the skin. An immediate check up is required as the swelling could potentially get worse and deteriorate. Primary cause of the otitis inside external ear canal must be identified and treated. Very commonly the gunk is caused by either an ear infection cause by bacteria or yeast proliferation. Ear drops and a buster collar will be required. 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.