Doodle ear cleaning tips?

[Tanya and IsaBella]

Our Bella was just diagnosed with a double ear infection.  We need helpful hints on how to get a puppy to allow us to hold her still long enough to give her the ointment and also how to maintain healthy doodle ears. Thanks!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Give her treats the whole time you are working on her ears--you can get a chew treat that will take her a few minutes to finish or just break another treat up into small pieces. Use a word like "ear" so that she can associate holding still, eating the treat and getting her ears done.

As for care--some people pluck the hairs out the ears when grooming. I don't, but I do keep the hairs short inside the ear and I shave the head just below the ear for a distance of about 1 inch or so to allow air to circulate under the ear flap. There are also ear cleaners you can use--you put the solution down into the ear, rub on the outside of the ear to work it in, then allow the dog to shake their head. You should not try to put something down into the ear to clean it out. Also ask your vet for some advice on how to keep the ears healthy!

[Ginny Nightingale]

PS Ear issues can also be caused by food allergies. You might want to see if there is a hypoallergenic food you can switch to--see the food group for advice!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I know that's the common thinking, but in fact, food allergies are relatively rare, and rarer still for a 5-month-old puppy. Certain kinds of allergies can cause a predisposition to ear infections along other symptoms, but when the only medical issue is ear infections, it would be extremely unusual if it was related to food.

[Lee Seidman]

www.poochdvd.co.uk

 

WE HAVE TWO DOODLES, ONE SWIMS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.  WE USE THORNIT EAR POWDER, I ORDER IT FROM THE UK, AND IT IS MAGIC.  NO EAR INFECTIONS IN ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW.

PLEASE EXCUSE THE CAPS,  LOL LOOK AT THE VIDEO LINK ABOVE AND YOU WILL GET A HISTORY OF THE EAR POWDER. ALL I KNOW IS THAT IT WORKS.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

THANK YOU!! Rosey is now a daily swimmer and I have been so worried about her ears!  Going to investigate!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Treats are good, gentle rubbing, if it's not too sore and sensitive and doing some soft petting to the outside ear flap so she is used to you handling the ears. Bottom line however, is she needs the medication, so it has to be done whether she likes it or not and you may not have time to teach her to like it.  I say this because I was afraid to get too aggressive with Murphy when he had his first ear infection and probably didn;t get the medications in as often or as deep as I should have at first. I learned real fast that these infections were painful for him and if bad and chronic enough, could cause damage. We went through his first 18 months with chronic ear infections. INfections that he would whimper with when I touched him, and constant constant head shaking and a few thousand dollars in Vet bill and meds.  SO.  I just don't play miss nice guy when it comes to getting the meds in anymore. One of us held him and the other put the meds in.

Now that he is almost 3, hasn't had an infection for about a year and I do routine maintance daily due to swimming, I can afford to take my time, sweet talk, give ear scratches, etc. He comes willingly and holds very still for me. But it took a lonnnggggg time to get there.

I do pluck the inside hair as he has tons, and cut the hair outside the air very short for air circulation. I also use the Thornit powder. So all that has kept us infection free for about a year. Good luck

 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I use Thornit powder on Riley's ears once a week as a preventative measure which I started after I noticed him scratching his ears a few times.  I also pluck the hairs out from inside his ears with my fingers.  I just use some of the thornit on my fingers and then twist the hairs and pull, they come out very easily and there doesn't seem to be any pain.  These are the hairs that are straight  inside the ear drum and not the ones growing on the inside of the ear flap which would hurt if you pulled them.  The Thornit is very easy to use but it has got a bit of a medicinal smell.  I have had no problems at all and I also use it on Snowy the Maltese who had recurring ear problems.  We have had no problems with his ears since using the Thornit powder.