A TECA is a procedure that is used in dogs and cats for a few different reasons, such as chronic ear infections or masses/cancer. The most common reason we do the procedure is for chronic ear infections. We do see this problem in dogs much more commonly then cats. The most common dog breed we see for this procedure is the Cocker Spaniel.

Chronic ear infections lead to changes in the ear canals that make it difficult, if not impossible, to treat medically. These changes cause stenosis (closing) and calcification (hardening) of the canal. The combination of these two findings does not allow for medications to get into the canal or drainage to get out and is called an end stage ear, meaning surgery is the only option left.

The surgery entails removing the ear canal in whole all the way down to the where it attaches near the ear drum. By removing the whole canal you take away the tissue that produces fluid, which in turn gets trapped in the canal and gets infected. If both ears are a problem, we usually recommend staging the surgeries, as it is an invasive procedure. Even though the procedure is invasive, the animals are much more comfortable once it is performed and many owners comment that their pets do things that they haven’t since they were puppies because they feel so much better.