Download Zygomatic Auricularis

The Zygomatico Auricularis Muscle in Canines
Patricia McLane
9/23/2015
To pat a dog on his head and not touch a part of
the zygomatico auricularis is quite a feat. The
zygomatico auricularis (see figure no. 12) (1) is a
band of muscle that runs (generally) from just
above the eye to just below the ear. References
were found that called the zygomatic auricularis
the “smiling muscle” but this muscle also directs a
canine’s ear toward sound.
To get a more complete picture of what the
zygomatico auricularis muscle does we can first
distinguish traits of the auricularis or auricular muscles of which there are three – the
anterior, superior, and posterior. The largest muscle of this group is the superior with
the smallest being the anterior. In mammals, and for our discussion, canines, these
three muscles can direct the pinna, the visible part of the ear made of cartilage. This
part of the ear can exhibit as a flap that covers the inner ear or can be stiff with the tip
raise above the head, exposing the inner ear, or a variety of other shapes, angles and
sizes, depending on the breed. The auricular muscles move the pinna toward the
direction of sound allowing for keen focus. This is a trait humans do not posses.
As we look at the zygomatic muscles, we again see a team of muscles working
together. In this case to move the angle of the mouth backward and upward, the job of
the greater/major muscle and the upper lip upward and laterally, the job of the
lesser/minor. The zygomatic major muscle is appropriately called the “smile muscle”.
The zygomatic auricularis muscle, with a location above the eye stretching back to the
ear and employing auricular muscles and zygomatic muscle also travels along the
zygomatic arch. The zygomatic arch is a boney structure formed by the temporal
process of the zygomatic bone and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone (2). It
should also be noted that zygo literally means yoke or union.
Other important finds to discuss as it relates to the industry of pet massage are the
acupressure points that occupy the general area of the zygomatico auricularis. SI19 is
found at the base of the external ear and is part of the Small Intestine meridian and
includes auditory dysfunction, otitis, seizures, mania or anxiety. GB1, GB2, and GB14
run near the base of the eye and are part of the Gall Bladder meridian and include
ocular disorders and facial paralysis (3).
When in a massage session with a canine client, or even in a casual petting scenario,
this practitioner’s experience with the zygomatico auricularis muscle has always been
positive. To massage in the area of the zygomatic arch is to offer the dog a soothing
and calming touch that seems to provide relaxation and a sense of ease and trust.
When slow, gentle pressure is applied and partnered with small half-circular movements
with the thumb, the client exhibits relaxation by closing the eyes and softening the ears.
It has also been observed that in older dogs the zygomatic arch and thus the zygomatic
auricularis muscle are very prominent as the fatty layer has diminished.
Whether the zygomatic auricularis muscle is the muscle responsible for smiling or for
aiding one of the canine’s most exceptional senses, hearing, massaging this muscle
should be part of the Petmassage session.
1. "Century Dreams - Zoology - Muscles of the Head." Century Dreams - Zoology Muscles of the Head. Serenity House Publishing Inc., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.
2. "zygomatic arch." The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary.
Houghton Mifflin Company. 16 Sep. 2015.
<Dictionary.comhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/zygomatic arch>.
3. Snow, Amy, Zedonis, Nancy. Acu-Dog A Guide to Canine Acupressure.
Tallgrass Publishers, LLC; 1st edition. (March 1, 2011)