Ear powder...
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| I would have the vet check for mites or infection first. To clean the ears you need to pluck out all the hair, make sure there is none deep in the ear canal that can and will mat, therefore leaving the dog susceptible to hearing problems, pain, infection, parasites etc. To pluck I use baby powder sprinkled in and rubbed to make it easier to grasp the hair with my fingers and pull it out. When all the hair is out I use a cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol to clean it out.
If your dog has mites you will need a treatment such as hexamite or tresaderm, if infected you may need antibiotic drops, but I highly recommend oral antibiotics for an ear infection over drops, or it may spread to the inner ear. JMO |
| Mum2sasha,
I posted what I think was a reasonably thorough treatise on ear care to this forum a few months ago which can be found at: http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=2074 To help pluck the hair out of the ear either powders or alcohol can be used to dry the wax and hence allow you to get a better grip. Which of those two is more effective is a personal choice which you can only really determine by trying both a time or two. What works for one owner/dog combination may not work for another. I always use 99% isopropyl alcohol because that is what works best for my dogs and I. Willowsprite gets better results using powder, either a perfume-free talc or dedicated pet ear care powder. If you read my thread listed above you will see varied input from a number of other forum members and hopefully between us we will have provided the information and options you need to properly care for Sasha's ears. As always don't hesitate to ask for more information if needed. Keep us updated on your success and how Sasha is doing. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
| Carl, I just went back and read your post on ear cleaning (a subject near and dear to my heart) and found it very informative, great job. I do have a couple questions. Tasker has has serious problems with ear infections, having as many as 8 in a given year and rarely less than 3 or 4. We have followed a fairly rigid ear care regimine for many year incorporating most of your suggestions. On the recommendation of the vet I've only been doing it once a week and will try more often to see if it helps. I use an ear cleansing solution recommended by the Vet that seems to work well. I have found that putting a small drop of the antibiotic ointment in the "bad ear" (he really only get infections in one ear) after every cleaning REALLY helps prevent the infection.
I am concerned about your suggestion to use Q tips on the ear. I'm a RN and Q tips are something I've always preached against. I take a 4x4 gause pad, fluff it out and wrap it around my little finger and then clean out the ear canal. It might perhaps prevent an over zealous person from damaging the ear drum. I was also wondering about your suggestion to flush out the ear canal when bathing. I had always heard that you should avoid water in the ear at all costs. When I bathe Tasker I put cotton in his ear to avoid water getting in. I have tried tying up his ears to "air them out" but have never come up with a way to keep them back which he will tolerate  The vet suggested that doing that a couple times a week might help. I do use the hemastate but am careful to only grip a small amount of hair, I've just never been able to get the hair out with my fingers.
We have never used the powder, I don't know why it was just never suggested. I also echo Willowsprits recommendation to use oral antibiotic in conjunction with the antibiotic ointment. Ear infections are nasty business, Tasker has significant hearing loss in one ear because of them. Once when I was away for a few days and he was at the kennel I went to pick him up and his ear had swollen up to the size of a football. The kennel said that he had been shaking his head the whole time I was gone. We went straight to the Vet who said he had a severe ear infection and had flapped his ears so hard he had broken a vessel and had to excavate a very large hematoma. The ear flap had to be sew open on one side and heal from the inside out. He now has a thick stiff ear from scar tissue. Thanks for your info Carl. |
| Tasker's Mom, All,
You are indeed right to be concerned about the use of Q-Tips in our Bobtail's ears as it is very easy to be overly vigourous and injure the ear canal or eardrum itself. That is why I very explicitly and in capitalized text included the warning: Quote: PLEASE HAVE A VET OR PROFESSIONAL GROOMER SHOW YOU AND HELP THE FIRST TIME OR TWO. YOU CAN EASILY RUPTURE AN EARDRUM IF YOU PROD ABOUT TO VIGOUROUSLY OR DEEPLY. For those learning to do ear cleaning the first time please take heed of this. The few dollars and little bit of time spent to get this demonstration and tuturing is inexpensive "insurance" to help ensure no harm inadvertantley comes to your dog when you are actually trying to help him/her. I have had good success with flushing my kids' ears in the bath but this does require care that the water temperature is comfortable to the dog and that extra diligence is taken to make sure all water is removed. To that end I stated: Quote: And be very careful of the water temperature you use. If the temperature isn't absolutely perfect for flushing your own ears, DON'T use it in a Bobtail’s ears. Of course make absolutely sure that the ear is properly dried out as well, even while still in the bath get as much water [as possible] out right away, either by letting the dog shake or “swabbing” the ear with a dry facecloth to sponge out the water. This is of course followed by a complete cleaning as described above as soon as the dog is dried.
If your dog objects to this don't force it upon him/her, forcing the issue will only damage your "grooming relationship". But if you are allowed to flush the ear be especially fastidious in drying the ear thoroughly. As Tasker's Mom has mentioned any water that is introduced into the ear and is not wholly removed will only cause more problems and has the potential to lead to, or exacerbate, infections. If anyone is in any way unsure of what the directions in my posts are saying please contact me for further explanation or don't proceed until someone is able to assist you. Antibiotic ointments are, as recommended by Tasker's Mom, very important to help prevent infections. As mentioned I use Panalog but everyone should check with their vet to determine which is best for their own dogs. The age old adage - an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure - rings loud and true here. If you dog's ears are generally healthy and don't show ear infections, or show them only rarely (less than 1 per year) then a prescription product is probably not necessary. In that case there are a number of good ear drops/powders that will help keep the ear canals clean infection free between cleanings. Of course when infections do occur get veterinary treatment and use the recommended prescription ointment(s) and treatment protocol. I continue to oppose the use of hemastats. I understand what you are saying by capturing only 1 or 2 hairs at a time, but the extra grip afforded by a hemostat will pull them out regardless of their individual readiness for plucking. Finger plucking by virtue of it's limited grip is far less likely to pull those ear hairs which are healthy and should remain. This is where the use of a powder or alcohol to dry the wax gives, in my opinion, a good balance between your necessary grip and the dog's comfort. Hope this helps, and as always feel free to ask for further information or explanations if needed. I will be doing a photo essay, analagous to the line grooming essay already completed, on ear care over the next few weeks and will advise the forum when it is posted on our website. Thanks and Cheers Carl |
| Thanks Carl!! |
| I had a Cocker Spaniel who had infection prone ears and one thing we learned was to have a bottle of cleaner and a bottle of antibiotic for each ear and not switch. One ear was prone to yeast infections, the other was general maintenance. By not going back and forth with the same bottles or the same cotton balls, we limited any potential cross contamination. Just in case you are superiorly anal retentive. |
| Actually given your situation, that is an excellent idea. ALso, don't use the same bottle on two different dogs!!! |
| The one tried and true remedy for me is sweet oil on a cotton ball , it always works to break up the infection. I don't know if it would work on a dog's ears though. At a cost of $1 per bottle is a very cheap fix. |
Carl Lindon wrote: Mum2sasha,
I always use 99% isopropyl alcohol because that is what works best for my dogs and I. Willowsprite gets better results using powder, either a perfume-free talc or dedicated pet ear care powder. If you read my thread listed above you will see varied input from a number of other forum members and hopefully between us we will have provided the information and options you need to properly care for Sasha's ears. As always don't hesitate to ask for more information if needed. Keep us updated on your success and how Sasha is doing. Thanks and Cheers Carl Thank you so much Carl!! I'm a little nervous at the thought of poking around her ears but I will give your techniques a try. I'm wondering if I should first take her to the vet as the other day I took sasha for a walk and as I'm speaking to her it was like she could'nt even hear me. Maybe she was being a stinker but it concerned me. If she had an ear infection would'nt she be scratching at it all the time? She does'nt seem to be bothered by her ears. Thank you for your wonderfull wisdom! |
| I had a Cocker Spaniel who had infection prone ears and one thing we learned was to have a bottle of cleaner and a bottle of antibiotic for each ear and not switch.
This is so true, I had 2 cockers and numerous ear cleaning bottles for each ear. |
| I recently read about apple cider vinegar as a good source to prevent ear infections using a 50/50 solution to clean ear. I have adopted a shih tzu and she has been treated by vet for both yeast as well as bacteria ear infections since April. I am also wonder about garlic oil as I used garlic cloves for myself to stop a sore throat for me. I cut the cloves and put half on each side of my mouth using gentle pressure to squeeze clove with my molars. The throat pain was gone immediately! It was amazing!! Wondering if a drop in the ear canal would also kill bacteria causing ear infection. I used oral and topical antibotics for her last treatment, but have read that the antibiotics will cause more yeast growth. I am also going to start her on plain yogart once per day. Never had these problems with my other dog which I had for 16 years. Frustrating. |
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