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| INDEX OF ARTICLES | WAITING ROOM | EXAM ROOM | SURGERY ROOM | X-RAY ROOM | GENERAL TOPICS | IMPORTANT TOPICS | LAB and PHARMACY | PET PHOTOS | PET SUPPLIES | PET PHARMACY |
Lateral Ear Canal Surgery In A Dog
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Click on
the photo to see a full size image.
The outcome of this
external ear surgery was the removal of the outer half of the vertical portion of the
cartilaginous ear canal. In less severe cases such as this example,
the inside half of the ear canal remains and only the tissue along the
dotted lines is removed. This leaves an opening for a short
horizontal canal with direct exposure to the air. |
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| The chronically infected and painful ear. Both ears required surgery. | The fur is clipped and the area prepared for surgery. | The skin over the ear canal is incised and dissection begins. |
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| The dotted line shows the area to be removed... the outer half of the vertical portion of the ear canal. | The horizontal portion of the ear canal is opened directly to the skin surface. The ear drum is just a short distance down the canal. | The skin edges are sutured to the new ear canal opening. |
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Fur growing in the dog's ear canals does not necessarily HAVE to be removed. The hair does not cause infection. However, if infections do develop, the hair can trap debris and act as additional surface area on which the bacteria can grow. Cleaning the ear canals is less thorough if there is abundant hair growing in the canals. Removal of the ear hairs is best left to an experienced person. LEFT... immediate post-op image. RIGHT... 6 months post-op image. |
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To see
more surgeries |
Postoperative appearance of the ear canal. |
For
ear care products, visit |
Any dog, even ones whose ears have been cropped, may develop long-term infections and ultimately end up with occluded ear canals. When the medical treatment of ear infections has been repeatedly unsuccessful, it is surely time to consider surgery. Even in an "old" dog, if tests and physical exam indicate that the patient probably has years to live, the surgery may have very beneficial rewards. Many dog owners have stated "I wish I had done this surgery much sooner.
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