My cocker spaniel Nike is having another problem:( He’s had this chronic ear infection for years… but yesterday, it appeared that there were 3 spikey things about a centimenter in length (yikes!) growing out of his right ear canal. They look like the ends of toothpicks but they are not stiff like toothpicks, but spongy like skin tissue… At first (now this is gross) I thought they were dead worms coming out of his ears, but after further inspection, I think they are growths coming from the skin of his ear canals. I don’t know what to do with them. Today I’m going to try to pull at them with a tweezer (if Nike is cooperative enough) and if I can’t seem to do anything on my own, I just might have no other choice but to take him to Dr. Jones again. I wondered if they were twigs or something lodged in his ear, but they are colored like skin tissue. I know it sounds disturbing—the imagery is disturbing. He is otherwise behaving fine, excited about eating and going outside, etc. But I wonder if he’s in pain and just dealing with it.

Do you think they might be skin tags?

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Originally Posted by monkeyblossom

My cocker spaniel Nike is having another problem:( He’s had this chronic ear infection for years… but yesterday, it appeared that there were 3 spikey things about a centimenter in length (yikes!) growing out of his right ear canal. They look like the ends of toothpicks but they are not stiff like toothpicks, but spongy like skin tissue… At first (now this is gross) I thought they were dead worms coming out of his ears, but after further inspection, I think they are growths coming from the skin of his ear canals. I don’t know what to do with them. Today I’m going to try to pull at them with a tweezer (if Nike is cooperative enough) and if I can’t seem to do anything on my own, I just might have no other choice but to take him to Dr. Jones again. I wondered if they were twigs or something lodged in his ear, but they are colored like skin tissue. I know it sounds disturbing—the imagery is disturbing. He is otherwise behaving fine, excited about eating and going outside, etc. But I wonder if he’s in pain and just dealing with it.

Do you think they might be skin tags?

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I would definitely not pull at them with a tweezer for fear they are attached to the dog and, if they are, pull loose and begin to bleed, to say nothing of the pain.

My Lab developed something similar. The tissue was an overgrowth due to his chronic ear infections and so he had surgery to open up his ear canal and we never had the problem again.

I've had Vets tell me dogs with "flap" ears are prone to infection because the ears get no air circulation; I've had Vets tell me dogs with stand up ears (I have German Shepherds) are prone to infection because they get too much air circulation.

And then you get into the whole allergy issue -

Sounds like skin tags, but I agree do not try to remove them. Do you place your Cockers ears in a scrunch or flip them when sleeping? That is an easy way to get oxygen flowing and cool the heat and help dry the moisture. One client had a Bassett and that enough to take care of the problem once under control. (Of course a natural food.)


Dogs that come to our clinic due to chronic ear infections are usually eating 1 of four major brands, all of which are poor ingredients. We treat the ears with strict instruction to change food if they do not want to keep spending money with us and their dog be in pain. I'd say about 99 out of a 100 have the problem solved by the diet change.

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Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

I would definitely not pull at them with a tweezer for fear they are attached to the dog and, if they are, pull loose and begin to bleed, to say nothing of the pain.

My Lab developed something similar. The tissue was an overgrowth due to his chronic ear infections and so he had surgery to open up his ear canal and we never had the problem again.

I've had Vets tell me dogs with "flap" ears are prone to infection because the ears get no air circulation; I've had Vets tell me dogs with stand up ears (I have German Shepherds) are prone to infection because they get too much air circulation.

And then you get into the whole allergy issue -

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Thank you, thank you for your support and advice. It means a lot, and I happen to agree after reading your post-- tweezing is a very bad idea; they do look like outgrowths, and I'm sure tweezing would do more harm than good.

Nike thus far is behaving quite his usual self, I'm relieved to report. I've just spent more than a thousand dollars on his recent hospital stay and medications, so I'm going to postpone any surgical procedures until I see that his behavior has noticeably declined, or until it becomes apparent that he is in pain, or if the condition gets worse (blood, too large, etc.). I continue to clean his ears daily and keep an eye on the growth to make sure it isn't increasing in length/ size.

Thanks again for your thoughts and sharing your experience and knowledge. I truly appreciate the support :)

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Originally Posted by doggie_poopie

Sounds like skin tags, but I agree do not try to remove them. Do you place your Cockers ears in a scrunch or flip them when sleeping? That is an easy way to get oxygen flowing and cool the heat and help dry the moisture. One client had a Bassett and that enough to take care of the problem once under control. (Of course a natural food.)


Dogs that come to our clinic due to chronic ear infections are usually eating 1 of four major brands, all of which are poor ingredients. We treat the ears with strict instruction to change food if they do not want to keep spending money with us and their dog be in pain. I'd say about 99 out of a 100 have the problem solved by the diet change.

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That's sounds like a great idea, thank you! I will try a scrunchy on Nike tonight, but I wonder if he'll try to remove it simply because he isn't used to wearing one.

As Mother Nature would have it, Nike is a very sensitive dog, and he has been on a special diet of sweet potato and duck for almost 8 years now. He is very allergic and I've managed to keep his skin rashes at bay by feeding him only Natural Balance's allergy formula of duck & sweet potato. Every now and then, I prepare my cocker spaniels meals from only whole foods; e.g. brown rice, steel cut oats, steamed broccoli and veggies, boiled potatoes; and they also love treats of raw celery, carrots, cucumbers, bellpeppers, bananas, apples, etc. I do avoid onions, grapes, and raisins. I recently went back to Natural Balance because I became concerned about their protein intake, especially that they are both now in their golden years. I also supplement with the Missing Link.

Thank you so much for your support and advice. I try my best to keep my animal companions healthy and happy, and the comments on this website are not only helpful and practical but offer emotional support as well. Thank you.

monkeyblossom, FYI I have also read that apple seeds are very toxic to dogs.

You are a great pet owner!!
Yes Nike will probably try to remove it but keep trying!

Rememeber when you have a dog that is allergic to many things it is best to only add one food for a few weeks before adding another new one. I recommend and like that food.
Good Luck!