Ear infections?

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

My poor Grayson seems to have an ear infection.  My own fault I am sure---I just told hubby that I had read right here on DK that they are prone to them with the floppy ears.  With all the rain and snow melting I should have been more diligent about drying his ears...so yesterday I noticed him scratching and shaking his head.  I started rubbing his ears and he seems to pull away, so I lifted the sore one up and he whimpered.  It is all red and crusty.  Unfortunately I can't get him to the vet till this weekend (I can't do it alone--hubby has to help.  Grayson is too big and not very well-mannered).  I took a warm washcloth and cleaned the outside as best I could and dried it really well.  I even used a barrette and kept his ear flopped up on his head to air could get to it for a bit.  My stepdad has a bunch of vet friends he talks to daily so I am going to have him ask too, but does anyone know of any way to help him out any till this weekend?

[Kim]

I wouldn't let that go until this weekend.  After a painful and expensive surgery for my dog, I would definitely get that cleared up as fast as possible.

[laurie lehr]

My advice would be to cleanthe ear daily with ear cleaner until you get to the vet , we just went through this cleaning daily and getting Maris's ears flushed every other week and antibiotic . It did the trick ! also pulling all the hair out of the inside of the ear .

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree with cleaning the ear thoroughly. Perhaps your vet would be willing to prescribe antibiotic drops now with an appointment for the weekend.

[Shelby and Kev]

Amanda,  I had the same problem with Shelby,  before I had a clue.  Honestly I thought that cleaning her ears were just nasty.  She had smelly ears (first clue)  then when I flipped up her pinae (ear flap) it was just plain red, from her scratching, and lots of ear wax (close to black)  I taught my self to clean them by doing lots of research and frankly I was terrified! 

Heres my aresenal--Cotton balls dipped in some ear solution to wipe the outside first just to let him know that you know you understand his pain!  Get as much wax as possible and get him to the vet!  Hair is also a known enemy because it does not let air in the ear canal.  It must be removed, but ask your vet for help and make sure to watch. 

Self teaching goes really far and saves tons of cash.  Now I do her ears after any encounter with water and cotton balls also help absorb moisture.  Good luck and Kisses to Grayson!!!

[Shelby and Kev]

I agree but it will be very beneficial..

[F, Calla & Luca]

It's really not too bad. I just get the dog on one side And hold the dog if necessary by leaning over. The make sure you get the squirt bottle into the right hole, you will get the hang of it. Squeeze the base of the ear gently between your fingers and you can hear the fluid sqiush. Then I dry the ear canal gently with a finger wrapped in a cotton square. I donnot pull out hair and the dogs ears have been fine. I do keep the hair beneath the ear, the side of the head really clipped short.

[Lee Seidman]

Ear infections are common in Doodles. You must get a maintenance program going cleaning their ears and keeping them dry. Check with your vet to advise what you need to do.

 We keep the inside flap of their ears shaved to allow more air to help keep them dry,  pull the hair and use a drying agent every time they swim or get them wet. Your vet can provide cleaning agents to remove any dirt or wax build up and when required, do a deep ear cleaning. We also use Thornit ear powder, it is shear magic in preventing ear infections and aids in pulling ear hair. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5OAkSgXpCQ . Ear infections are extremely painful and can lead to more hearing and ear problems. It is critical that you learn how to maintain Doodle ears.

Their ears should be  pink,clean and have no odor. Your vet , if required, can do a deep ear cleaning in his office. Our vet said ear infections are the most common problem in floppy ear dogs. I can attest that learning how to maintain their ears will save you many dollars in Vet bills and make Grayson a much happier Doodle.

[Maria & Xena]

Where do you get your Thornit powder?  Xena has horrible ears every & then. I just searched the internet & tried ordering it from amazon uk but they wouldnt ship to me in the US. Any ideas? Thanks for your help.

[Lee Seidman]

I ordered it from the site below. It came out of the UK in about two weeks.  The small bottle has lasted almost two years and that is for two Doodles.  We only use a tiny bit in each ear.  Our dooodles  have not had an infection in two years and Billy swims four to five times a day year around. .

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5OAkSgXpCQ 

[Lynn D.]

My vet just (1hour ago) recommended 25% vinegar with 75% water. Use a nasal suction bulb to suck it out. Use the solution to clean out the ear. I specifically asked about using Epi-Otic, he said I could use it. I really prefer the fewest ingredients as possible.

Echo wasn't shaking his head or scratching at his ear, and no dark wax, but when I lifted his ear it was pink, today it was red and swollen.

The vet also said my doods ears were very clean! So these things just happen. I am fairly good about keeping moisture out of his ears, avoid getting water in his ears from bathing, etc. It just happens. It is truely hard (for us) to SEE if your doods ear is bad/infected.

Don't feel like you are a bad dood parent. It's all about how you get it resolved.

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

Having had lots of experience with ear infections, I would advise that you do something in the meantime to help relieve his discomfort. The one solution I know of that you might google is alcohol and vinager and water. The vinager kills the yeast, the alcohol can kill some bacterias and help it dry out after application. I use cotton balls, gauze 4x4's and do use Q tips, but ever so slightly after a good vigorous massage of the ear canal after applying some of the solution. That helps to loosen the buildup. If he is backing away, or very sensitive, then a gentle massage of course. For him to Whimper, it must be already hurting him and it will only get worse unless you help him before this weekend.