Why are the tips of my dog's ears rough after a visit elsewhere?

April 23, 2018 10:12 PM

After coming back from staying a couple weeks with a friend (who also has dogs), our pup Otis has rough skin on the tips of his ears. What could this be? Here are three pics of the dude, two before and one after: https://imgur.com/a/IntOphK

It was immediately obvious that it was different, and at first we thought it was scabs from play-fighting with the other dogs or something, but it hasn't improved in over a month and we're wondering if it's actually something else, like mites or mange?
He seems sensitive about them if you try to gently hold them and look closely, but then again he might have been sensitive about that before too. They do not seem to itch or bother him at all.

Is it obvious what it is? Should we just take him to the vet?

posted by mmc to Pets & Animals (7 answers total)

Have you tried gently wiping it off? The part about it lingering for a month has me a little uncertain, otherwise I would be sure it was something I have seen before with my own dog when she finds another puppy that enjoys her particular play style. I'll tell you what it is on the off chance your pup might be encountering the same. But if it doesn't wipe off after a month, then I have no clue, sorry.

I occasionally bring my dog along to a board-game night at a friend's house. She plays with their dog for the entire time we are there-- an English Bulldog and a Boxer, both around two, so still very puppy-like and playful. They have a style of interaction where they playfully leap and snap at each others' face and throat, and lick each other. They do this for hours, until both dogs are exhausted, and they fall to the floor next to each other, unable to walk, but continuing to play-bite and lick each others' heads and neck. Several hours of this type of play leaves a hard, crusty residue of dried dog slobber on both dogs' ears and forehead.

Ask the other dog owners if Otis and their dogs played a lot together in this fashion. If so, then that is your answer. By the way, it wipes right off with a washcloth or cleansing wipe.
posted by seasparrow at 10:30 PM on April 23, 2018

Our dachshunds developed this, and while it never really turned into a bigger problem, it was still unsightly and felt weird, and there was some missing fur at the edges. We always attributed it to dry skin and/or allergies and the vet never seemed too concerned.

After some googling, it sounds a bit like ear edge dermatitis, the causes of which vary quite a lot (from mild to serious), but since there's been no improvement for the past month I'd bring it up with your vet.
posted by lesser weasel at 11:33 PM on April 23, 2018

Can you get a vet to check him out? It could be Demodex (mites), which are treatable.
posted by Mchelly at 4:27 AM on April 24, 2018

We fostered a dog over the winter and his little ear tips got chapped like that from a combination of cold + wrestling (wet slobber on cold ears, like how your lips get chapped) and the vet had us apply coconut oil a few times a day until the chapped went away. My vote is schedule a very visit to be sure but in the meantime try coconut oil, if it starts to clear you can cancel the appointment.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 4:58 AM on April 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'd bet it's just crud. I spend half my life picking black caked on cruft off various foster dogs. My suggestion would be to drench with coconut oil, leave it for 15 minutes to soften it, and then come back and see if you can pick or slide it off without causing bleeding. A toothbrush can help!
posted by DarlingBri at 8:41 AM on April 24, 2018

My dog gets this sometimes, unrelated to travel or visits to any particular place or kind of place. It comes and goes. I've always figured it was simply dry skin. Maybe try a dab of petroleum jelly or a very mild lotion on one ear to see if there's any change?
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:01 AM on April 24, 2018

My dog had this--I even posted a question about it! For my dog, it was sort of black scabby skin on the very tip of his ear. Had an appt with a vet and that morning, it started bleeding when the dog scratched it. Vet said it was vasculitis and it cleared up with a week or so of antibiotics. Note to future readers: dog eara are highly vascular and the amount of blood that sprayed from his tiny ears seemed like a ton. It dried up with pressure and didn't seem to bother the dog at all.
posted by stillmoving at 9:34 AM on April 24, 2018