# Dry ear tips with hair loss?



## JTS

Hello everyone.

My boy is 2.5 years old and last year over winter I noticed some hair loss around the edges of his ears, he didnt itch or seem bothered by it at all but to be safe we went to the vet. They took a sample to check if there was an infection or a fungus but all came back negative. They gave me some anti fungal medicine just to try but it didnt seem to help. Once the summer was here the ears got better but this winter the condition is back.

I attached some pictures of his ears where the hair loss occurs. Has anyone ever had this before? Is it due to the dry winter air maybe?

Thanks in advance!


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## liv

The same thing happens to both of mine during the winter, and the hair grows back during the summer. I don't know if it is due to the cold or the dryness, but it doesn't seem to bother them, and the vet wasn't worried about it.


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## Andy-jr.

This is nice to know because those pictures look like my dogs ear right now.


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## Samba

Mine get this. A skin scraping at the vet revealed fungus primarily. A bit of the right topical ointment cured it.


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## BlackthornGSD

In my experience, that's a little bit of fungus infection. If you get some athlete's food medicine and smear it on the ear tips everyday for about a week, it usually goes away. 

Doesn't seem to cause harm, or spread if you don't treat it. Although, if you have dogs sharing crates, it may spread between dogs. Note: this is just based on my experience, don't know that it's common enough that vets have ever studied it.


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## Quinnsmom

My guy has had this every winter for four years. He tends to have dry, itchy skin from allergies anyway. I think that the low humidity both indoors and out causes it, as it disappears each spring on its own. I know the dry air in winter gives my skin a lot of misery too.


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## Samba

It tends to occur on dogs with allergies also.


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## JTS

Thanks all! Just to be safe I might try some anti fungal ointment once more and then see as the humidity rises in the Midwest if it doesnt just go away again.

I appreciate all the feedback!


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## JTS

Samba said:


> Mine get this. A skin scraping at the vet revealed fungus primarily. A bit of the right topical ointment cured it.


Do you recall the name of the topical ointment?

Looking back at his records last time they gave us Tresaderm.

Thanks!


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## BeckyKohl

This is what has happened to my shepherds ears. Can you use lotrimin, that is used for athletes foot???


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## mcavan

Had this happen every winter with our one GSD female, Oeska, who as others have mentioned had some pretty serious allergies including human dander! We did scrapings, tried various medications and in the end since it did not cause her any discomfort or seem to itch etc. just left it alone. It started for her as soon as the furnace came on and started to disappear as soon as it went off every year....


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## wick

I have read in a bunch of places that feeding your dog coconut oil will help keep the fur soft and shiny, keep the skin healthy, and has the added benefit of being good for helping with allergies. You can apply it topically, however most dogs love it so much that they will lick it off, however if it's on the ears maybe they won't be able to reach it


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## gsdheeler

I think Gold Bond makes an ointment, pretty sure it's an anti fungal.


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