Let me preface this discussion by saying that there are as many ways
to care for the Poodle ear as there are people who do it. This is
just my own method developed over nearly 20 years of caring for
Standard Poodles who have very hairy canals and long ear leathers.
Many of my dogs have done field work, tracking, and obedience in all
kinds of weather.
Anatomy:
The Poodle ear canal is deep and dark and frequently the hair in the
canal grows similar to that on the body. At the bottom of the canal
is the ear drum, and great care must be taken to not damage the drum.
The ear canal glands make wax to protect the delicate tissues.
Because of the hair, the covering by the long and heavy ear leathers,
and the wax the ear is subject to infections, mites, ticks, and grass
awns such as foxtails.
Principles of care:
Because infections, mites, ticks, etc., thrive in dark, moist , warm
environments then the way to prevent such problems is to provide a
light, dry, clean environment in the ears. Some dogs seem to have
very little ear canal hair which makes ear care easier. My dogs grow
hair in the ear canal at an astonishing rate. Therefore, this hair
needs to be removed at least on a monthly basis. I use a well lighted
area and place the dog on it's side on a grooming table and pull the
hair out with a hemostat. These instruments can be obtained from most
grooming supply services. After the hair is carefully removed I clean
the ear with a mild antiseptic solution. Some people prefer rubbing
alcohol, but that can be quite irritating to a sensitive ear canal.
The solution is gently swabbed out using cotton balls. I then follow
up with instillation of a drying agent, many of which are on the
market. My current favorite is made by Veterinarian's Best and is
called: Ear Relief Wash and Ear Relief Dry. These can be obtained
from KV Vet supply at 1-800-423-8211.
Symptoms of a problem:
If your dog has a brown material in the ear, shakes its head
regularly and even cries when the head is shaken then suspect an
infection or worse yet, a foxtail in the ear. The ear may smell bad
as well. You may need veterinary help to get the problem under
control.
Treatment of infections:
If your dog has a mild infection it can usually be cleared up by
first allowing the dog to cleanse it's own ear. This is done by
putting "Earoxide" into the ear. The dog will shake its head and the
thick and infected material will be expelled. This solution is made
by Tomlyn and can also be obtained from K V Vet Supply at the above
number. Once the brown material has been loosened up you can gently
swab the ear with the Ear Relief Wash to complete the cleaning
process. If there is hair in the canal you must remove it. Then apply
the Ear Relief Dry. Repeat this 3 step treatment daily for a week. If
the problem is not resolved you will need to see your Veterinarian .
If your dog has frank pus in the ear then you should immediately seek
veterinary help and not delay with the above series of steps.
Allergies:
Some dogs have multiple skin allergies, allergic diarrhea, flea
allergies, and some even have frequent sneezing and scratching. This
type of dog frequently also has a chronic ear problem. The ear
leathers may be red and itchy. There may even be hives on the ears.
If this is the case you need to find what your dog is allergic to, be
it an environmental problem or a food or they type of shampoo you are
using on the dog, or a flea product. You may need the help of a
Veterinary Dermatologist. As long as your dog has a topical allergy
problem you will not be able to clear up the irritated ear
problem.
Fungus infections:
Because the ear canal is dark and damp some dogs develop a chronic
fungus infection. This should NOT be treated with steroids, as it
will make the fungus infection worse. Some veterinarians attempt to
treat an allergic dermatitis with steroids and this usually results
in an overgrowth of fungus in the ear. The treatment of a fungus
infection is dry, dry, dry, and then perhaps topical fungus medicine,
such as mycostatin. Usually keeping the ear DRY will clear up the
fungus infection.
Swimming and bathing:
If your dog loves the water make sure that after every session of
swimming you clean the ears and put a drying agent into them. If you
keep your dog with long thick ear hair, then you must be sure that
the ear hair is also dry when you put the drying agent into the ear
canal. When I bathe my dogs I always pour dilute shampoo into the ear
canals, massage the ears and head and then rinse very well with the
spray nozzle. I find that this REALLY cleans out the ears and I have
not had an ear infection since starting the routine of shampooing
into the ear canals and then using the Ear Relief Wash followed up by
the Ear Relief Dry.
The Immune Compromised Dog:
If your dog has a chronic ear infection you may wish to also consider adding echinacea tablets to the "plan". It appears that this natural herb stimulates the natural immune defenses to help ward off a chronic infection, especially if the dog is stressed, has undergone recent immunizations, or has a compromised immune system. This herb is NOT recommended for long term therapy...a plan of 2 weeks of the daily tablets then 2 weeks off has been suggested by some veterinarians. IF your dog has allergies as the basis for the chronic ear irritation then echinacea may not be advisable, as allergies can be a manifestation of TOO MUCH immune function rather than a suppressed immune system.
Comments from Mr. John Campbell, (Dubhne reg.):
My [dogs] (all seven of
them) get the "treatment" every week: a look at their eyes (for signs
of mattering, etc.), ears (including removing ALL of the hair inside
so that a deep cleaning can be done), teeth examined for tarter
and/or defects, and cleaned if needed, anal glands, baths and trims
(at which time a good examination of the overall outsides of the dogs
is made) and a careful look at feet and toenails (toenails clipped,
of course) is done. Some veterinarians have the opinion that only
they can do some of this maintenance, and, by the time that the
average dog owner realizes that there is a problem, it just
reinforces their convictions. Preventative maintenance is a wonderful
thing. (and results in fewer vet bills)
If you have comments or additions please let us know.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO HOME PAGE
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
