Question: I have a 2 yr. old Yorkie that has a floppy ear. One ear stays erect but the other stays down on his head unless he feels like lifting it, which is seldom. What might cause this and is there anything to do about it? Thank You. M.G., Clearwater, FL.

ANSWER: Basically, there is not much you can do about the ear that won't stand erect. Usually, the ears will stand (if they are going to) by the time they are about 12-16 weeks of age. This is the time that the cartilage in the ear is forming--and surely by the time they are 2 years old! Ears won't stand if there is inflammation, infection, trauma, etc. in the ear--but you would have seen it stand prior to a problem. Make sure to have your veterinarian check the ears for possible infections/problems, but if the ear is clean medically, then you must just face that the ear wasn't meant to stand.