Chapped Ears - Page 1

Any ideas what to do for chapped ears? My oldest girl has chapped ears that she has scratched bloody. She is not an outside dog, and is not left outside unattended; however, she adores the snow and spent several hours playing outside last week, which is when the problem started. I have kept her inside this week, but they do not seem to be healing. I would like to be able to use a home remedy if possible; Willow behaves for the vet, but is extremely unhappy whenever we go to his office, as she had a very bad experience with a different vet as a young dog.

Coconut oil works wonders for rough skin (like elbow callouses), I bet it would work well for chapped skin too - though I'd worry about using it on an open wound.

It's not really opened, just little scabs like you would get on the back of your hands if you didn't use hand lotion in the winter. Thanks for the idea to use coconut oil, I'll give it a try.

I would be thinking skin infection or ear infection rather than chapped. This would explain the constant scratching and not healing. I would try washing and drying well then reevaluate in a day or so. Or just go to the vet. Getting her ears wet may well have caused either type of infection.

I don't think it is an ear infection, her ears are not swollen or red down at the base, and when I clean them once a week she does not have much wax. Just dry and cracked on the upper third of her ears. She really only scratches in the morning when she wakes up (we have been together 24/7 the past two weeks, so I know for sure). I am pretty sure it is chapped from the weather, I know my hands would look awful if I did not use hand lotion during the winter.

The cold and then inside, the dry heat from furnaces running non-stop, is causing lots of dry skin. I have dry noses and pads here, my skin is driving me crazy, and my little boy has terribly chapped lips. I've been lathering coconut oil on everyone and it works great. If they're open a bit, I'd use Vetericyn to close it quickly then coconut oil in a few days. On ears, you could get away with Neosporin. I never put Neosporin anywhere they can lick, though. 

I put coconut oil on last night, and this morning they seem better. I probably would have put Vetericyn on, but my bottle ran out a couple weeks ago and I keep forgetting to replace it (note to self...).

Thanks to everyone who responded. I really wanted to use something natural, and coconut oil is about as natural as you can go.

Also Acquaphor works for everything as long as you do not have an infection;  if bloody slather on neosporin, then coconut oil.  All could and will work.  Might be frostbite also.  Nan