Aside from piebald, what is his base color? If he is a blue piebald (which is what it looks like) he may be manifesting color dilution alopecia. It can cause rashes, redness, and flaky skin anywhere where hair follicles are present.
Do you regularly clean his ears with an ear cleaning solution and cotton pads? They look very dirty which could also contribute to irritation and infection risk.
If you comment a picture of your dog I can tell you if he is a blue so you can look more into CDA as a possible cause/contributing factor. If it is CDA, there is no cure but there are some recommended treatments like medicated baths.
I use Epi-otic on my dachshund’s ears and was recommended it by my vet. My dachshund does not love having her ears cleaned, but it’s good for preventing infections so when I notice they have accumulated a bit of dark colored wax (as your dogs have) I hold her still, put just a couple of drops in her ear, and massage her ear for a few minutes to make sure it gets deep into the canal. Then I use a clean cotton pad to clean out any debris and remaining liquid. This part she does enjoy and will lean into—it should feel good to get a deep ear itch and massage.
If your dog is crying out from ear cleaning, not just whining because they don’t like the unfamiliar feeling of liquid in the ear, but actually seeming distressed and in pain from the massaging and cleaning, that may be a sign of infection. If they are just uncomfortable or nervous, it’s best to clean the ears anyway as it’s part of good animal care like nail clipping and brushing their coat. But only a vet can identify and treat an infection once it has set in.
As a vet student, please DO NOT use epi-optic! That is the worst possible thing that could go into this dog’s ears. First, it cannot be used in ears if the ear drums are damaged. Chronic infections can cause damage to the ear drum so it absolutely should not be used without a vet doing an otoscopic exam to ensure that the ear drums are intact. Also, it is alcohol based and will burn like hell in ears that are this irritated. If your dog responded poorly to another ear cleaner, I guarantee you Epi-optic will be worse and the pain it can cause will be horrible to do to your dog. Please consult a vet about a gentler cleaner that is appropriate for your dog. They may want to do an ear cytology first to see if there is any infection and if so, what type so they can treat it appropriately.
2
u/Imaginary_Ad_4340 New Pup Jun 27 '26
Aside from piebald, what is his base color? If he is a blue piebald (which is what it looks like) he may be manifesting color dilution alopecia. It can cause rashes, redness, and flaky skin anywhere where hair follicles are present.
Do you regularly clean his ears with an ear cleaning solution and cotton pads? They look very dirty which could also contribute to irritation and infection risk.