Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
What does normal healthy doggy ear wax look like? Smell like?
I am confused. I hear brown is normal. I hear brown is abnormal. I hear the ears dont smell at all. I hear they do have a smell. Abby has dark brown ear wax. Her ears smell like ... I dont know....hot wet dog? Frito feet? She does at times lay down and rub her ears with her paws - but is this pain ? Or itch? If you could all tell me your dogs normal ear wax color - and normal smell that would be helpful.
When Abby went for her 1st vet visit back at 8 weeks old he removed this same brown stuff with a swab, looked at it and threw it away. He didnt seem to care about it. Didnt say it was infection. But the breeder did say she at one time had all her dogs on a certain brand of dog food and they got yucky ears - but when she switched the food it cleared. That sounds weird to me and I cant see the connection between food and ears unless the food somehow caused yeast overgrowth. And if so what does yeasty wax look like?
When Abby went for her 1st vet visit back at 8 weeks old he removed this same brown stuff with a swab, looked at it and threw it away. He didnt seem to care about it. Didnt say it was infection. But the breeder did say she at one time had all her dogs on a certain brand of dog food and they got yucky ears - but when she switched the food it cleared. That sounds weird to me and I cant see the connection between food and ears unless the food somehow caused yeast overgrowth. And if so what does yeasty wax look like?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Adina P on
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The best I can tell you is that normal healthy ears are not odorless...I'm sure if you stuck your nose deep inside your husband's ears you'd smell SOMETHING. The body has smells. But yeasty ears have a different sorta smell than normal. My best description is sweet & dirty and pungent. The best way to notice it is if you smell your dog's ears when they are healthy...if you can get to know 'healthy' you'll recognize when something is 'off.'
As to brown gunk...mine had the most brown gunk when we didn't have grass and they ran around my dirt filled yard. Not an infection, but I'm sure if our ears were as big as a doodle's and they were as furry and got washed as infrequently while we played around in dirt...they'd look a bit more brown too.
But if they smell 'normal' which you will get used to when you KNOW they are healthy...you'll notice yeasty ears!
But I can't tell you I know what wax looks like. I'm sure it's not clear.
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Permalink Reply by LuvMyAbby&Kaela on
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OMG ROTFL!! About sticking my nose in DH's ears. You said " best way to notice it is if you smell your dog's ears when they are healthy" That is what I am trying to determine! LOL. Is it normal or not...it has always been this way with her, never noticed a difference, but she is a pup. And the brown is definitely internally produced from her. It is waxy. It is not dirt. Pg brain! ;o)~
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The next feature I'd love to add to Doodle Kisses is a scratch and sniff forum.
Scratch here to sniff a normal dog ear.
Scratch here to sniff a yeasty ear.
The dirt in my dogs' ears wasn't like dirt...it was waxy, but i think that is because the wax and the dirt collided into one. But I have no idea. I didn't really worry about it unless they showed symptoms or it smelled off.
I suppose, if this whole time your vet has found nothing and things haven't seemed like they've gotten worse...maybe her ears ARE giving you a normal smell. So hard to tell because I can't describe smells that well.
Do both ears smell THE SAME? I know it has made it easier for me to tell the difference when one of my dogs had an infection in only ONE ear.
As to itchy ears...how much does she scratch or rub them? I scratch and rub my ears sometimes...and I have to remind myself of that anytime I get freaked out and think any scratching for a dog is "a sign" of impending illness. Just now my arm itched.
Anyway, sorry I'm not very helpful...LOL...just rambling =)
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Yes they both smell the same. The vet only dug in her ears that first time so that is the reason he hasnt said anything since. And yes I am afraid to ask him because good old Doc Hollywood here is insane...he charged me an extra $25 on my bill to stick his finger up my dogs rectum which poor Ol Bailey didnt enjoy at all. SO $65 for thermometer, an extra $25 for finger!!! That particular vet visit cost me $150 to tell me - basically nothing. This is the same guy who charged me $800 for Ol Baileys teeth cleaning (but first I had to pay $300 for bloodwork to see if old Bailey could get put under for the teeth). I have spent $2000 at this new vet since he rolled into town 5 months ago. Just the thought of him gives me the skakes! I need a drink! LOL
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Permalink Reply by Mommy2Max on
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Ugh. My vet charged me 50 bucks for pre-anesthesia bloodwork and this is Seattle. Not quite as expensive as NY (I'm a native NY'er) but, close to it.
~Danielle
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Permalink Reply by Ellen aka BeauBeau's Mom on
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you guys should get the VPI pet insurance! Beau's teeth cleaning cost me $300, but I got $150 back within two weeks. www.my.petinsurance .com. Just a suggestion
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Permalink Reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie on
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Have you shopped around for vets? Maybe they all charge like this in your area but it sounds excessive for my area. My vet has been around forever and doesn't overcharge for things at all. I really like him and have been using him for 35 years - he will probably retire and sell his practice to someone I don't like.
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Hi Nancy. It is totally excessive! It is highway robbery and unfortunately a monopoly! The old vet died last year. He was so much more reasonable. Now his practice is purchased by a yuppy vet from Vancouver and he is trying to get us to pay off his house one visit at a time! Grrrrr. Thus my dubbing him Doc Hollywood. Some people are making the 2.5 drive to another town to get cheaper service. Unfortunately with small kids I cant just take off for the day like that. I have to look into pet insurance but the ones my neighbors were telling me about sounded like they werent worth it. I will check out the mypetinsurance link.
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Permalink Reply by Lynne B on
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take a look at http://www.gopetplan.com/ I'm real happy with them, you determine the amount of co-pay and deductible, they pay based on what your vet charges, not some list of 'reasonable & customary' charges. One of the things I looked at is that alot of pet insurance companies pull a fast one with chronic conditions, at the end of the year they refuse to continue treating the dog for a chronic condition.
I got $8,000 a year coverage. It pays 90% of the bill after a $50 deductible for $27 a month. Here's a good site to look at if you want to compare various insurance companies:
http://www.petinsurancereview.com/dog.asp
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Permalink Reply by Missi on
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Uck! LIzzie's pre-spay blood work was only $50 here! And she spent nearly 3 days in Doggie ICU with IV drips and around the clock care and that total was $700. I even go to one of the more-expensive vets in town too, because they have the best reputation. But I guess COL in wichita is far less than NY.
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