Baths

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

Hello,

Can everyone let me know how often you bathe your dogs?  Ideally I wish I could bathe Zoe once a week but I feel like it might be too often.  And I'm not sure if doodles have sensitive skin that might dry out from frequent baths.  I do have puppy wipes which help.

Also, her ears smell funny sometimes.  I have a wipe that's for ears, eyes, and nose that I wipe her ears clean but I was wondering if there is something better that I can use.  And is it true that you have to pluck the hairs out of their ears?  I read that somewhere.  Any info will help.

 

thank you!

[Sara & Trix]

I bathe Trix every 6 weeks or so.  No sure if that is below normal, but she really doesn't need to be bathed more than that.  I wash her face every few days and her bottom when her sensitive stomach acts up ;) 

As for the ears, the only time Trix had funny smelling ears was when she had ear mites (poor girl) and it was after the first bath that I gave her.  In my lack of experience, I failed to completely dry her ears after her bath.  I used to pluck but I found that it caused irritation.  I check her ears often, but mostly leave them alone and they are fine.

[BG and Gavin]

Gavin gets a bath every six weeks or so too.  I deep clean his ears with an ear wash from the vet every two weeks and I sometimes use the ear wipes in between.  I also do a bit of spot cleaning (face and privates) in between baths.  And I clip his nails every three weeks or so.  When I bathe him I put cotton in his ear canals to keep the water out and use the blow dryer to dry the insides  of his ears whenever he wanders in while I am drying my hair.

[Jane Smith]

I bathe them every 2 to 3 weeks.  I like to cuddle with my dogs and I don't want them smelling.

 

As far as the ears...my vet recommends once a week using the ear wash..then I wipe out with cotton balls.  A yeast infection in their ears usually smells funky.  Check for infection, then keep them clean every 1 to 2 weeks with the wash..

 

I do pull the hair out, and your groomer should be doing this too.

[Susan and Sasha]

Hi Joanna...

There really isn't an "exact" answer to this question...

You bath your Doodle when they need it.

Doodles usually don't need to be bathed very often.  Some need it more often than others.

Sometimes they may roll in something and need a bath...or go for a swim...etc..

You will know when their coat looks or smells like they need a bath.

You will want to get a good shampoo and conditioner too.

Type bath or bathing your Doodle in the "Search Box"  which you will find in the upper right corner of your home page.

You will find discussions about this topic and can read lots of past discussions about how often to bathe Zoe...and different types of shampoos and conditioners to use.  Also...there is a great lemon rinse to make...so just type in "lemon rinse" and you will find out how to make that too. 

The search box is a really great place to go for answers to many questions that you might have Joanne....so be sure to use it.  You will find it Very helpful.

About Zoe's ears...I also use the ear wipes sometimes...but I also got a product that I like from my Vet called Epi-Otic.  You put a few drops in your Doodles ear and rub  gently. Then you take a small cotton round or square and put it over your finger and gently wipe out the ear canal.   Continue to wipe the ear until it is clean....completing one ear at a time.  You do this once a week.  Sasha doesn't have a lot of hair in her ears...so she doesn't have to get hair plucked.  Sorry that I can't give you input about this.

I hope this has been helpful to you Joanna.

Hugs to you and Zoe...

 

 

[Kaira]

Ideally I bathe Remy every 2-3 weeks, but often it's once a month unless he gets into something.  When he was trimmed this summer he stayed pretty clean and I didn't bathe him for about 6 weeks.

 

For the ears, plucking would be best if you are getting a funny ear smell.  Are his ears warm to the touch?  Doodle ears grow hair deep inside and it can cause so many problems.  I spent $7 and bought a "drying powder" from Pet Smart.  I squirt the drying powder in his ears and then just pull the hair right out.  I was horrified at the thought of plucking his ears but it honestly doesn't seem to hurt Remy at all.  Sometimes I'll pull a gunky chunk out and he'll wince just a bit but if I get the drying powder in there the hair just falls right out with a slight tug. 

 

To help with the ear issue, get a medicine dropper and once or twice a week, squirt ACV (apple cider vinegar) into the ear canal and rub it in well.  The ACV helps neutralize the PH in the ear and imo it works so much better than all the other ear formulas available. 

 

Remy hates having me squirt stuff in his ears but it makes a huge difference.  My husband holds him and I pluck away and I think the only thing he really finds unpleasant is the liquid in his ear, but it helps so he has to deal with it.

[Trudy Harlow]

I agree with those who say to bathe your dog when she needs it.  Doodles are dogs and, like any dog, they like to roll in things, roll around and tussle with other dogs while getting saliva all over themselves, and generally start smelling like their environment.  I have Paddy bathed about every 4-6 weeks.

Re ears:  we have had a running battle with yeast infections.  Paddy has very poodle-y ears, with lots of hair in them.  I try not to strip them unless we are dealing with infection because I believe the stripping itself causes inflammation in the ear canal.  It's important to note that the hair can grow far, far down into the ear canal, way beyond where any of us untrained people can safely reach -- and infection can linger there too.  So when we have persistent infections, Paddy gets his ears stripped at the vets and an ear wash that goes all the way in where I can't reach. 

If Zoe's ears smell "funny," have pity on her and get them checked at the vets.  If they aren't infected, they'll smell sweet but still ear-like.  It's not just a matter of cleanliness but of infections, and dogs with flap ears are prone to them.  If Zoe has infections, likely she's in some pain from it so she'll need to be checked.  As someone said, yeast is a common culprit and it can be hard to get rid of.