Lump in Dog's Ear

Hi there, just wondering what this could be in my dog's ear? She is a 1 year, 10 month old daschund/chinese crested mix. The bump does not seem to cause her any discomfort. She does currently have a minor flea case that I'm dealing with (you can see the flea dirt in the photo), but I don't think it's related. Otherwise, she is healthy. I'm thinking probably a histiocytoma but want to see others' opinions before taking to vet. I will monitor for any growth in the meantime.

Hello - I think its important to be honest about what you can expect in terms of identification.  We can see a raised, orangey pink lump protruding from the ear-flap.  In these photos, the lump appears to be slightly moist, but that may be the light.  What we cannot see however, is what sort of cells / tissue the lump is made from or what microbes are present and neither can your vet, without taking samples.  However, they will have more context than I do and can therefore make a more educated guess.  These cells could be inflammatory cells heavy with eosinophils - the typical response to a foreign body or a bite from a flying insect.  Or it could potentially be Ringworm, which can be passed on to humans and other animals - particularly the immunocompromised and the young.  Someone's bare fingers are very close to that lesion in the photo, so it's worth being aware of.  It could be - as you say - a histiocytoma or 'strawberry lump' and the patient is about the right age.  Histiocytomas do often disappear on their own after a while so a lot of vets will tell you to wait and observe if this appears the most likely option .  It could be an infected wound from a toenail scratching a sore ear, or a place where the skin folds over itself and rubs a raw patch when the owner of the ear moves their head, causing soreness.  Very rarely in a dog so young, a lump like that can turn out to be cancer.    I am in no position to differentiate the possibilities - there may be more - and would reccommend showing this lesion to your vet.

Other causes could include systemic disease, such as tick fever or a drug reaction or similar; if your vet is concerned about these on triage, they may ask to see you sooner.