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My dog has a worsening wet, raw bump on his ear. What is it?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 6 years and 3 months old | 17 lbs

My dog has this bump on his ear that has progressively gotten worse and we're wondering what it could be and how urgent we need to be with it. It started as a small pink bump then turned to an irritated red and now its 'shed' a crusty brown skin and is revealing a wet looking raw bump.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on July 12th, 2019

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. While this is not an emergency, this should be evaluated sooner rather than later. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

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