Clinical outcomes of lateral ear canal resection performed in routine clinical practice for chronic otitis externa in dogs: a retrospective descriptive study of 58 ears (2016-2025).

objectivesTo retrospectively evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of lateral ear canal resection performed as part of routine clinical practice for chronic otitis externa in dogs, and to re-evaluate the practical utility of lateral ear canal resection from the perspective of contemporary treatment goals emphasising long-term maintenance of a manageable condition.

methodsA retrospective descriptive study was conducted involving 40 dogs (58 ears) that underwent lateral ear canal resection performed by a single non-specialist surgeon at a single primary care facility between May 2016 and March 2025, with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 12 months. Lateral ear canal resection was performed whenever chronic otitis externa was considered difficult to manage with medical treatment alone, without the application of predefined staging criteria. Changes in the annual frequency of ear cleaning before and after surgery were recorded, and owner assessments were conducted at or near the final follow-up visit at least 12 months postoperatively.

resultsOver a median follow-up period of 952 days (interquartile range 589.5 to 1617), no case progressed to end-stage ear canal disease or required conversion to total ear canal ablation with lateral bulla osteotomy. No serious postoperative complications were observed. The median annual ear-cleaning frequency decreased markedly from 6.74 (interquartile range 2.06 to 14.30) before surgery to 1.58 (interquartile range 0.42 to 3.77) after surgery. The median postoperative pruritus score improved from 100% preoperatively to 20% (interquartile range 10 to 35). Owner assessment scores exceeded a mean of 3.89 across all items. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Lateral ear canal resection performed in routine clinical practice before the development of overt end-stage ear canal disease may suppress progression of chronic otitis externa and support long-term disease manageability. The findings of this study suggest that lateral ear canal resection can be performed in a primary care setting without specialist qualifications or specialised equipment, and may contribute to avoiding progression to total ear canal ablation with lateral bulla osteotomy in similar clinical contexts. In contemporary otitis management, lateral ear canal resection warrants re-evaluation not only as a salvage procedure but as a treatment option to be considered earlier in the disease course.