My dog has small red bumps under his ear flap. What's causing them?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on November 6th, 2017

  It's difficult to tell how red the ear is from the picture, but the inside structure of the ear appears normal, so that's a good sign that the irritation is not too advanced. It also looks like you have done a good job cleaning the ear. Red areas inside the ear indicate that something is irritating the ear. If both ears are affected, then I would be most suspicious of an allergy, which is a common reason for skin and ear problems. This would require long-term prescription medication, if allergies are diagnosed by a veterinarian as the problem. The other possibility is that the ears are getting irritated from frequent ear cleanings. If you clean the ears more frequently than once a week, then they can get irritated, which can ironically set-up an environment for infection. It's also important that anytime you wipe the ears, you are doing it gently with a soft material like cotton. I've seen ears get very inflamed from having their ears cleaned too roughly. If you are not smelling the typical infection smell, nor seeing the discharge, then it's likely that all is OK for now. However, red/irritated ears can be a start to infection, so it's good to treat this problem before it gets worse. The best recommendation I have is to have a vet exam her ears and try to identify the cause. You could also try to apply some soothing ear flush, or ear drops to the ears once a day and see if that helps. Below is a link to a product that may be helpful. https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-health-and-wellness/dog-ear-and-eye-care/dog-ear-care I hope that helps and Jazmine gets better soon.

  

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  Answered By Anna M., DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on April 7th, 2019

  Hello, and thanks for your question about Buster. It looks like those are possible excoriations, or scabs from Buster scratching at his ears. He could be doing this just from the mild irritation of a little water getting in his ears, or he could be developing an ear infection - usually an overgrowth of yeast or bacteria, or a combination of the two. Very occasionally we can see ear mites in dogs, but that's definitely less common. If Buster otherwise seems pretty comfortable and there's no odor or discharge in his ears, you can try applying an over the counter product such as this one, which can help fend off a very mild early ear infection: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-ear-solution# However, if you see discharge, more redness than is apparent in this picture, if there's an odor from those ears, or if Buster really seems uncomfortable, then you should bring him in to the vet to evaluate what's going on inside his ears. Hope this helps!

  

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  Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on April 15th, 2017

  This could be a fungal or bacterial infection and you should have this examined by a veterinarian. Max may need to be prescribed a antifungal or antibacterial ointment. This could also be a reaction to an insect or spider bite, but without a hands-on exam it it not possible to say. Please make an appointment with your vet for today or next week.

  

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