Canker in the Ear (1)

All water-dogs, and some others, are subject to a disease designated by this name, and which, in fact, is inflammation of the integumental lining of the inside of the ear. When the whole of the body, except the head and ears, is surrounded by cold water, there will be an unusual determination of blood to those parts, and consequent distension of the vessels and a predisposition to inflammation. A Newfoundland dog, or setter, or poodle, that has been subject to canker, is often freed from a return of the disease by being kept from the water.

The earliest symptom of the approach of canker is frequent shaking of the head, or holding of the head on one side, or violent scratching of one or both ears. Redness of the integument may then be observed, and particularly of that portion of it which lines the annular cartilage. This is usually accompanied by some enlargement of the folds of the skin. As soon as any of these symptoms are observed, the ear should be gently but well washed, two or three times in the day, with lukewarm water, and after that a weak solution of the extract of lead should be applied, and a dose or two of physic administered.

If the case is neglected, the pain will rapidly increase; the ear will become of an intenser red; the folds of the integument will enlarge, and there will be a deposition of red or black matter in the hollow of the ear. The case is now more serious, and should be immediately attended to. This black or bloody deposit should be gently but carefully washed away with warm water and soap; and the extract of lead, in the proportion of a scruple to an ounce of water, should be frequently applied, until the redness and heat are abated. A solution of alum, in about the same quantity of alum and water as the foregoing lotion, should then be used.

Some attention should be paid to the method of applying these lotions. Two persons will be required in order to accomplish the operation. The surgeon must hold the muzzle of the dog with one hand, and have the root of the ear in the hollow of the other, and between the first finger and the thumb. The assistant must then pour the liquid into the ear; half a tea-spoonful will usually be sufficient. The surgeon, without quitting the dog, will then close the ear, and mould it gently until the liquid has insinuated itself as deeply as possible into the passages of the ear. Should not the inflammation abate in the course of a few days, a seton should be inserted in the poll, between the integument and the muscles of the occiput, reaching from ear to ear. The excitement of a new inflammation, so near to the part previously diseased, will materially abate the original affection. Physic is now indispensable. From half a drachm to a drachm of aloes, with from one to two grains of calomel, should be given every third day.

Should the complaint have been much neglected, or the inflammation so great as to bid defiance to these means, ulceration will too often speedily follow. It will be found lodged deep in the passage, and can only be detected by moulding the ear; the effused pus will occasionally occupy the inside of the ear to its very tip. However extensive and annoying the inflammation may be, and occasionally causing so much thickening of the integument as perfectly to close the ear, it is always superficial. It will generally yield to proper treatment, and the cartilage of the ear may not be in the slightest degree affected. Still, however, the animal may suffer extreme pain; the discharge from the ulcer may produce extensive excoriation of the cheek; and, in a few cases, the system may sympathise with the excessive local application, and the animal may be lost.

The treatment must vary with circumstances. If the ulceration is deep in the ear, and there is not a very great degree of apparent inflammation, recourse may be had at once to a stimulating and astringent application, such as alum or the sulphate of zinc, and in the proportion of six grains of either to an ounce of water. If, however, the ulceration occupies the greater part of the hollow of the ear, and is accompanied by much thickening of the integument, and apparent filling up of the entrance to the ear, some portion of the inflammation must be first subdued.

The only chance of getting rid of the disease is to confine the ear. A piece of strong calico must be procured, six or eight inches in width, and sufficiently long to reach round the head and meet under the jaw. Along each side of it must be a running piece of tape, and a shorter piece sewed at the centre of each of the ends. By means of these the cap may be drawn tightly over the head, above the eyes, and likewise round the neck behind the ears, so as perfectly to confine them.

[After]

all, no mild ointment will dispose such an ulcer to heal, and recourse must be had at once to a caustic application. A scruple of the nitrate of silver must be rubbed down with an ounce of lard, and a little of it applied twice every day, and rubbed tolerably hard into the sore until it assumes a healthy appearance; it may then be dressed with the common calamine ointment.

If the discharge should return, the practitioner must again have recourse to the caustic ointment.

The cartilage will never close, but the integument will gradually cover the exposed edges, and the wound will be healed. The ear will, however, long continue tender, and, if it should be much beaten, by the shaking of the head, the ulcer will reappear. This must be obviated by occasionally confining the ears, and not overfeeding the dog.

Some sportsmen are accustomed to

round

the ears, that is to cut off the diseased part. In very few instances, however, will a permanent cure be effected, while the dog is often sadly disfigured. A fresh ulcer frequently appears on the new edge, and is more difficult to heal than the original one. Nine times out of ten the disease reappears.

The Newfoundland dog is very subject to this disease, to remedy which recourse must be had to the nitrate of silver.

Spaniels have often a mangy inflammation of the edges of the ear. It seldom runs on to canker; but the hair comes off round the edges of the ear, accompanied by much heat and scurfiness of the skin. The common sulphur ointment, with an eighth part of mercurial ointment, will usually remove the disease.

From the irritation produced by canker in or on the ear, and the constant flapping and beating of the ear, there is sometimes a considerable effusion of fluid between the integument and the cartilage occupying the whole of the inside of the flap of the ear. The only remedy is to open the enlarged part from end to end, carefully to take out the gossamer lining of the cyst, and then to insert some bits of lint on each side of the incision, in order to prevent its closing too soon. In a few days, the parietes of the cyst will begin to adhere, and a perfect cure will be accomplished

If the tumour is simply punctured, the incision will speedily close, and the cyst will fill again in the space of four-and-twenty hours. A seton may be used, but it is more painful to the dog, and slower in its operation.

The ear should be frequently fomented with a decoction of white poppies, and to this should follow the Goulard lotion; and, after that, if necessary, a solution of alum should be applied. To the soreness or scabby eruption, which extends higher up the ear, olive oil or spermaceti ointment may be applied. In some cases, portions of the thickened skin, projecting and excoriated, and pressing on each other, unite, and the opening into the ear is then mechanically filled. I know not of any remedy for this. It is useless to perforate the adventitious substance, for the orifice will soon close; and, more than once, when I have made a crucial incision, and cut out the unnatural mass that closed the passage, I have found it impossible to keep down the fungous granulations or to prevent total deafness.

[The]

following is a singular case of this disease:

1st July, 1820

: a dog was sent with a tumour, evidently containing a fluid, in the flap of the ear. A seton had been introduced, but had been sadly neglected. The hair had become matted round the seton, and the discharge had thus been stopped. Inflammation and considerable pain had evidently followed, and the dog had nearly torn the seton out. I removed it, washed the ear well, and applied the tincture of myrrh and aloes. The wound soon healed. On the 14th the ear began again to fill. On the 17th the tumour was ripe for the seton, which was again introduced, and worn until the 9th of August, when the sides of the abscess appeared again to have adhered, and it was withdrawn. Canker had continued in the ear during the whole time; and, in defiance of a cold lotion daily applied, the ear was perceived again to be disposed to fill. The seton was once more inserted, and the cyst apparently closed. The seton was continued a fortnight after the sinus was obliterated, and then removed. Six weeks afterwards the swelling had disappeared, and the canker was quite removed. This anecdote is an encouragement to persevere under the most disheartening circumstances.

All dogs that are foolishly suffered to become gross and fat are subject to canker. It seems to be a natural outlet for excess of nutriment or gross humour; and, when a dog has once laboured under the disease, he is very subject to a return of it. The fatal power of habit is in few cases more evident than in this disease. When a dog has symptoms of mange, the redness or eruption of the skin, generally, will not unfrequently disappear, and bad canker speedily follow. The habit, however, may be subdued, or at least may be kept at bay, by physic and the use of Goulard lotion or alum.

Sportsmen are often annoyed by another species of canker Pointers and hounds are particularly subject to it.

This species of canker commences with a scurfy eruption and thickening of the edges of the ear, apparently attended by considerable itching or pain. The dog is continually flapping his ear, and beating it violently against his head. The inflammation is thus increased, and the tip of the ear becomes exceedingly sore. This causes him to shake his head still more violently, and the ulcer spreads and is indisposed to heal, and at length a fissure or crack appears on the tip of the cartilage, and extends to a greater or less distance down the ear.

[The]

narration of one or two cases may be useful, as showing the inveteracy of the disease.

th Feb.

1832. — A Newfoundland dog, very fat, had dreadful canker in both ears, and considerable discharge of purulent matter. He was continually shaking his ears, lying and moaning. Apply the canker lotion, and give the alterative balls.

th.

The discharge considerably lessened from one ear, but that from the other has increased. Continue the lotion and apply a seton.

The dog, probably neglected at home, was sent to me. Both ears were as bad as ever.

th.

The dog is perfectly unmanageable when the lotion is poured into the ear, but submits when an ointment is applied. Use

ung. sambuci, [Symbol: ounce] j. cerus, acet. [Symbol: ounce] j

., mix well together. Continue the alteratives.

th.

Slowly amending; the whining has ceased, and the animal seldom scratches. Continue the lotion, alteratives, and purgatives.

th Oct.

— Slowly improving. Continue the treatment.

th.

One ear well, the other nearly so.

th.

Both ears were apparently well. Omit the lotion.

th.

One ear was again ulcerated. Applied the

aerugo aeris

st.

This has been too stimulating, and the ulceration is almost as great as at first. Return to the

ung. sambuci

and

cerusa acetata

From this time to the 24th February, 1833, we continued occasionally taking out the seton, but returning to it every two or three days; applying the canker lotion until we were driven from it, mixing with it variable quantities of

tinctura opii

, having recourse to mercurial ointment, and trying a solution of the sulphate of copper. With two or three applications we could keep the disease at bay; but with none could we fairly remove the evil. The sulphate of zinc, the acetate of lead, decoctions of oak bark, a very mild injection of the nitrate of silver, — all would do good at times; but at other times we were set at complete defiance.

Another gentleman brought his dog about the same time. This was also a Newfoundland dog. He had always been subject to mangy eruptions, and had now mange in the feet, the inside of the ear covered with scaly eruptions, the skin red underneath, considerable thickening of the ear, and a slight discharge from its base. A seton was inserted and a physic-ball given every second day. The canker lotion had little good effect. Some calamine ointment, with a small portion of calomel, was then had recourse to.

In ten days the dog had ceased to scratch himself or shake his head, and the ear was clean and cool. The seton was removed; but the animal being confined, a little redness again appeared in the ear, which the lotion soon removed.

At the expiration of a month he was dismissed apparently cured; but he afterwards had a return of his old mangy complaints, which bade defiance to every mode of treatment.

[Herr]

Maassen, V. S., Wümemburg, has lately introduced, and with much success, the use of creosote for the cure of canker in the ear.

The first experiment was on a setter with canker in his ear. The owner of the dog had ordered it to be hanged, as all remedies had failed in producing a cure. Herr Maassen prescribed

creosoti 3ss. et spirit, vini rectificat. 3ij

. This mixture was applied once in every day to the diseased part. In a few weeks the dog was completely cured, and has since had no return of the complaint. In a terrier, and also in three spaniels, the effect of this application was equally satisfactory. In some cases, where the disease showed itself in a less degree, the creosote was dissolved in water, instead of spirit of wine. It is always necessary to take away the collar while the dog is under treatment, in order that the flap of the ear may not be injured by striking against it.

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