My dog's ear tips are scabby and losing hair. What should I do?

Question

My dog has what feels like scabs on the tip of his ears but the hair also pulls out real easy. He doesn't have ear mites. What could I do about it? Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 2 years old

Destini R. Holloway, DVM · Accepted Answer

I would recommend doing testing on the ears to find out what is causing the scabs. If your pet is outside a lot, then flea bites are possible and it is recommended to purchase flea bite repellent at your local pet store to start, followed by topical triple antibiotic to get the scabs to heal. If your pet is kept mostly indoors, two common causes of this are demodexx mites or a yeast infection. Also another condition called ear margin vasculitis could be the cause. Ear margin vasculitis is a spontaneous condition where the vessels at the ear tip margin become inflamed creating a scabby appearance to the skin. Since all 3 of these look very similar it is important to get testing done in the form of a skin scrape/cytology and/or skin biopsy because each is treated so differently and it takes out a lot of the guess-work. Therefore scheduling an appointment with your vet is needed for proper diagnosis and treatment.

My dog's ear tips are scabby and losing hair. What should I do?

Most Helpful Answer

Related Questions

What fish dog food helps dry skin if my dog eats Science Diet?

My pet keeps scratching its ear. What's causing this problem?

My degu has a white bump in its fur. Should I take my pet to the vet?

My pet's ear mite treatment isn't working. What else could it be?

My rat is losing weight and has breathing issues. What should I do?

My pet has worsening sores and scratches. Could it be an infection?

Share