There are two forms of this disease, internal and external, the latter generally the result of the former. I will first prescribe for internal. Canker is a term generally applied to different obstinate, corroding, or heating humors, horses having it in the feet, sheep having "foot rot;" but unless the irritation is caused in the foot of the dog, sometimes by hard running on rough ground, causing cankerous sores, and which should be treated the same as internal ear canker, it is not found in dogs except in the ear.

Causes

First of all, and most common, is some injury, such as blows on the ear or pulling the ears, a habit some people have as a method of correction, and one that is most pernicious. Others, of which probably the principal one is getting the cars full of water in diving, swimming or retrieving from water, followed by lack of exercise; too rich food, dirty, damp kennel to sleep in, and excess of fat, as it is often found in fat, lazy dogs.

Canker may be the result of exposure to cold, over-feeding, the pres ence of insects; foreign bodies, or an accumulation of wax in the ear, are also fertile causes, while the most common is the washing of dogs with coarse alkaline soaps which are totally unfit for the sensitive skin of the dog. The soap, during the washing, gains access to the ear, setting up dangerous inflammation.

Hugh Dalziel says: "Is there not another and frequent cause - whether those sportsmen (?) do not often produce it who, instead of correcting their dogs by the legitimate means of the voice and the whip, resort to another method much to be condemned. 'Lugging' a dog is as cruel as kicking him, neither is a fit mode of punishment and the former very likely to produce canker."

Ear canker is one of the nuisances of dog keeping, and when neglected is a most obstinate complaint. The experienced dogman is always on the alert, but the novice may not detect the trouble until the ear discharges an acrid secretion. The careful kennelman will examine his dogs' ears as a part of the daily grooming.

Internal Canker is an inflammation of the lining membrane of the passage to the ear, which if neglected turns into ulceration and suppuration, and when of long standing a blackish, offensive discharge takes place, accumulating in the air passage, and the interior of the ear will be found red and inflamed.

When you notice the following symptoms begin at once to treat him for it, the sooner the better, to save your dog pain and yourself trouble:

The dog thus suffering will be observed frequently scratching his ear with his paw, holding his head on one side, giving it a violent shake, as though to empty something out, the pain and irritation, causing him, to thus shake his head, whereby the flaps of the ear get bruised, ulcerations form, the tips become sore, the inflammation in the interior lining membrane extends to the outside and from the shaking and scratching is formed external canker.

"When a dog shakes his head, scratches his ear with his paw, and holds his head to one side, it is high time to investigate and apply remedies.

The acrid discharges, if not cleared away will lead to irritation of the flap of the ear, the flap swells and looks angry, often breaking out in sores at the tips and edges. This is external canker. The peculiarly offensive odor of the ear passage is a sure sign of internal canker.

Treatment

Wash out the ear with warm water and soapsuds, use either Castile or Eberhart's Dog Soap; rinse with clean warm, water and peroxyde of hydrogen, one part of peroxyde to four parts of water by measure.

Dry out the ear with absorbent cotton swabs made by rolling cotton loosely on a skewer or clean piece of stick. Dry thoroughly.

The ear is now ready for treatment, and here is my remedy which has never failed to cure the most obstinate cases., even of long standing, and I give this as having proved to be an infallible cure.

I cured a valuable poodle that had a bad case in both ears for a year; three veterinarians having treated the dog and failed to cure him. The dog was then shipped to my kennels and I sent him back in a few weeks entirely cured. This was the worst case I ever saw or handled, and I cured him with the prescription herewith given:

Iodine ..................................... 16 grains.

Iodide of potassium ......................... 32 grains.

Mix these two first in a tablespoonful of water and then add one pint of pure cider vinegar. Keep in bottle corked up.

After ear has been cleaned out and dried as directed, take your dog and lay his head on your knee and pour in or inject with a rubber syringe if he will hold still, about a tablespoonful of the remedy into the ear and gently work or knead it in for a few minutes. Do this once a day only until the ear gets better, and then every other day is often enough. You can look for a cure of ordinary cases in a week or less if treatment was begun promptly at first signs, neglected cases requiring more time.

Here are several other good remedies:

Creolin ................................... 30 grains.

Sulphate of zinc . ......................... 16 grains.

Water ..................................... 8 ounces.

This one should be injected twice daily after cleansing the ear same as for the first remedy given.

This one is to be .used three times a day. Cleanse the ear with injections of equal parts of peroxyde of hydrogen and water three times a day, then inject two teaspoonfuls of the following: Sulphate of zinc one dram, sugar of lead two drams, glycerine two ounces, water six ounces.

And this one to be used twice a day: Sulphate of zinc ten grains, acetate of lead thirty grains, credlin one-half ounce, glycerine three ounces, water to make eight ounces; inject a tablespoonful into the ear twice a day.

The discharge from the ear will cause sores on the inside of flap, so when injecting the medicine wash these sores with the same. My iodine prescription is especially good for these sore spots. Injecting with rubber syringe is always best, if your dog will hold quiet and not resist treatment, and in his struggling injurs the ear from the syringe. If you can't control and keep him quiet, then pouring it in will do, the main objection being medicine wasted. I find very little trouble in giving any dog medicine for I go at him easy and gently, talking to him and thus giving him to understand that his doctor is his friend. There are few dogs that you cannot talk to and reason with, kind treatment very soon winning their confidence. You can, of course, tell when ear is cured as the discharge and offensive smell ceases, ear looks healthy and dog has stopped scratching and shaking his head.

It cannot be too firmly insisted upon that, whenever a dog is suffering from ear canker or from any eruption or skin disease, it is quite necessary to give a good internal medicine as it is to apply a suitable external lotion. The only blood medicine known to many dog fanciers is sulphur. A new prescription, therefore, may not be out of place here. The following may be made up into pills, and will prove an excellent all-round tonic and blood purifier. Take of:

Sulphate of iron (dried) ..................... 12 grains.

Sulphate of quinine ......................... 6 grains.

Bicarbonate of soda (dried) .................. 24 grains.

Liquorice Root Powder And Extract Of Gentian

Sufficient of each to form a suitable mass.

Divide the above Into twelve pills, one of which morning and night will do for a dog of 20 lbs. More or less in proportion for other dogs. Or Dent's or Clayton's Blood Purifying Pills are also both good to use in old or very bad cases. This cannot be done with one box perhaps, any more than you could cure yourself with a single bottle of spring medicine if your blood was out of order, go keep up treatment until desired resist has been accomplished.