Collection and preparation of dog and cat ears for histologic examination

Most veterinary textbooks provide very little guidance regarding ear sampling, processing, and examination. The complexity of the ear, which includes integument, mucosa, cartilage, bone, and neural tissues, and the special procedures required to allow histologic examination are 2 of the more common reasons for reluctance by clinicians and pathologists to thoroughly assess the ear. This article helps demystify both the collection and preparation of ear samples, and briefly describes gross features and key landmarks of the ear. However, it is not the intent to provide an exhaustive account of normal and pathologic findings.