Ear Washes
 

What do ya'll think about ear washes for our yorkies? Hootie & Hobbs' ears always smell bad, but I know they aren't infected. I've gotten them tested and their ears are never infected despite the funky smell. I think water gets in there during their bath and makes their ears smell bad. And it's not THAT bad, I just notice it when I am kissing them and happen to put my nose close to their ears and that is when I notice they don't smell "fresh." I was thinking about getting an ear wash to put in their ears after their baths to hopefully help maintain good ear health and hopefully get rid of that smell. Are ear washes safe? If so, please look at these that I found at www.onlynaturalpet.com, which only carries all-natural, organic products. Which one of these looks the best to use?

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...sh/115016.aspx


http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...ht/121019.aspx


http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...il/999101.aspx


http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...il/197006.aspx

My vet said to make sure to use one with a drying agent and to only use it after baths. He said it would help to dry the water that had gotten in the ears during their bath.:)

Thanks for the info! I think I'm gonna order the first one listed. I'll let everyone know how it works! Hopefully I'll have a good report! :thumbup:

I have a ear wash for Gizmo that the vet gave to me(well I bought it but you know what I mean..lol) it is called Opti -Ear Or Opti Clear something like that... you put 1 drop in each ear, then rub in very well and with a qui-tip very gently take out any gunk that might be in there.. I do it 1 x a week when he bathes and it works....

oh and it was only like $5-$8.. and vet approved.. its what vet's use in most offices(or so I;ve seen)....

Awesome! Thanks so much for the info, Cindy!!!!!!!! ;)

i use "gold medal pets clean ears" from pet smart. it also has aloe. i use after every bath and i havent had anymore smelly problems. i can mildly smell alcohol in it so i guess thats the drying agent. it wasnt expensive either.

i just squirt it in and massage the base of his ear and he loves it! then i take the towel i dry him off with and kind of dry his ears off.... then he does the head shake and ALL DONE!

I use this same product on my two. I really like it and it does have a drying agent. We use it on bath days too.

....I love the smell of Momiji's ear.... Am I weird??? I always sniff her ear. I guess I should clean once a while.... (I also sniff her paws as well.... Do I have weird fetish???) :eek:

Recipe
 

Hi,

I had bookmarked a site for poodles that included a tincture for ear infections and smelly ears. However, my computer went beserk and I lost everything. I did, however, keep this recipe for future use when I did get my yorkie. I plan to pick up the ingredients tomorrow once the ice melts a bit in my area. I don't know the woman's name or her website, but here's that recipe:

RECIPE FOR BLUE LIGHTNING
1 16 oz bottle of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
4 tablespoons of boric acid powder
16 drops of 1% gentian violet

You can find all these ingredients at Walgreens or Rite Aid, but not grocery store pharmacies or Wal-Mart.

Pour some of the isopropyl alcohol into a bowl and save it.

Use a funnel and put the boric acid powder and the gentian violet into the bottle of alcohol. Return the rest of the alcohol to the bottle (as much as will fit), put the cap back on securely, and shake well. SHAKE WELL BEFORE EACH USE! The boric acid powder will settle to the bottom. Remember to shake each time.

For a serious ear infection, clean the ears with a cotton ball soaked with this recipe twice a day for one week. Wipe out any visible muck you see in the ear. You can squeeze out the cotton ball so some of the liquid runs all the way down the ear canal. The dog can shake it out later. After the first week, clean once a day for another week, then once a week for six weeks. Check the ears frequently. If there is any sign of infection, including odor, start using the recipe again. Flop-eared dogs are very prone to infections because the ears trap moisture. Poodles grow hair all the way down the ear canal, which also traps moisture. If you pluck your poodles' ears, don't use this stuff and pull the hair on the same day. The plucking will make the rubbing alcohol in the Blue Lightning sting. If the infection is very bad, I would recommend plucking with powder first, then cleaning the following morning. Dribble plenty of cleaner down the canal.

One more note: this stuff will stain. If you have a white dog or a white carpet, use with care. Bleach will get it off your countertops, and a good bath will usually get it out of the dog's hair. For dogs really prone to infections, though, it's a good idea to clean the ears after every bath to dry them out properly. If you are careful with the cotton ball, you don't have to drip anywhere. I have a white dog and don't have problems.