Ear margin dermatosis.

Dr. Marie replied:

You've taken some great pictures of Cody's ear. I've included two of them here:






I have seen a number of dogs with ear margins that look like that. I haven't heard of the term "scurf" so I looked it up and really can't find a reference to it being called that. It sounds like this term may be one particular vet's way of describing the problem.

Now, keep in mind that I can't give you a diagnosis over the internet but what I'm seeing in the pictures really looks like what I would call "ear margin dermatosis". However, that doesn't tell us what the cause is or exactly how to treat it!

The first thing that I will recommend when I see ears like this is to do some tests to look for things like sarcoptic mange or ringworm. However, usually these tests come up negative. Some dogs with this condition will have hypothyroidism, so it may be worthwhile to have your vet test for this. However, if he's had the problem for several years then this is unlikely as hypothyroidism is usually a condition affecting middle to older aged dogs.

Usually we don't end up finding a cause. There are several things that we can try when treating these. My new favorite treatment is something called Kerasolv ointment. You can usually buy it over the counter at the pharmacy. It helps to soften up the areas quite nicely. Another product (that I believe is prescription and would need to be obtained by your vet) is called Douxo Seborrhea spot on. I haven't used it in any of my patients, but many vets swear by it. The other thing that sometimes works is a combo of oral antibiotics combined with a steroid cream.

If the spots are not bothersome, then you may need to do nothing. If they seem like they are really irritating then you may want to consider having your vet biopsy them to see if they are something more serious. There is an autoimmune condition called vasculitis that can produce areas that look like this, but it really is not common.

I hope that helps!

Dr. Marie.




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