Crusty, flaky ears. Around the edge both inside and outside of one ear. The inside is slightly dirty. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 11 lbs

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kane. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He could have an ear infection that is affecting the ear flap or pinna margins. Ear mites are not common in dogs, but demodex is commonly seen in his breed. A food allergy is possible. This is typically accompanied by vomiting and/or diarrhea as well as other skin lesions. Rarely a dog will develop autoimmune skin disease that affects the ears as well as eyelid margins, nose or paws. The veterinarian will carefully examine him and determine how best to treat him. I hope this information helps!

My pet has a crusty, flaky, dirty ear. What's causing this problem?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 11 lbs

Crusty, flaky ears. Around the edge both inside and outside of one ear. The inside is slightly dirty

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM 191

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on January 5th, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to allergies affecting just the skin of the ear or even also causing an ear infection. This warrants a visit to your veterinarian. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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My pet has a crusty, flaky, dirty ear. What's causing this problem?

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