Evaluation of Ear Clearance in Healthy Dogs

Abstract

Epithelial migration is the process through which is done the self-cleaning of ear canal (ear clearance) in mammals. Because this process is very important for the health of the ear canal in all species, in this paper we proposed to calculate the ear clearance in healthy dogs.Our research were conducted in the Surgery Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca on a total of 20 dogs of large and medium breeds, various sexes and ages (table 1). The studied animals, clinically healthy, were subjected first to a sedation using xylazine (1 mg / kc) and after we made a rigorous cleaning of the entire external ear canal with ceruminolotic products to remove wax and debris existing at this level and the fat layer that covers the inside skin. To ensure the adhesion of the marker (gentian violet) the cleaning of the ear canal was performed until it was clean and the excess substance has been completely removed. In the proximal portion of the horizontal external ear canal we have applied a point of gentian violet about 0.4 cm in diameter and after drying, using a graduated probe we measured the distance between him and the top of the tragus. Measurements were made every four days until day 16 for each animal and between values obtained was made an average value that was practically the ear clearance. Analyzing the results of the measurements we observed that the rate of cell migration was not always identical in both ears of the same animal. We also found that the cell migration rate was not constant in the same animal and in the same ear during the 16 days of the study. We also noticed that there are differences regarding the value ear clearance in individuals of different sizes being greater in large breed animals.