Woman pets her dog Moose. Then she notices something unusual in his ears: ‘Dog groomer here… I see that on SO MANY big breeds’

Sometimes, we overlook physical traits in our furry friends. Perhaps it's the patterns on their fur. Maybe it's the color of their noses. But one woman took to the internet to share a fun fact she learned about a certain characteristic in a dog's ear after noticing it in hers. 

What Did This Woman Learn About Her Dog?

“We just discovered something new,” TikTok creator @mastiffmoosey begins her video. “I'm curious if anyone else knows what this is.”

Then, the video cuts to the creator filming her chocolate mastiff, Moose, sleeping.

“So, Moose has this pocket of extra skin in his ear on both sides,” she says, lifting one of his floppy ears to pull back a skin fold on the outer ear to show over 4,100 viewers. “It's just a little flap, and it's the cutest thing.”

Curiosity led her to research what these flaps are. It turns out, there's a name for it.

“It's called Henry's Pocket,” the creator shares. “Not all dogs have it, but if your dog has it, it's safe and normal.”

Initially, @mastiffmoosey brushed this off when Moose was a puppy. As he grew, these slits became more prominent and harder to ignore. 

“I find it fascinating because when he was a puppy, he had these tiny little slits in his ears,” she says. “Then, a few weeks ago, I'm looking at his ears and they're massive flaps. They turned into these Henry's Pockets.”

‘My dog has that too'

“My rescue Dachshunds have always had these,” one viewer commented.

“Yep. Both of my dogs had it. Gotta make sure to clean them when you clean their ears,” another stated.

“My dog has that too!” a third said.

“Dog groomer here… I see that on SO MANY big breeds. Always the softest skin inside the Henry's pocket,” a fourth revealed.

“Most dogs have it (I work with them). I believe its there to support the cartelege in that area so that they can move their ears!” a fifth noted.

What Is the Purpose of a Henry's Pocket?

The purpose of the Henry's Pocket, also called the cutaneous marginal pouch, is unknown. However, theories suggest this flap is used for the ears' function, primarily for hearing, as Mental Floss lists:

• Assists in discerning higher-pitched sounds by accentuating lower-pitched sounds
• Move their ears by raising and lowering them to enhance or block noises
• Flatten their ears

These pouches are most prevalent in breeds with short hair and erect ears, such as Boston terriers, chihuahuas, corgis, and pugs, to name a few. 

In the same vein, it's not only certain dogs that have this distinct feature. Almost all cats have them located at the base of their ears. Besides detecting noises, it's speculated that this flap helps them express their emotions. Those who currently have or previously had a feline friend may be all too familiar with the notorious “airplane ears.” In addition to pet pals, other mammals like foxes, weasels, and bats have them.

Whether you're a dog or a cat owner, it's important to clean this area and examine them for parasites like fleas and ticks.

Subplot reached out to @mastiffmoosey via Instagram and TikTok direct message.

The post Woman pets her dog Moose. Then she notices something unusual in his ears: ‘Dog groomer here… I see that on SO MANY big breeds' appeared first on Subplot News.