My Westie has the same thing

sorry I could not add any text but the above two photos #1 shows how only her left ear is affected and #2 shows it at the beginning when I noticed the scabs / crusts. When these came off it left the skin looking how it did in my first post.

I am wondering if the original poster is still around to update.

@becky2259

Also started at about the same age. The only thing I can think of is that it was right after a rabies shot. I am washing with a mild vinegar and water solution and applying zymox cream twice a day and it seems to help. Funny thing is that this is only on one ear.

II have read that some dogs can this this as a reaction to the rabies shot or ivermectin which is the active ingredient in heart guard. Other meds were listed but those are the only two I remember.

I am curious why I am only seeing it on one ear! It started on the outside edge of her left ear and seemed to spread up the tip and to the other side. Inside of her ears are perfect.

I will notice a lumpy hard spot on the ear under the fur and if I try to pick at it the skin falls off with it. I think the hair and top layer of skin falls off regardless but I am trying to soak it off with the vinegar and water soaks then let it completely dry and then put the zymox on. I do feel that the zymox is helping.

She does not appear to be scratching any more than normal.

I took her in this week to get spayed and asked the vet to look at it and was told her ears were normal and needed no treatment. (ugh) obviously they did not look at it or were not looking at the right thing. There is an obvious difference from one ear to the next which is hardly normal. I was so irritated but I realize that the vet tech who I showed it to might have not communicated it well to the vet. Whatever it's still frustrating.

I had a cairn terrier with all kinds of skin issues that went on and on for his entire 12 years and I am hoping this ear thing is as far as it goes. Thankfully it does not seem to bother her at all. Just her Mom :-(

this photo is when just one ear was affected and there were not many scabs or crusts. You can notice that the darker pigment is also gone. Unless the darker pigment is the beginning of the problem but I do not notice anything on the other ear. I am trying to post more photos

I think you were trying to 'reply' to another thread and you wound up starting your own.  What you are describing sounds like ringworm - on a dog ringworm doesn't show as "rings" but rather small hairless patches particularly beginning often on the back toes, tip of the tail or the edges/tips of the ears (and may only be one ear).     Ringworm isn't a parasite -- it's actually a fungal infection ... which lends itself to the fact that the Zymox is helping (it's great for treating ear yeast infections.

I  would suggest a tiny bit of tea tree oil.  You don't want to put a lot of tea tree oil where they can lick it off, but a drop massaged into the edge of the ear should help the Zymox control this.

But honestly?  What you are saying is disturbing -- the tech should have communicated this to the vet, AND honestly the vet should have just plain noticed it.  I don't know you and I don't know your vet, but had it been me I would have yanked the vet's chain while he/she was in there   to get an answer, and  if they still dismissed it, I'd be looking for a new vet.  Fungal infections spread -- and can spread to you as well.  Not a good thing to be blown off.  You have every right to be very annoyed.

Better picture ... starting that far down the ear it may not be  ringworm but it does look "fungal" to me (there are 999 varieties of ringworm anyway).  A vet can usually diagnose such a fungal infection with a black-light.  

She sure is a cutie -- Westies are super prone to skin problems anyway... but I'd still say the same thing -- a tiny bit of tea tree oil.  The other thing to try would be thuja oil (HerbPharm makes it but you will likely have to find that online ... it's not typically found in a store).  My holistic vet will use thuja oil (it's made from a balsam fir -- it's "piney" in smell) on any sort of "weird skin" -- stuff that just defies normal descrption, but I've seen thuja oil clear up all sorts of stuff.

This is just from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=thuja%20oil&sprefix=thuja+oi%2Caps

-- it lists the HerbPharm as the first one (their stuff is always wildcrafted which is the *best* you can get -- better than "certified organic" ).  Any of the first 3 would be fine.  But looking down the page -- the Boiron "little blue tube" -- that's homeopathic thuja.  Totally and completely different.  That's to be taken orally and I use thuja all the time but for different things.  I use homeopathic thuja a lot but not for something like this.  (homeopathy is a whole separate alternative 'modality' -- if it's something that interests you email me -- callieatcritturs@yahoo.com -- whole different subject)

You won't get the "original poster" to answer this because you actually wound up starting your own thread rather than replying to one.  Holler if you need help.