CANKER IN THE EAR. 639 



enough, but it will not bear dissection ; for, first and foremost, is the water always cold ? We 

 have seen quite as many cases of canker in summer as in winter. Secondly, no matter how 

 cold the water is, the animal keeps himself warm enough by his exertions, and his head is 

 often under the water ; and after being once well wetted, both his head and ears will be as 

 cool, if not cooler, than any other part of the body. It is very necessary indeed we should 

 form as correct a judgment as possible on the causes of a disease so distressing and so 

 common ?5 canker. 



As to its relative frequency in different kinds of dogs, our own experience is as follows : 

 long-haired dogs are more subject to the disease than short-haired ; large dogs, such as the 

 Newfoundland and St. Bernard, than small ; water dogs, than dogs that do not take the water ; 

 and old dogs, than young. "A Newfoundland dog," says Youatt, "or Setter or Poodle that 

 has been subject to canker, is often prevented from having a return of the disease by being 

 kept from the water." And this is doubtless the case, because the animal is thus prevented 

 from running the risk of catching cold. Among the most common causes of canker may be 

 ranked cold, want of proper feeding, overfeeding, or injudicious feeding ; sometimes, though 

 rarely, by blows or falls. Anything which suddenly lowers the strength and vitality of a dog 

 will predispose to canker. 



Pathology. The skin which lines the meatus or external auditory canal is exceedingly 

 thin and delicate, and here, in addition to other glands, it is studded with wax glands, or, in 

 anatomical phraseology, sebiparous glands. These secrete the cerumen, or wax, which is 

 supposed to prevent the entrance of insects. (Other kinds of wax might rather tempt them, 

 but the ear wax is bitter.) Now, the same causes which produce ekzema are liable to produce 

 canker, and do we not often find the two diseases combined ? There is first increased vascularity ; 

 the glands, waxy and otherwise, are stimulated to throw out more secretion than is usual. If 

 this is expelled from the ear, well and good ; if not, and there is any heat about the head 

 from catarrh or simple fever, the black wax, mixed with perspiration, cakes and decays, producing 

 redness and slight inflammation, and so the mischief is begun. From simple inflammation and 

 extra flow of wax we by-and-by get superficial ulceration ; then, instead of the discharge 

 being dark-coloured, it becomes yellow pus, in fact. 



Symptoms and Diagnosis. There is hardly any disease that canker can be mistaken for. 

 We never know anything about the disease until the mischief has fairly begun, and the first 

 symptom, or sign, rather, we see, is the poor animal shaking his head, generally to one side, 

 for all the world as a dog does who has a flea in his lug. If we look into the ear now, you 

 will but not always, as the inflammation may be deep-seated find a little redness. (N.B. 

 You must have a good light, and pull the ear well but gently asunder.) There is one thing, 

 however, that you will not be slow in observing, and that is, a bad odour. This is diagnostic 

 in itself. When the disease is a little farther advanced, by gently working the ear backwards 

 and forwards, you will hear a crackling sound, and the dog will evince some signs either of 

 pain or itchiness. 



When the disease has fairly set in, the symptoms are running of pus, mingled with cerumen 

 from the ear, frequent head-shakings, dulness, capricious appetite, and very often a low state 

 of the general health's 



Treatment. On no single matter is our mind more fully made up than on this, that canker 

 is often, we had almost said always, improperly treated, except by those vets, who make dog 

 diseases a speciality. We are told the disease is most difficult to cure ; true, because the worst 

 part of the mischief is done before we see the case. We are told it is apt to recur ; true, 



