What's causing my puppy's stiff ear fur, pus, and cracked skin?

Oh no, poor Piper! You are correct that he could have an ear infection, and if he was scratching at his ear, that could cause the infected (the pus, color, and smell indicate infection) areas on his face. I would have him seen by a vet first thing tomorrow morning. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by bacteria, yeast, or ear mites, and the vet can diagnose if he does have one, the cause, and can prescribe treatment for it. As for the infected areas, the vet can clean those and prescribe him antibiotics.

It sounds like he could have a bacterial infection on his ears. You could bathe him with a medicated shampoo and see if that helps but he may need an antibiotic treat the problem. Have your vet take a look at him to prescribe the best medication to treat. You could also add Free Form Snip Tips to his diet to keep his coat and skin healthy.

The skin itself has a scaly and bump appearance to it, which often means there is a bacterial or fungal infection present. I would recommend taking Snow in to your vet to have the area tested to determine which infection is present so that the proper medication is prescribed. I hope that Snow’s spot heals well soon. Best wishes and take care.

Have him examined by your veterinarian. There may be serious infection and possibly an aural hematoma if she has been shaking her head. A hematoma develops when a blood vessel is broken in the ear flap due to shaking. This results in an ear that looks like a small pillow. Treatment is typically surgical. An ear infection can be diagnosed by examining a swab of the ear under a microscope. This can be done in the clinic. Infection can be caused by bacteria, yeast or a combination of both. The treatment will depend on the cause. "Simple" ear infections can be treated topically and usually resolve within 10-14 days. Place an e-collar (cone) on Nicki to prevent rubbing or pawing until she sees the vet.

The yellow pus is compatible with a bacterial infection of the ear canal. Immediate check up and antibiotic ear drops are required to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

At 7 months old, most of her teeth should be in place, and teething does not normally cause ear issues in dogs. Possible causes for her itchy ears include bacterial or yeast ear infection, mites, fleas, or allergies. You can try a medicated ear flush like Dechra Malacetic Ultra Otic for a few days, as well as having Princess on a good flea preventative. If it doesn't get better, she should be seen by a vet for evaluation. The vet will probably do a thorough otic exam and an ear cytology to find the cause of the itch. Then appropriate medications can be prescribed.

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.