My dog's ear canal is closed, but he can still hear. Is that possible?

Yes, that would be the assumption. Steroids are very potent anti-inflammatories. So he likely has/had some inflammation in/near the inner ear canal that was causing his hearing loss. It is not something your vet would know just by looking in the ear with an otoscope. This inflammation would be behind the ear drum and a CT scan would have been needed to find it. Hopefully this course of steroids will resolve the issue completely. If you wean him off the steroids and the hearing loss returns then there is something else going on in there, at which point, a CT scan would be recommended.

Hello, thank you for your question about Max. Based on the symptoms you are describing it sounds like Max may just have some mild irritation in his ears. You can have his ears cleaned and continue monitoring him for any discharge/scratching/redness/head shaking. If any of these signs develop I would recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian so that they can look for signs of an ear infection. Hope this helps, good luck!

Redness alone doesn't indicate an ear infection but can be a symptom of it. If you suspect Angel may have one, or has symptoms bad enough it is affecting her hearing, it is best to seek veterinary care ASAP so they can look in the ear and get Angel started on a treatment plan of cleaning and medication. Usually, clearing up any infections will help improve hearing and pain/redness/irritation.

The only way to know if there is a piece of cotton still in the ear canal is to have your vet look inside with an otoscope. If there is a piece in there it can cause constant infections and a decrease in hearing. I know you flushed out the ear afterwards but cotton gets heavy when soaked and may not come out. The ear canal in a dog is very long so it could still be down there.

He has a very stenotic inflamed canal, with what look like polyps. There isn't anything you can do at home for this, he needs meds to reduce the swelling and treat infection. He may require surgery if it is very severe.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Jax has not had his ears checked by a veterinarian for an ear infection, then he could still have one causing the continued sensitivity near his ears. Your vet will need to look not just at the outside of the ear (the pinna) but inside the ear canal with an otoscope to get a good view of what is going on. A sample of any debris in his ears should be taken to confirm the presence of an infection. If his vet has already rechecked his ears and he is free of infection, then he may still be guarding his ears as this once was a painful or sensitive area. This may be true if he just got over a recent infection. I hope this helps!

I agree that Max's ear could be infected. I would hold off on putting anything into his ear for now until after he has seen the vet. Before any medication is given, the vet needs to check if his ear drum is intact or not. I hope this helps!