Hair in Ear Canals

In some of the haired breeds, such as the Poodle and many of the terriers, long hairs normally grow from the skin of the ear canal. The number of hair follicles in predis­posed breeds gradually decreases along the length of the external ear canal.

Excessive hair or knots of ear hair may occlude the ear canals and interfere with adequate drying of the canal. The excessive moisture created by hair plugs predis­poses these breeds to otitis externa. Certain bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Proteus thrive in a humid ear canal. When long hairs become matted and tangled in the ear canal, cerumen, exudates, and other secretions mold to the hair mass and form an occlusion.

Routine plucking of hairs by groomers may not be necessary in a dog whose ears are normal, and it can sometimes be detrimental. Plucking the hairs with curved hemostats can create an inflammatory reaction that can predispose the ear to infection. In a dog that has recurrent ear infections and excessive hair growth in the ear canal, however, the hair should be routinely removed to prevent a mass of tangled hairs from blocking the ear canal lumen. Plucking the excessive hairs from the ears in patients predisposed to otitis externa is recommended for the prevention and management of otitis externa.