Broken Ear Cartilage Symptoms In Dogs: The Importance Of Early Detection & Treatment

The cartilage in your dog’s ears is essential for various reasons. It holds together the form of the ears and serves as a protective layer to the ear canal underneath. It also allows your dog to maneuver their ears to communicate and express their emotions.

If you notice that your dog’s ear cartilage seems to be broken, it can be mortifying. It’s easy to wonder if your dog’s ears will ever be the same again and what the consequences of the ear injury might be. Luckily, ear cartilage often heals with time — and seeking the proper veterinary attention can improve the outcome.

Is My Dog’s Ear Cartilage Broken?

You can generally guess if your dog’s ear cartilage is broken by inspecting the condition of the ear. Generally, the cartilage in your dog’s ears allows both ears to stay in a particular position. Whether your dog has pointy or floppy ears, they are always positioned in a particular way.

If one or both of your dog’s ears appear droopy or out of place, you can usually assume that the ear cartilage has been broken. However, you may need to visit the veterinarian to verify the injury’s nature.

What Can Cause Broken Ear Cartilage In Dogs?

Despite how the nature of the injury might sound, trauma isn’t the only reason a dog can suffer from broken ear cartilage. Several underlying health issues can also damage the integrity of the ear cartilage. These are some of the most common issues known to cause broken ear cartilage.

Ear Injuries

The biggest cause of broken ear cartilage in dogs is minor injuries gained from play or accidents. It’s not uncommon for puppies to suffer minor ear injuries as they learn to play safely with other puppies. Likewise, your dog may break their ear cartilage if they have an unlucky fall.

Ear Parasites

Parasites like ear mites or ticks hide inside the ear canal and feed on ear wax or blood, respectively. While this doesn’t directly harm the ear cartilage, it does cause a lot of discomfort and irritation. Many dogs accidentally break their ear cartilage to get pain relief.

Ear Infections

Another common cause of ear cartilage injury in dogs is chronic ear infections. The issue is particularly prone to happening when an ear infection becomes severe, as a dog may be driven to scratch to extreme extents from the excruciating pain. Treating your dog promptly is crucial for preventing ear cartilage injuries.

Genetics

Depending on your dog’s genetics, they may be more or less predisposed to suffer broken ear cartilage. Dogs with floppy ears tend to have naturally weak and flexible cartilage, while many other breeds, like a German shepherd, are bred to have rigid ear cartilage. Injuries tend to be more prominent in dogs with rigid ear cartilage.

Diet

Depending on the quality of the diet your dog had as a puppy, they may be more or less prone to suffering broken ear cartilage. Cartilage requires nutrients like magnesium, sulfur, and collagen to be present in the proper amounts to develop properly. If your dog is deprived of these essential nutrients, especially during their early formative stages, they may have weaker ear cartilage.

Skin Infections

Much like ear parasites and ear infections, skin infections can also be an underlying cause of broken ear cartilage. If the skin is severely irritated and itchy, your dog will feel compelled to scratch it. The potential damage can be particularly severe if the outer ear itself is irritated.

Ear Cleaning

Lastly, improper ear cleaning has been known to sometimes break ear cartilage. If you want to clean your dog’s ears, you should use an ear-cleaning solution. If you’re worried about ear wax or anything else in your dog’s ear canal, you should make an appointment for a cleaning with a professional experienced in providing the service.

The Importance of Early Detection and Treatment

While broken ear cartilage isn’t an inherently dangerous issue, this ear problem is often accompanied by conditions that require a veterinarian’s treatment. Considering that damaged cartilage also harms the aesthetic appearance of your dog, it’s easy to see why treatment would be necessary for many owners.

Luckily, it is possible to get veterinary services to fix this ear problem. Aside from the aesthetic benefits that fixing the ear provides, it will also ensure that your dog can hear properly. Dogs with floppy ears often tend to have some hearing loss due to the shape of their ears.

When a dog with damaged cartilage is taken to the clinic, the first thing that the veterinarian will do is examine the nature of the issue. If the veterinarian sees that an underlying condition, like a dog ear infection or ear mites, caused the ear injury, treatment must occur before they can repair the ear.

Once the dog is ready to receive treatment for their broken ear cartilage, it only takes a simple surgical procedure to fix it. The veterinarian will examine the cartilage within the ear for damage and use sutures to reattach the cartilage.

The surgery is excellent for restoring the original hearing abilities and appearance of a dog with a broken ear cartilage injury. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fully restore the mobility of the ear. Dogs who receive surgery to repair the cartilage will be able to rotate their ear, but they will not be able to lay the ear flat.

Support Your Dog And Keep Their Ears Healthy

While broken ear cartilage can be repaired, it’s safe to say that the best approach to keeping your dog’s ears healthy is treating every issue as it arises. While an ear infection or other ear problem might start small, they can quickly become severe issues that impair your dog’s balance and perception. Paying attention to the condition of your dog’s ears is one of the most important things you can do to keep them happy and safe.