My 10-month-old dog has black scabs on ears. Could it be mange?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this can be due to mites. Usually though that is associated with itchiness. Another possibility is that this is due to vasculitis. There could be an underlying allergy. I recommend that you have Gizmo evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If there is itchiness, this could be due to skin allergies as stated above. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his 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!

It’s possible Jaxon may have mange or a bacterial skin infection. Oral flea/tick preventatives such as Nexgard, Bravecto or Simparica that you can often get from vaccines clinics such as vippetcare.com or Vetco.com will treat mange. Topical neosporin cream twice daily for 10-14 days may help with bacterial infections although prescription steroid/antibiotic/anti fungal ointment from you vet will likely work much better. If the lesions do not improve within 1-2 weeks of giving Nexgard and applying neosporin twice daily, a trip to your vet for in person assessment /diagnostics is recommended. There is also a possibility that Jaxon may have a fungal skin infection which is transmissible to humans. For this reason and others, if you are able to bring him to the vet for an assessment, it is best! Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Even though mange cannot be ruled out, this pattern would be more consistent with allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 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!

I am so sorry to hear that Gizmo's ear is bothering her. From what you are describing I believe she has an ear infection, and has been scratching at her ear causing the changes you observe. Ear infections in dogs can be very difficult to manage, and are very common. Though cleaning may help prevent ear infections ruins, it won't treat an ear infection that is present. Antibiotics are needed. Unfortunately, there aren't any medications over the counter which would be helpful at this stage. Outer ear infections can progress to inner ear infections. Inner ear infections are very difficult to treat, are very painful and have serious potential complications, such as hearing loss and problems with balance. I would suggest a trip to the vet as soon as you can. The vet will use a tool to look into Gizmo's ears, and may take a swab of the infected ear and send it away for analysis, so that the exact pathogens causing the infection can be identified and therefore a specific antibiotic can be used. 

I hope that this answer was helpful, and more importantly that Gizmo's ear gets better soon. Warmest regards to you both.

I would recommend doing testing on the ears to find out what is causing the scabs. If your pet is outside a lot, then flea bites are possible and it is recommended to purchase flea bite repellent at your local pet store to start, followed by topical triple antibiotic to get the scabs to heal. If your pet is kept mostly indoors, two common causes of this are demodexx mites or a yeast infection. Also another condition called ear margin vasculitis could be the cause. Ear margin vasculitis is a spontaneous condition where the vessels at the ear tip margin become inflamed creating a scabby appearance to the skin. Since all 3 of these look very similar it is important to get testing done in the form of a skin scrape/cytology and/or skin biopsy because each is treated so differently and it takes out a lot of the guess-work. Therefore scheduling an appointment with your vet is needed for proper diagnosis and treatment.

The black scabs may be due to her itching at her ears a lot. The inside of Zeda's ears look red, and she may have an ear infection, or ear mites that are causing her to itch. The black spots can also be a sign of an ear infection or ear mites. She needs to be seen by a veterinarian soon. The vet will be able to look down her ears with an otoscope, and take samples if there are signs of infection, so that she can be treated with the correct medication. This will hopefully provide Zeda with some relief.

Poor guy. I would recommend having Baxer seen by your vet for something like this. He may have an underying skin condition such as demodexx mites or a staph infection that is causing these skin lesions. His skin needs to be tested and possibly cultured to determine the underlying condition so that he receives proper treatment. I hope that your pet Baxter gets well soon. Best wishes and take care.