Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
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Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
I would like to know how all of you clean your dog's ears. I've heard you can use vinegar, hydroperoxide, just to name a couple of cleaning agents to clean your dog's ears. What do all of you think?
Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
I don't clean my dogs ears unless they need it, I do smell them regularly to see if there is a problem. One of the vet nurses who does the hydrotherapy does this with her dogs as well, it is a sign there is a problem. If there is a problem, I clean with Colloidial Silver, it is a natural antibiotic, as far as I know there is no known resistance. You can buy it in most health shops and if you do a search on it you will find all its uses.
I do put a few drops of Colliodial Silver in their ears from time to time to help keep them clean.
I do put a few drops of Colliodial Silver in their ears from time to time to help keep them clean.
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Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
Like Mattie, I don't clean ears routinely - ears are self-cleaning - but I do check them regularly.
If there is a problem with something in an ear, I use a powder product called Thornit, which may not be available outside UK (that was helpful of me wasn't it - sorry -) but colloidal silver would be a good cleanser. Otherwise I use a couple of drops of lavender oil in some olive oil.
But quite honestly I can't remember when I last had a dog whose ears needed cleaning. Dogs are pretty much self-cleaning if you leave them alone - I don't bathe mine either. If they roll in something yucky, they get spot-washed.
If there is a problem with something in an ear, I use a powder product called Thornit, which may not be available outside UK (that was helpful of me wasn't it - sorry -) but colloidal silver would be a good cleanser. Otherwise I use a couple of drops of lavender oil in some olive oil.
But quite honestly I can't remember when I last had a dog whose ears needed cleaning. Dogs are pretty much self-cleaning if you leave them alone - I don't bathe mine either. If they roll in something yucky, they get spot-washed.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog
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Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
Hi - Ditto from me too. I have a Mini Schnauzer and was told by the breeder to pluck the hairs out of his ears regularly and use ear cleanser to keep them clean. The groomer did it a couple of times but he's really sensitive and hated it. It didn't feel right to me so I stopped the plucking and the cleanser and (touch wood) his ears have been fine ever since. I check them regularly but I agree with the other two posters that there's a lot to be said for leaving well alone.
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Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
I actually should be cleaning Annie's ears more often than I do. She has a tuft of hair growing deep inside, and it traps a lot of dirt and debris. Usually, though, I watch for when she starts shaking her head more, scratching, and rubbing her nose. Then I know she needs a flush. The vet gave me a bottle of blue ear flush solution (you can also purchase some in the pet care section of the store). He showed me how to fill the ear canal with two or three good squeezes on the bottle, then massage the ear with your thumb and fingers around the very base, close to the head-- it should make a squishy sound. Do that for several seconds, then let her up and let her shake. That loosens up all the dirt and debris that gets trapped in the ear, and it runs out naturally during the course of the day. It definitely works-- after a good flush, all the rubbing and scratching and shaking stops for awhile.
Last edited by Fundog on Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
I would only do it if I thought there was a problem. Aromesse do some ear cleansers and drops.
Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
some dogs just as some people have a predisposition to ear problems, many over produce wax, some just seem to be dirt magnets. I would not use hydrogen peroxide or vinegar however as they have high water content and most certainly will eventually grow stagnant in the ear and produce ear infections. There are a variety of products on the market, VERY reasonably priced that are designed to clean dogs ears, also when using this, please remember to use gauze 4x4's or cotton balls, do NOT use q-tips unless you are VERY well aquainted with canine otic anatomy. ALso, I am in agreement with nettle and Mattie, CHECK your dogs ears for swelling, red spots,foul odors, discharge etc. but unless you know your dog is one of those that requires frequent cleaning, leave it be.
Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
Thanks for your imputs everyone!
It seems that Karma gets a lot of dirt and other debris in both of her ears, and I needed to find the right product(s) that will help me clean her ears. Again, thank you all for your valuable inputs!
It seems that Karma gets a lot of dirt and other debris in both of her ears, and I needed to find the right product(s) that will help me clean her ears. Again, thank you all for your valuable inputs!
Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
Interesting. My dog's vet said I needed to clean Murphy's ears every week, and she sold me (I guess that's the key) a bottle of something...I'll have to check the label for the name later.josie1918 wrote:some dogs just as some people have a predisposition to ear problems, many over produce wax, some just seem to be dirt magnets. I would not use hydrogen peroxide or vinegar however as they have high water content and most certainly will eventually grow stagnant in the ear and produce ear infections. There are a variety of products on the market, VERY reasonably priced that are designed to clean dogs ears, also when using this, please remember to use gauze 4x4's or cotton balls, do NOT use q-tips unless you are VERY well aquainted with canine otic anatomy. ALso, I am in agreement with nettle and Mattie, CHECK your dogs ears for swelling, red spots,foul odors, discharge etc. but unless you know your dog is one of those that requires frequent cleaning, leave it be.
I apply to cotton balls and clean out his ears like I would my own ears, then use a dry cotton ball to dry off...as instructed by the vet.
Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
There are a lot of really good cleaners out there, but personally my favorite is derma pet, it seems to be so much gentler than the others.
Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
Thanks Josie for the information! I managed to find the "Blue Flush" Fundog posted earlier at one of pet stores in my area and it has done a good job cleaning Karma's ears! Needless to say, I don't know what she got into or how she was able to get this much dirt and debris in her ears, but it was disgusting! It looked like someone put tobacco in her ears, and when she shook her head, it was like being sprayed with tobacco spit! DISGUSTING! YUCK!
At times I think this dog has two vacuum cleaners as ears!
At times I think this dog has two vacuum cleaners as ears!
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Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
wvvdiup1 wrote:Thanks Josie for the information! I managed to find the "Blue Flush" Fundog posted earlier at one of pet stores in my area and it has done a good job cleaning Karma's ears! Needless to say, I don't know what she got into or how she was able to get this much dirt and debris in her ears, but it was disgusting! It looked like someone put tobacco in her ears, and when she shook her head, it was like being sprayed with tobacco spit! DISGUSTING! YUCK!
At times I think this dog has two vacuum cleaners as ears!
Eeeeew, YUCK!
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Re: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
I found ear wipes that work really well. They're not overly wet, they're like baby wipes. Bruiser and Dixie's ears never get bad, Kole and Lu somehow end up with enough dirt in their ears to grow potatoes (which is funny since Bruiser and Dixie stay outside most of the day and Kole and Lu stay inside most of the day). But with the wipes I'm able to wipe out most of the dirt, I can't go too deep into their ears, and I don't have to worry about liquid getting built up in their ear canals since they're not really soaked.