"This isn't a dirty ear," Dr. Hale said, turning the scope light off.
"It's a Comeback Layer. And almost nobody checks for it."
She grabbed a pen and drew an L on her notepad. That's the shape of a dog's ear canal.
"First, allergies, yeast or water set the ear off."
"Second, the germs build a slimy layer on the wall of the canal. Like the slime in his water bowl."
"Third, they hide under it. You calm the flare, and the layer grows it right back about 3 weeks later."
"And fourth, this is the big one. Every time it comes back, the canal swells a little tighter. That's how dogs lose their hearing."
"Wait," I said. "So it never actually went away?"
"Never. You're not fighting an ear infection. You're fighting the layer."
"So how do I get rid of it?"
