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Long ears that require<br />
great care<br />
Cockers have big beautiful ears that are well<br />
feathered. However, the fact that they are<br />
pendulous facilitates the development of<br />
forms of external otitis. These diseases<br />
may be exacerbated by the inadequate<br />
airflow through the external ear<br />
canal, which contributes to maceration<br />
of skin debris.<br />
External otitis very common among Cockers<br />
If it is not treated, otitis can become chronic and may require surgery to drain the ear. A study<br />
conducted at one US university shows that just 4.2% of canine patients are Cockers, but that they<br />
represent 60% of in total 80 dogs that have required surgery to treat the complaint in a six-year timeframe<br />
(Angus et al, 2002).<br />
Other breeds with pendulous ears like Beagles and<br />
Irish Setters appear to be less predisposed to otitis.<br />
There are other causes that explain the frequency of<br />
otitis in Cockers.<br />
A favourable canvas for skin<br />
inflammations and seborrhoea<br />
Cockers are among those breeds that are sensitive to<br />
atopy*, a disease in which the immune system tends<br />
to overreact to the presence of allergens in the environment<br />
(Gough and Thomas, 2004). Eighty-six<br />
percent of atopic dogs develop external otitis (Bass,<br />
2004).<br />
The L shape of the dog’s ear canal favours the accumulation of skin debris, which<br />
cannot be evacuated by natural means. The pendulous ears accentuate the risk of<br />
maceration.<br />
11<br />
Anatomy of the<br />
external ear canal<br />
American Cocker Spaniel<br />
© J.-M. Labat
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