# Ear cleaning please help



## lilylow (Jan 2, 2008)

I have a half cocker spanial half poodle cockapoo and he definately got his mother's ear. He scratches at them so badly sometimes that we will yelp in pain and keep scratching. He has even cut himself on the inside of his ears. He will let me touch them and shows no aggression at all when anyone goes near them. I was just wondering what the best way to clean them and to give him some comfort from all the itching he does. What will stop the itching?


I have tried using the liquid you get at petsmart by squirting some in and then massaging the base of his ear but the bottle says once a week or as needed...once a week does not give my dog clean ears. Suggestions would be greatly appriciated


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## Renoman (Mar 20, 2007)

Just a suggestion but you might want to schedule a trip to the vet to make sure he doesn't have a yeast infection or mites. Both would require medication to treat.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

We had a minature poodle and had to clean his ears his entire life. Besides the medication for the ears, we also had to regularly pluck the hair from inside the ear. Hair inside the ear will trap dirt and bacteria and the hair growth itself can get long, matted and uncomfortable.


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## lilylow (Jan 2, 2008)

Our vet is a family friend and she says that besides dirty his ears are healthy they just over produce wax...i take him to the groomers every three monthes where they clean and de-hair his ears...his ears are always so amazingly clean when he comes back i'm curious what they do


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## FurryKidsMom (Dec 23, 2007)

have you asked the groomer?


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## rustysdad (Jan 2, 2008)

Before cleaning the dog’s ears, inspect for potential problems. Take note of any matter in and around the ear canal, particularly excess wax. A dark wax may be a sign of ear mites. Do not use water when cleaning your dog’s ears.If ear problems are discovered, soak a cotton ball thoroughly in the ear wash. Squeeze out excess and gently clean dirt, wax and other matter from the exterior area of the ear, and consult your veterinarian.If you would prefer to make your own dog ear cleaner,Mix 50/50 vinegar and water, massage it in the ear for 60 seconds, clean the dog’s ear with cotton balls (not Q-tips). If your pet requires medication, apply it afterwards.

A dog's ears are particularly susceptible, due to their structure. Dogs with floppy ears receive less air circulation and sunshine and have more problems than dogs whose ears stand up straight. Yeast loves dark, moist environments. Fresh air and sunshine are yeast's enemies.


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## lilylow (Jan 2, 2008)

thanks that is really helpful because he has big fluffly floppy ears...hmmm now all i need is a way to get the air and sunshine....hmmmm...lol


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## rustysdad (Jan 2, 2008)

Not hard to do, you will figure out a way that is best. For a few minutes a day flip the ears over when they are on a side at rest. some will tolerate loose rubber bands or a little string for a little while during the day.


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## grrroomer (Jan 6, 2008)

Before becoming a groomer I was Veterinary Technician. The doctor I worked for taught us to wash the ear with an antibactiral/antifungal shampoo WITH water. Wet the ear inside and out and apply shampoo directly to the ear canal massage the lower ear to foam up the soap and rinse thourougly. THEN give a good squirt of alcohol into the ear canal to dispel any left over H2O. Alchol is the #1 ingredient in swimmers ear solution. It has worked 100% of the time. There are exeptions for this procedure. If the ear has broken skin alcohol burns terrible so I dont use it then, but most ear cleaners also have alcohol as a main ingredient. So I will use one without, a speciality product we sell. The biggest problem with water in the ear is that you have to do an alcohol flush afterwards. The anatomy of a dogs ear has a 90 degree turn in to the head, which means that water can just sit in the horizontal area of the canal. I especially use the shampoo mehtod on dogs with very dirty, waxy ears. Another way to help keep the ear dry is to have the inside of the ear leather or flap and around the bottom of the ear opening shaved with a #10 blade once a month. They also make ear drying powders that help keep the ears dry and help to clump up the wax prior to cleaning to aid in removal of build up. Just my 2 cents.


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## Anela (Sep 8, 2007)

If the problem has been persistant, with medication doing little good, you may have a food allergy on your hands.

Anela


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## lilylow (Jan 2, 2008)

I've been using the ear cleaning solution from the pet store on a cotton ball and wiping around his ear for the last week or so and after i was done with the wet i would use a clean dry cotton ball to help soak up the moisture...at first i was doing it two/three times a day...

did he have so much dirt and wax build up that once i started cleaning his ears it was all coming to the surface? because after the first couple of days the grime jsut kept coming out...but i'm glad to say that now his ears appear cleaner and he has been scratching alot less

his ear canal also isn't as swollen and where he scratched his ear open is starting to heal nicely...i think when i clean and dry his ears its soathing for him because he leans into and doesn't move at all...i also bought some of the ear drying powder that once a day at night i'll sprinkle alittle in for...he does not like that at all...but his ears seem so much healthier

thanks for all the help and suggestions


just one more question...someone mentioned plucking? can you please explain...do i take tweezers to his ear canal hair cuase that sounds painful


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