ear cleaning

[paulapoo]

My shih poo is having ear issue's. I have some ente derm ointment, but i notice after the second day, his eyes start watering again. He only itches occasionally, very little really. But his eyes water very badly. I need to pluck the hair. The vet gave me cleanser and ointment, but not a rinse. Do I need to rinse after I cleanse?

[Dara311]

Originally Posted by paulapoo

My shih poo is having ear issue's. I have some ente derm ointment, but i notice after the second day, his eyes start watering again. He only itches occasionally, very little really. But his eyes water very badly. I need to pluck the hair. The vet gave me cleanser and ointment, but not a rinse. Do I need to rinse after I cleanse?

Are you putting the cleanser in first? then wiping out excess debris? then applying the ointment!?

[PANAMA69]

Originally Posted by Dara311

just an FYI....(im not trying to act like a smarty pants, guess working with a vet for 7 yrs is FINALLY starting to pay off ) But, a majority of ear infections in dogs are usually bacteria or yeast. If you think they have an ear infection, I would tell you to go to the vets and get them looked at, because certain medications help with the yeast or bacteria. You always want to make sure when you get your yorkie groomed, that they pluck out all that extra ear hair in the canal- it will help prevent ear infections too!

my girl don't have a ear infections lol, and I pluck the ears of my girls my self and never have a problem, only Melody when I got her back and she is free of ear infections since them

[Dara311]

Originally Posted by PANAMA69

my girl don't have a ear infections lol, and I pluck the ears of my girls my self and never have a problem, only Melody when I got her back and she is free of ear infections since them

Good Deal! Fiona's ears have been perfect too!

[PANAMA69]

Originally Posted by Dara311

Good Deal! Fiona's ears have been perfect too!

Oh I love that name Fiona, it remindme of the girl in Burnnotice (tv show) what a cutie pie she is

[Dara311]

Originally Posted by PANAMA69

Oh I love that name Fiona, it remindme of the girl in Burnnotice (tv show) what a cutie pie she is

awe thank you very much, i love her more and more each day, its crazy!
ive always be biased to larger dogs!

[bellasmomok]

Originally Posted by Dara311

just an FYI....(im not trying to act like a smarty pants, guess working with a vet for 7 yrs is FINALLY starting to pay off ) But, a majority of ear infections in dogs are usually bacteria or yeast. If you think they have an ear infection, I would tell you to go to the vets and get them looked at, because certain medications help with the yeast or bacteria. You always want to make sure when you get your yorkie groomed, that they pluck out all that extra ear hair in the canal- it will help prevent ear infections too!

If you're saying to pluck the hair out of the ear canal on the baby with the ear infection(s), I absolutely agree!! However, there are differing opinions (aren't there always ) on plucking hair out of the ear canal of a pup who hasn't had any signs of ear infections. Some vets think that plucking first can actually cause ear infections to start, and once you start plucking you can't stop or you'll get ear infections for sure.... Who knows which side is right??? (All the experts argues about every issue it seems!) I just wanted to pass along the info in case you weren't aware there is another view in that instance.....I'm not plucking Bella's yet. I guess we'll see, but I really hope that doesn't end up causing her more problems. *sigh

[bellasmomok]

Originally Posted by PANAMA69

When I got Melody back she had a very severe ear infection in both ears, the girl that had her said that she was using the vinegar/water thing. When I took Melody to the vet for a total ck-up I was in shock when he told me that because she never shake her ears or scratch it or show any syntoms of ear infections, the vet told me that some dogs have ear infections for so long that they just get just to it he wash her ears and start it in some antibiotic, ear treatment after few week it clear up and she has not had it since them, thank God, I get the veterinarian best formula and is my favor one I just got the ear wash with tea tree oil is ok too, I wash the ears before bath time wich is one a week and my girl are free from ear infections
ps. my vet said that the vinegar thing is a old fashion way to do it but he didn't say anything negative about that and I didn't ask either

Another FYI....I just read this in a different thread, and thought you might want to know...

Originally Posted by SlyBella

Just an FYI...

I told my vet on Saturday that I was treating Bella with diluted Tea Tree Oil (as listed on that site) and she told me to STOP immediately. She said she had first hand knowledge of Tea Tree Oil being toxic to small dogs. She had a client who was putting it on her yorkie's brittle nails after the groomer had recommended it. The vet couldn't do anything except monitor/comfort the poor furbaby on the way out of her life. The vet said she would NOT recommend any dose of Tea Tree Oil on any dog.

Here's the link to the thread....http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...ml#post2252387

Ellie May replied and said that "it is more toxic to cats than dogs but it still does pose a risk, especially if ingested. I would not use it at all." Apparently, it is in some dog shampoos too, so make sure to read the ingredients!! I can't believe it is known to be toxic but they put it in dog products anyway!!!

[PANAMA69]

Originally Posted by bellasmomok

Another FYI....I just read this in a different thread, and thought you might want to know...



Here's the link to the thread....http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...ml#post2252387

Ellie May replied and said that "it is more toxic to cats than dogs but it still does pose a risk, especially if ingested. I would not use it at all." Apparently, it is in some dog shampoos too, so make sure to read the ingredients!! I can't believe it is known to be toxic but they put it in dog products anyway!!!

Thanks for the info, I just started using in on the girl is a ear wash and one of the ingredients have the tea tree oil, I will ask my vet about it, I got this one because the pet store was out of the veterinarian best formula that I have been using since my Phoebe was a pup (2 years ago)

[Dara311]

oh yes yes, i agree, if there isnt an issue with the ears, DONT MESS WITH THEM!

[paulapoo]

Originally Posted by Dara311

Are you putting the cleanser in first? then wiping out excess debris? then applying the ointment!?

Yes, I cleanse and wipe and then put the ointment in.

[YorkieZoo]

We use a was that we obtained from our vet that doesn't require a rinse. The only thing to be careful of while rinsing is make sure the ear is DRY. Water = breeding ground for bacteria.

We use these little squares of guaze that look very similar to cheesecloth that has been layered multiple times in a square.

For ear plucking, we use a pair of hemostats and twist rather than pull.

[bellasmomok]

Originally Posted by YorkieZoo

We use a was that we obtained from our vet that doesn't require a rinse. The only thing to be careful of while rinsing is make sure the ear is DRY. Water = breeding ground for bacteria.

We use these little squares of guaze that look very similar to cheesecloth that has been layered multiple times in a square.

For ear plucking, we use a pair of hemostats and twist rather than pull.

I use Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution, which cleans, re-acidifies, AND dries!!! One step for all your needs! Just so you know, I DON'T use cotton balls on Bella (she's never had any ear issues at all)...I only use the solution after every bath, but I do use cotton balls on Maya because her ears tend to get a little waxy.

[YorkieZoo]

Originally Posted by bellasmomok

I use Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution, which cleans, re-acidifies, AND dries!!! One step for all your needs! Just so you know, I DON'T use cotton balls on Bella (she's never had any ear issues at all)...I only use the solution after every bath, but I do use cotton balls on Maya because her ears tend to get a little waxy.

I just checked the bottle and that's what we use! GREAT STUFF isn't it!!!

We generally check the ears once a week and clean them every other week....depends on how much fun they had in my flower beds. Lol.

I don't know why we never used the cotton balls...I think it's because when we went to the vet, they used the square gauze things, so I just picked those up as well. I like them because I can use my finger with those to get all the little "creases".

Four of them don't mind getting the ear cleaned, but one ALWAYS runs to the couch and sticks her head in the pillow....it's quite hysterical. She thinks that since she can't see us, we can't see her whole body sticking out!

[kjc]

Originally Posted by YorkieZoo

I just checked the bottle and that's what we use! GREAT STUFF isn't it!!!

We generally check the ears once a week and clean them every other week....depends on how much fun they had in my flower beds. Lol.

I don't know why we never used the cotton balls...I think it's because when we went to the vet, they used the square gauze things, so I just picked those up as well. I like them because I can use my finger with those to get all the little "creases".

Four of them don't mind getting the ear cleaned, but one ALWAYS runs to the couch and sticks her head in the pillow....it's quite hysterical. She thinks that since she can't see us, we can't see her whole body sticking out!

I use the 2x2 gauze squares (mail order is so much cheaper) especially with a dirty ear they grab the dirt better... cotton seems to stick to it more than remove it.

***********************************

I think the theory behind plucking is if the ear has never been plucked, dirt and bacteria can get trapped by the hair in the ear canal.

If all the hair is plucked in one sitting, many open pores are left for the germs to invade and cause an infection.

I always pluck an unplucked ear a little at a time... I may take 2-4 weeks to get it totally plucked, and, hopefully not enough pores are left open each time for an infection to set in.

The body can usually handle a small amount of contamination on it's own. Once the ear is totally plucked, it's just minor maintenance to keep up with it.

Warming the cleaning solution in a cup of hot water (check temp before using) can make it more comfortable for resistant dogs.