Bacteriology of the horizontal ear canal of dogs

Of 57 dogs included in a survey of the bacteriology of the horizontal ear canal, 31 showed clinical signs consistent with ear irritation. Twenty-six dogs were presented for other reasons and were asymptomatic for ear irritation. All dogs sampled were anaesthetized and sterile moistened swabs used to sample the horizontal ear canal. Swabs were introduced through a sterilized (121°C for 15 min) polypropylene otoscope cone and care was taken to prevent contamination of the cone with material from elsewhere in the ear canal. Swabs were processed within 20 min of sampling and cultures were incubated aerobically and anaerobically. Swabs from the ears of asymptomatic dogs were mixed in broth prior to plating to ensure optimal elution of small numbers of organisms from the swabs. Very small numbers of bacteria and yeasts were isolated from asymptomatic dogs while Pseudomonas spp. and Proteus spp. were frequent isolates from symptomatic dogs with chronic irritation. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the sampling and culturing techniques used in this and other surveys.