# Question re ear cleaning



## designsbyisis (Dec 27, 2011)

I think I should be cleaning Dexters ears but I am unsure what to do. Is a damp cotton wool ball ok to use ? And how often ?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

Try a wee bit of baby oil on a bit of cotten wool. and just run it round the inside of the ear. 

does he have hair in his ears, if he does youl need to pluck them first.


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

I have an ear cleaning post here .. which may help a little xxx

http://www.mydogslife.co.uk/2011/07/26/how-to-clean-your-dogs-ears/


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## designsbyisis (Dec 27, 2011)

thanks JoJo - when I looked this am I couldn't see it but now I look I see I should have looked at older posts ! I'm such a computer numpty at times !


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

No problem .. hope it helps a little bit  nothing wrong with being a computer numpty .. I am one ha ha ha ....


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## designsbyisis (Dec 27, 2011)

how can you call yourself a 'computer numpty' with that wonderful blog you do


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Oh yes I can do cockapoo blogging now  ... its just the videos and photos that I need help with (bring in hubby for that bit, knew I needed him for something lol)... and I am new to Facebook which I do find tricky, I just press buttons and hope for the best lol .. don't tell anyone ...


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## rubenthedog (Jan 3, 2012)

Baxter got his ears cleaned at the weekend, he may be only 12 weeks old, but one of his ears was filthy, went through 6 cotton buds.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

The tropiclean ear cleaner is nice too!
I have used mineral oil before getting the ear cleaner.
It cleans them up quick....tho lady really doesn't have as bad of ears as she had as a puppy


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## jaimebpa1 (Nov 8, 2011)

Sorry to hijack but I have to pluck the hair our of her ears? OMG that freaks me out. I just realized on friday that i had to trim the fur around her eyes. The breeder did it before she left and i didn't think it would grow so much in 3 weeks, but we couldn't see her eyes anymore. She HATED me trimming around her eyes so i can't even imagine what plucking her ear hairs would be like


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

you only have to pluck their ears if 1- you don't take them to the groomers to get it done and 2-if they have really hairy ears in the canal area...I don't have to pluck Lady's at all.

When you trim her face...hold her muzzle...pretty firm, but obviously not tight enough to hurt....she will get used to it...Lady was a nightmare the first time....but now she just waits and lets me do it as it will be over soon....it is the brushing of her legs that she still goes bonkers over.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

Best time to trim a puppies face is when they are sleepy. 

i only need to pluck gypsy and delta. gypsy everytime i groom her and some times inbetween but delta i have only done a handfull of times as she doesnt realy need it.


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

I ordered some Thornit powder from Amazon, which makes ear plucking very easy. Once a month, or so, I just rub it around the outer ear canal and the hairs come out easily with my fingers as there's no way he'd let me delve around with tweezers! I then put a drop of ear cleaner from the vet in each ear too. In between, I just use baby wipes.


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## jaimebpa1 (Nov 8, 2011)

I looked and her ears are pretty hairy inside. I have been wiping her ears out and they don't smell and i can't see a wax build up yet. I'll have to keep an eye on them and ask the vet next time what he thinks. He showed me how to trim her nails last time so maybe he can show me how to pluck her ears too.

Do they cry when you pull the hair out? I'm just thinking about how much it hurts to pluck my own eyebrows and ears are a lot more sensitive!


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## Pollypiglet (Oct 22, 2011)

Hattie had slightly messy ears but vet was not worried said as ears opened out any problems would clear up. Clean ears with cotton wool soaked in salt water but do not become obsessive as this can make matters worse the more we mess about with the natural balance the more problems we make!


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

It doesn't hurt to pull out the hair in the inner ears at all. Most dogs don't flinch. The vet said they need to be removed regularly to avoid infection - allows the air to keep everything dry and the hairs attract bacteria. However, the ones around the outer edge can hurt and Biscuit will yelp if I pull out the wrong ones. I just trim these hairs with scissors.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

gypsy doesnt realy like it but she doesnt protest to it, he hears are realy hairy, will do before and after photos next time i do them as i need to shave the inside of her hears aswell becayse she has no natural hair free skin on her ears. 


the hair inside the ears is much finer that the hair you have waxed/plucked from you legs/eye brows. but it is in a sensative part of the body. so its not comfertable for them but it comes away easily and plucking is the only way to get rid of it. Gypsy is quite lucky even though she has very hairy ears so has a rather wide ear cannal. some dogs even spanials you would be lucky to get a cotten bud in the ear its so small.


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## ilovelucy (Nov 19, 2011)

I was scared to pluck Lucy's ear hair too, but I just went for it when she was asleep one day and she didnt even wake up, except maybe to look up at me a few times like "what are you up to in there?"  


> When you trim her face...hold her muzzle...pretty firm, but obviously not tight enough to hurt....she will get used to it...Lady was a nightmare the first time....but now she just waits and lets me do it as it will be over soon....it is the brushing of her legs that she still goes bonkers over.


LOL Lucy goes bonkers too when I try to brush her legs! She loves when I brush anything else, but I have to hold her down to do her legs.. I feel so bad but it has to get done or else they'll get mats! She's not too fond of me messing with her tail either haha


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## Morph (Jan 28, 2010)

Don't pluck darla's ears at all and never need to clean them either.

Check every few weeks, but never find anything so leave her be.


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## cosmo (Mar 1, 2012)

Saw this on Cesar Milan's "Dog Whisperer"....Lay him on his side, squirt some ear cleaner in his ear and message. Allow him to stand and shake his head and then repeat on other side. The take a cotton ball and gently wipe ear for any cleaner that dripped out. That message is like magic, my Cosmo loves it!!


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## Bodger (Oct 9, 2011)

Bodger's ears were a bit smelly and mucky (quite a dark, thick residue in his ears) when he was a small pup. I asked the vet nurse to have a look as I was taking him for weighing and worming and she prescribed some ear cleaner to put in. He didn't like it much as I think it feels funny rather than hurts but I used it as per her suggestion and his ears got much better (just weekly for a couple of weeks and then fortnightly for a month).

When I took him to the groomers I asked her to have a look (although) his ears were much better and she did pluck a few hairs but she said they weren't too bad.

His ears now, seem to stay nice and clean without any intervention. I did quite a lot of reading about it when he was having a problem and it seems some people have real problems (the floppy ears I think) and mites too. I spoke to one lady who uses lavender oil in her American Cocker Spaniel's ears and have seen this from other people's writing but I never tried it myself.

Now his ears have improved I am just keeping an eye on them but will leave well alone unless I become concerned e.g discharge and/or smell and/or shaking and/or scratching the chin/ear area a lot.


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