Thornit ear powder

[Sally, Echo and Emmi]

Has anyone used this? I hear it is wonderful for doodle ears. If you have some where did you purchase from? So far the only place I can find it is in the UK or on Ebay but even then it is from the UK ! I would love to be able to purchase in the US. Thanks!

[April Cliber]

I LOVE it! It works great. I order mine on ebay from the UK.

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

April, Do you use this on the pups? Do you recommend I use it when I get Murphy home?

[April Cliber]

No, the pups don't need it yet. When their young (under 5 months) usually cotton balls and baby oil will clean them enough. I use the powder on my adult dogs. You can use it on Murphy when he's a little older, or if he gets an infection. I just put a little powder in each ear every couple of weeks after I clean them out. Our poodle, Sammy use to get raging ear infections and I was at my whits end. The thornit powder worked great, so I started using it as a prevention for my other dogs.

[Deena Womack]

Does it help to keep the ears dry and clean?? Right now we use an ear cleansing solution once a week as prescribed by the vet. So I was curious about the thornit...

[Sally, Echo and Emmi]

I have heard nothing but great things about thornit. I am definitely going to start using it as my pup (10 wks) already had a little smelly wax in his ears (sorry if TMI). I was just hoping there was a US source but it doesn't seem that there is. I was hoping someone on DK might know of a US source!

[Beth and Gang]

I did use it but now have been using MalAceticOtic from VetDpot and I think it works MUCH better on my gang.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

You can not purchase it in the United States already made you can however have your local pharmacy make it up for you for about $10.00.

Heres a recipe for Thornit if anyone fancies making up their own.

Treat as follows with either Thornit or you can make up your own version of Thornit (which is the same as below but includes talc) with ingredients from your chemist.

4 oz. zinc oxide powder
4 oz. boric acid powder
1/2 oz. Iodoform powder

Mix well. Keep in a sealed jar in a cool dry place.

Maintenance

Place a large pinch of powder in each ear (I use a quarter of a tsp measuring spoon) and use your finger to work it down. Allow the dog to shake, but leave the excess powder in the ears. Repeat monthly.

Treating an existing infection

Use as described for maintenance morning and evening.

Use a dry Q-tip to remove all the powder and the balls of dried gunk. Clean with sterile saline solution/Colloidal Silver anything that does not sting.

Put a fresh pinch of powder in each ear. Repeat daily until the ears are no longer runny. At this point, repeat every other day, until there is no more runniness, then three times a week, then twice, then weekly, then every other week, etc. When the ears remain dry for three weeks, go to the monthly maintenance routine.

How it works

The iodoform powder kills anaerobic bacteria and fungi which flourish in warm, moist, airless places. The zinc oxide and boric acid keep the ear dry, which prevents further infections. In the days before antibiotics, Iodoform was frequently used in human medicine to pack puncture wounds where anaerobic bacteria also grow. It may be hard to find because it isn't used much any more.


The problem with malotic acid is that it comes in a liquid form and the inner ear stays wet if you are using it daily. Ears are like caves and become dank, the heat and moisture promotes bacteria growth.

[Sally, Echo and Emmi]

Thank you so much for this thorough explanation and directions. It is greatly appreciated! It makes you wonder why vets keep telling you to use epiotic when it keeps the ear wet! I have a 10 week old pup that already has a little smelly gunk in his ears. I hope this is OK for pups!

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

it is perfect for puppies too, we use it on all of our dogs and cats

[Roxanne Ochs]

Thanks for the info. CeeGee just spent the past week being treated for a yeast infection in her ears. What a mess! Even with the swimming in the river she did all summer and fall, we never had a problem but she loves to bury her balls in the snow and got some snow in her ears which caused the infection. My vet said after treating her hears with the medication he gave me and getting the yeast infection cleared up, just put 1 ml (cc) of rubbing alchohol in her ear whenever I think she's gotten some kind of moisture into her ears. It works like heat in you gas tank and he said all of the hunters use it for their labs and for dogs with heavy ears. I think I will have the pharmacy make up some of your recipe because somehow putting something wet in her ears even if the rubbing alcohol is supposed to dry up her ears, doesn't quite make sense.

Roxanne

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

I use a homemade recipe my vet gave me. She uses it in her office. Some people have told me it would stain my girls' coats, but I have a lot of cream girls and no one ever got stained. Here is the link
http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/Adobe/Blue%20Power%20Ear%20Treatmen...

[Karen, Buford and Fionna]

I love thornit powder. I ordered mine from directly from the UK. Fionna had chronic ear infections until we started using this stuff. My vet looked it over and said to give it a try and see if it worked and it did :-)