The association of Pityrosporum pachydermatis with the normal external ear canal of dogs and cats

The frequency of Pityrosporum pachydermatis within the non‐otitic external ear canals of dogs and cats has been investigated and an assessment of the abundance of the yeast made by microscopic and cultural techniques. It was present in varying amounts in 49% of clean dog ears and 23% of clean cat ears. Microscopically, 14% of the ears were found to contain the yeast in large numbers. A further 3 % of ears examined showed excessive cerumen production and all these contained the yeast. The prevalence of P. pachydermatis in non‐otitic ears of both dogs and cats was similar to that previously reported in otitic ears.