Do I really need to pluck these hairs?? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

I love Lucy · 06-29-2006, 09:31 AM

Hi everyone,
In keeping the ear clean and healthy I read some ear care stuff and it says to pluck hairs out of the dog's ears.. Don't know if I can do this because there is a good clump of hair there..and it would hurt..Can I just cut hair really close to the root instead?? How many of you pluck your furbabies ear hair??
Also do you all use ear solution and ear powder??
Thanks all.

JeanieK · 06-29-2006, 09:34 AM

We just had another thread on that.

I have groomed my own yorkies for almost 20 years, and I have never plucked their ear hair. You can trim it short with a clippers or a scissors, but I have never plucked. Some dogs with long floppy ears require it but most yorkies do not.

I love Lucy · 06-29-2006, 10:00 AM

I tried looking up ear cleaning , ear care but not plucking..i now see there are a few threads. Thanks for the heads up. Sorry this was a repeat then.

RLC12345678 · 06-29-2006, 11:43 AM

I have always plucked my yorkies' ear hair. At first they hate it, but now they actually like it! They think it feels good. In the beginning, though, it takes two of us to get the job accomplished...one to hold down and one to pluck. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, most groomers will do it...you just have to ask them to.

kalina82 · 06-29-2006, 11:49 AM

you can get the vet or the groomer to do it for you. but i think that if its not broke don't fix it. if you dog doesn't get ear infections and the hair in his ears don't bother him, then don't pluck it out.

dray · 06-29-2006, 04:02 PM

As a groomer of 25 years I can tell you that some dogs grow more hair than others in their ears. If there is a big clump of hair as you say chances are it should be removed or a yeast or bacterial infection may start. Just pull a few hairs at a time and be sure you are only pulling the hairs of the inside of the ear canal. Some vets believe that all hair should be removed , my vet does and now some vets are changing their minds on the subject. But if I saw a clump of hair on any of my yorkies I would for sure pull it out. Good luck.
Debbie Ray
www.sumtoiyorkies.com
Owner of Best Friends Pet Salon
Salem Oregon

Cyndi · 07-16-2006, 05:41 AM

My Estée gets quite a bit of hair in her ear canal, and my vet told me that the hairs need to be plucked from the canal, not trimmed.

The vet says that trimming doesn't reach the root part deep in the canal that is agitating my dogs ears (Estée's had a couple of ear infections where she'd just start scratching and scratching her ears until she scratched so hard at her ears that it made her yip).

She doesn't enjoy having her ear hairs plucked yet, and I'm not very good at making her sit still while I do it. I'd take any hints/tips on that. My vet says I need to get tougher, and be a little mean, and just do it.

Usually, I end up at the vets office, and the poor baby yips while the vet grits her teeth and pulls out chunks of hair from the canal. It only takes the vet a minute, and it's unpleasant for my dog...but it stops those ear infections/scratching problems for quite awhile.

JeanieK · 07-16-2006, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyndi

My Estée gets quite a bit of hair in her ear canal, and my vet told me that the hairs need to be plucked from the canal, not trimmed.

The vet says that trimming doesn't reach the root part deep in the canal that is agitating my dogs ears (Estée's had a couple of ear infections where she'd just start scratching and scratching her ears until she scratched so hard at her ears that it made her yip).

She doesn't enjoy having her ear hairs plucked yet, and I'm not very good at making her sit still while I do it. I'd take any hints/tips on that. My vet says I need to get tougher, and be a little mean, and just do it.

Usually, I end up at the vets office, and the poor baby yips while the vet grits her teeth and pulls out chunks of hair from the canal. It only takes the vet a minute, and it's unpleasant for my dog...but it stops those ear infections/scratching problems for quite awhile.

In your case, where the ear is getting infected then I'd say it's necessary, but I don't believe in putting them through that if it's not necessdary. It's a dog by dog as needed thing.

ditsy · 07-19-2006, 06:11 PM

I use the scissor style tweezers for my boy, I find them much easier than normal style tweezers.

I just pluck out a few hairs at a time ... he doesn't even feel it.

Sometimes if I pluck too many at once he gets upset, but for the most part he acts like there is nothing happening.

I dont pluck all of them out in one sitting, he always has "some" ear hair ... I just use it for "thining out" in his bi weekly super groom.

Lacy's Mom · 07-20-2006, 10:59 AM

I've never plucked and have never had an ear infection, but mine do not have a lot of hair in their ears either. I personally would not do it unless I had a problem with ear infections. I wouldn't clip either because I would think pieces would fall into the ear canal and cause a problem.

06-29-2006, 09:31 AM	#1
I love Lucy Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: California's central coast Posts: 232	Do I really need to pluck these hairs?? Hi everyone, In keeping the ear clean and healthy I read some ear care stuff and it says to pluck hairs out of the dog's ears.. Don't know if I can do this because there is a good clump of hair there..and it would hurt..Can I just cut hair really close to the root instead?? How many of you pluck your furbabies ear hair?? Also do you all use ear solution and ear powder?? Thanks all. __________________ Lucy's mom

06-29-2006, 09:34 AM	#2
JeanieK Donating YT 6000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa Posts: 7,529	We just had another thread on that. I have groomed my own yorkies for almost 20 years, and I have never plucked their ear hair. You can trim it short with a clippers or a scissors, but I have never plucked. Some dogs with long floppy ears require it but most yorkies do not. __________________ Ollie Chachi Hallie Harlie & Me CircleKRanchYorkies.com]

06-29-2006, 10:00 AM	#3
I love Lucy Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: California's central coast Posts: 232	Oh thank you.. I tried looking up ear cleaning , ear care but not plucking..i now see there are a few threads. Thanks for the heads up. Sorry this was a repeat then. __________________ Lucy's mom

06-29-2006, 11:43 AM	#4
RLC12345678 I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,023	I have always plucked my yorkies' ear hair. At first they hate it, but now they actually like it! They think it feels good. In the beginning, though, it takes two of us to get the job accomplished...one to hold down and one to pluck. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, most groomers will do it...you just have to ask them to. __________________ Hobbs on Dogster Lamar on Dogster Belle on Dogster Hootie on Dogster

06-29-2006, 11:49 AM	#5
kalina82 Phantom Queen Morrigan Donating Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: North Jersey Posts: 6,655 Blog Entries: 1	you can get the vet or the groomer to do it for you. but i think that if its not broke don't fix it. if you dog doesn't get ear infections and the hair in his ears don't bother him, then don't pluck it out. __________________ Kellie and Morgan Girls Soccer Team Goalie!!!!

06-29-2006, 04:02 PM	#6
dray Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Silverton Oregon Posts: 1,026	As a groomer of 25 years I can tell you that some dogs grow more hair than others in their ears. If there is a big clump of hair as you say chances are it should be removed or a yeast or bacterial infection may start. Just pull a few hairs at a time and be sure you are only pulling the hairs of the inside of the ear canal. Some vets believe that all hair should be removed , my vet does and now some vets are changing their minds on the subject. But if I saw a clump of hair on any of my yorkies I would for sure pull it out. Good luck. Debbie Ray www.sumtoiyorkies.com Owner of Best Friends Pet Salon Salem Oregon

07-16-2006, 05:41 AM	#7
Cyndi YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 9	If they've got hairs in the canal, the vet says pluck em' My Estée gets quite a bit of hair in her ear canal, and my vet told me that the hairs need to be plucked from the canal, not trimmed. The vet says that trimming doesn't reach the root part deep in the canal that is agitating my dogs ears (Estée's had a couple of ear infections where she'd just start scratching and scratching her ears until she scratched so hard at her ears that it made her yip). She doesn't enjoy having her ear hairs plucked yet, and I'm not very good at making her sit still while I do it. I'd take any hints/tips on that. My vet says I need to get tougher, and be a little mean, and just do it. Usually, I end up at the vets office, and the poor baby yips while the vet grits her teeth and pulls out chunks of hair from the canal. It only takes the vet a minute, and it's unpleasant for my dog...but it stops those ear infections/scratching problems for quite awhile.

07-19-2006, 06:11 PM	#9
ditsy Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 130	I use the scissor style tweezers for my boy, I find them much easier than normal style tweezers. I just pluck out a few hairs at a time ... he doesn't even feel it. Sometimes if I pluck too many at once he gets upset, but for the most part he acts like there is nothing happening. I dont pluck all of them out in one sitting, he always has "some" ear hair ... I just use it for "thining out" in his bi weekly super groom.

07-20-2006, 10:59 AM	#10
Lacy's Mom YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 2,931	I've never plucked and have never had an ear infection, but mine do not have a lot of hair in their ears either. I personally would not do it unless I had a problem with ear infections. I wouldn't clip either because I would think pieces would fall into the ear canal and cause a problem.