Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 9/17/2008

Question
I have a 7 month Chihuahua named Rocky, he has scabs on the inside of his ear on each side, in the same place.  I took him to the vet, and he told me in order to really see what it is they would have to do a biopsy. He got out a canine dermatology book and showed me pictures of the condition, which i think started with the letter "t". I am not sure but these pictures were of a dogs ears that had a hole in it and another with jagged edges. Before we go forward with a biopsy he said I need to try some ointment called Resortin to see if it will help clear it up. He told me he has seen this before only in small breeds of dogs, he also told me that this is most likely a reaction to his rabies vaccine that he received about 2 months ago. I was trying to find answers online but my search is not going well, I did find an article about vasculitis, is this what his condition is? What treatments are available?

Answer
Biopsy will tell the vet what type of disease is causing the problem.  if it is vasculitis, that usually affects the ear margins.  If it is on the outside of the ear, that could be something we call "fly strike" where biting flies eat the flesh from the ear flaps.  That often happens on both sides.  I am not aware of that type of rabies shot reaction.