Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  3. Fur on the edge of his ear is coming off (and some dry skin)…

Fur on the edge of his ear is coming off (and some dry skin)…

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • A

    Our pup Ernest has had some dry skin issues in the past. We've started giving him 1 capsule's worth of fish oil daily which seems to have curbed his "dandruff" issue, but recently I noticed some very dry skin inside his ears. That peeled (like after a sun burn) but now the fur along the edge of his ear is coming out a little bit.

    Anyone have ideas for causes and/or remedies?
    attachment_t_16326_0_img_4805.jpg
    attachment_t_16326_1_img_4806.jpg
    attachment_t_16326_2_img_4807.jpg
    attachment_t_16326_3_img_4808.jpg

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    Is he outside a lot? Flies can cause problems at the tips of the ears. Dry skin could be diet.

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    0
  • A

    He's not outside a ton as he goes to daycare most days. We're also in NYC where nature isn't terribly invasive.

    I posted on two facebook groups I follow as well and the answers have ranged from "winter ear" which seems like no big deal to vasculitis which (if you believe the hype) will soon have his skin falling off, zombie-style.

    We'll probably swing by the vet this week to be sure, but I've been rubbing some vitamin E oil on his ears for the last 36 hours and it's already looking better.

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    Are any other dogs at his daycare showing similar problems? Could he have picked something up from another dog? Also, there are lots of possible allergens that could affect him seasonally. The vet will hopefully have some answers.

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    0
  • R

    This is just a case of "winter ear".
    Sometimes it's caused by being inside all winter long with low humidity
    in other words a too warm house.
    A warm bath and some baby oil on the tips usually clears it up.

    0
  • DebraDownSouthD

    Since the edges of the ears is often the starting place for mange, I would definitely let a vet scrape and make sure.

    Debra

    0
  • R

    A waste of good money.
    I have had 39 years with basenjis,my guess is that in that 39 years I have seen this
    MANY times. Never is it mange.

    0
  • DebraDownSouthD

    Just a thought on assuming your experiences are the only one, I have never had a dog in my 58 years of life with "winter ear", but I am intelligent enough not to assume that means that isn't it. And I also don't consider finding out what is wrong with your pet to be a "waste of money."

    Doing rescue, I have seen mange more times than I care to remember. But scraping can reveal other issues also. So if it clears up, fine. If it seems to be taking too long or not totally healing, more than worth the money.

    But let's let vets give you the list of causes:
    http://www.merckvetmanual.com/pethealth/dog_disorders_and_diseases/ear_disorders_of_dogs/disorders_of_the_outer_ear_in_dogs.html

    Debra

    0

Suggested Topics

  • wizardW

    Super dry skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    4k Views
    TimesthemythT
    Olive oil works very quickly; cleared up my dogs dry skin in less than two weeks (though I put it in food) and is relatively cheap. Three table spoons a week I think is what vets have recommended. The high fat can cause some laxative issues though. You don't likely need fish [cod] oil after that, though if you have a decent fish source….never hurts as a supplement. Especially salmon. If you're neurotic about your dog's health [ as there is some controversy surrounding Olive oil], and wanting to pull out all the stops, just go straight for the fish oil.
  • rnastoR

    Dry Skin?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    33
    0 Votes
    33 Posts
    11k Views
    tanzaT
    @FortheLoveofStella: Stella has very short hair, and she is flaky a lot (in more ways than one!!) Do you need a prescription for the omega3 or fish oil? Or can you just the human equivalent at cvs? Human equivalent is fine to use
  • Ninabeana26N

    Ear Rash???

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    2k Views
    Ninabeana26N
    @tanza: Could also be a reaction to some kind of bite… here is another thought... when did he have he last round of shots? But in the end, I think I would take a trip to the Vet... could just be a little ear infection going on... they can and do get yeast infections in the ears.. and I have found that puppies for what ever reason get dirty ears... and slight infections. Kobey had one when he was about 4/5 months old... His second round of puppy shots he got on the 7th of this month. His next round isn't until the 6th of March. I am going to call the vet this afternoon & ask them if we should bring him in. His ears do get really dirty with wax buildup. I have actually used a q-tip (he's gotten a little better) & cleaned them almost every other day in the past week because everytime I look down there I see some buildup. Maybe that itself is another sign that something more is wrong. I will check his paws & rear tonight for any signs of an allergy but I examined him a lot last night (after noticing his ears) & didn't see anything else out of the ordinary.
  • BarklessdogB

    Big ears

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    5
    0 Votes
    5 Posts
    6k Views
    BarklessdogB
    The dogs in the picture look so much wilder to me. I liked the smaller ears. also they talk about the dogs had short muzzles. Very cool pictures, thanks for posting the link.
  • JodieJ

    Pink skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    5k Views
    MantisM
    watch your basenji at the vet. Caesar gets nervous and blushes. Belly, ears, nose turns pink.
  • AndrewA

    Itchy skin

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    24
    0 Votes
    24 Posts
    14k Views
    lvossL
    Also what kind of filter are you using? We use the allergen filters by 3M and they do make a difference for husband who has had allergies all his life.