My dog's ears have black crust that bleeds when I pick it. What is it?

Question

I have three dogs and they all recently got a black crust on their ears that seems like dried mud but when I picked it off the hair also came off and the next day it was slightly bleeding. What is going on? Two of the dogs have floppy ears and it is where their ears flap over and the third dog has erect ears and it is on the tip of his ear.

Amy S. Eutsey, DVM · Accepted Answer

This is the typical description of "fly strike". This is where biting flies attack the ears and bite, suck blood and cause the black crust to build up. This is actually dried blood from the bites. This is typically seen in dogs that live outdoors. The solution would be to either move the dogs to an indoor location or you may treat them with an insect repellent on the ears. Please go to your regular veterinarian to purchase a product that is safe and effective.

My dog's ears have black crust that bleeds when I pick it. What is it?

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