Beagle Losing Hair on Her Nose and Scratches Under Her Ears After Moving to the Country

Hunting dogs that run through brush often get small scratches on the ear flaps, and long, floppy ears like a Beagle's are easily nicked by thorns and branches. Small scratches usually heal on their own. Keep them clean and check them each day. See your vet if a scratch is deep, keeps bleeding, looks red, swollen or smelly, or if the ear flap becomes puffy. Ear-flap wounds can bleed a lot, and hard head shaking can cause an ear hematoma.

Hair loss and irritation on the top of the nose can come from rubbing on the ground or digging, a new contact allergy (for example to plants), insect bites, sunburn, less often an immune-related skin condition, or infections such as ringworm or mange that she could pick up outdoors. As the irritation is new since the move, ask your vet to look at it, and mention the woods. Also check her for ticks after each run, and make sure she's on flea and tick prevention suited to your area.

See ear hematomas in dogs and mange in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.