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Ear illustration ................................................"Aurizon" by Vetoquinol
Dirty Poodle ears is VERY VERY common because it is difficult with the shape of Poodle's ears
for wax to drain out. Hairy ears is another barrier to wax draining.
You will often find black waxy substance and may even find a plug formed by wax build up on hairy ears.
Waxy or dirty ears is very different from an ear infection or yeast infection in ears.
Dirty ears just need to be maintained by cleaning when ever you notice build up with a product
specificially formulated for gentle cleaning which can be bought over the counter at your Vet clinic
or online at Petsmart, PetEdge, Cherrybrook ect.
Poodle ear infection is VERY VERY common. An ear infection is distinguished by it's horrible smell.
It can be triggered by several different elements.
Ears that remain wet after Grooming/bathing or swimming can serve as a host for bacteria.
Moisture can get trapped in the ear and support the growth of yeast.
Antibiotics increase the possibility of yeast growth as does vaccine reactions and allergies to grains.
Yeast infections are probably the most common type of ear infections in Poodle's.
Because Poodle's have long ear canals that can hold water after a bath, swim, or run through tall, wet grass.
Add to this a floppy ear that prevents good ventilation of the ear canal and you have a warm, moist, dark environment in which yeast thrive.
The more moisture yeast get, the worse the infection will be.
An excess of wax build up may plug the ear and cause infection,
foreign objects caught inside of the dog's ear,
untreated ear mites or cleaning too deeply can all be causes.
Air needs to get in those ears and moisture needs to stay out.
It is also believed that feeding a diet high in grain can make yeast issues worse.
If you believe diet may be the cause then using raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 teaspoons per day on food or in water, will help keep the pH balance where it should be
in the gut and make a host environment that is not conducive to yeast proliferation.
Hound breeders will often fasten their dogs ears back to allow air circulation with tape
for an hour a day to prevent infections or an hour a day and you can do the same with your poodle.
I was once told "do not pluck hair" as it creates a mode for infection.
Today I pluck hair as some of my poodles have REALLY hairy ears and it can create a wax built up hair plug.
When grooming I reach in with my fingers and feel for any major clumps of hair and use a
Hemostat to grab only where my fingers can go an where I can see and I pull out those clumps of hair.
I remove excess hair and take special ear cleaner bought from the Vet clinic... or Blue Powder Ear Treatment I make myself
Rembember, What ever liquid goes in the ear must be removed
...so massage well starting at the VERY base and massage upward with the goal to massage gunk and liquids up and out
for at least 30-60 seconds and wipe away any liquid that comes up with a cotton swab or with a soft facecloth.
if you don't feel you are doing this correctly they have your Vet do this for you.
Groomers that have been trained properly will be very skilled at removing excess ear hair
as well as excreting anal glands at every groom routinely. So ask your prospective groomer about this.
If your puppy or dog has a yeast infection then after the Vet gives a good cleaning we have found using
this new medication called Aurizon (Marbofloxacin,Clotrimazole,Dexamethasone acetate) made by Vetoquinol
10 drops twice a day for a week has worked amazing. Of course in order not to waste any fluids as this is expensive
I found taking a 1cc syringe (without needle !) and dropping in 10 drops (=.2cc) and then getting that syringe in deep in the
ear and expelling the medication that way saved me a ton of medication waste.
Now of course some "infections" can actually be caused by food allergies. Allergies to grains and or chicken are typically
the most common food allergies that we hear of from all breeders. The most common food solution we hear over and over
is from people switching to a Fish or a Duck diet such as Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance®
which has a graphic on their bags to signify that it is for allergies and contains no wheat products.
or Taste of the Wild
and now Costco carries a grain free
diet called Natures Domain and in one case even a dog that could not tolerate Chicken.
Make sure if you switch diets and stay on the new diet for 2-3 months to ensure a good evaluation
to see if a food allergy is the cause.
If the infection keeps happening or doesn't clear up then you should put the ears open to the air.
I have braided my dog's ears so they were open to the air and I know other breeders do shave the ears to the skin so they get more air in there.
You can also use sugical tape to tape the ears open. At least 1 hour a day is needed open to the air to allow the ears to dry out.
When in doubt, make sure to have a Vet see the puppy/dog.
~ Video on Cleaning the Ear ~
Here is a home made remedy that works ONLY if you follow it to the letter: Blue Powder Ear solution
Blue Power Ear Solution
I use my old bottles to mix up a batch of the Blue Solution.
When I bath the girl I use an ear solution as a preventive measure.
I pull the ear hair with my fingers and then squirt in a bunch of the solution.
I message them for about 30-60 seconds, wipe away debris that come up and the off to the tub.
BLUE POWER EAR TREATMENT:
16 OZ. ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL (some people will use Witch Hazel instead as is milder)
4 TABLESPOONS BORIC ACID POWDER
16 DROPS-GENTIAN VIOLET SOLUTION 1% (AVAILABLE AT CVS & THRIFTY & and any small home Pharmacy will make some up for you if you ask).
Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well. You will also need to shake solution every time you use It to disperse the Boric Acid Powder. To use, pour into a Clairol type bottle to dispense the solution to the affected ear.
TREATMENT:
Evaluate condition of ears before treating and if very inflamed and sore, do not attempt to pull hair or clean out ear at all. Wait till Inflammation has subsided which will be about 2 days. Shake bottle each time before using. Flood ear with solution, massage gently
to the count of 60. Flood ear again on first treatment and leave alone without massaging. Dog will shake out the excess.
TIMING IS AS FOLLOWS:
Treat 2 times per day for the first week up to two weeks, depending on severity of infection. Treat I time per day for I to 2 weeks.
Treat 1 time per week for 2 weeks, then 1 time per month. You will find that despite the alcohol, the dog will not object to even the
first treatment. The boric acid soothes the ear. The Gentian Violet is an anti-infection agent. The solution appears to work well on any and all ear problems from mites to canker ears. After the 2nd or 3rd. day you can clean out the ears with Q-Tips or cotton balls. The success rate for this treatment is 95-99%. Those who do not succeed have usually not done the treatment long enough or have not kept to the timetable above. Dogs on the verge of ear canal surgery have been returned to normal with only the
regular follow up treatment necessary to maintain the ear, After the ear problems are cleared up, only a maintenance dose is necessary
during regular grooming.
If you find that you have to keep using the treatment to keep the ears healthy, you may have a
Pseudomonas bacteria remaining in the ear, which can be cleared up by using a Vinegar and Water flush two times a week. The
suggested amounts of Vinegar & Water are: -1 tablespoon Vinegar to 1cup warm water. You can also obtain an excellent ear wash from your vet that has boric acid and vinegar in it. It is called DERMA PET Ear/Skin Cleanser for Pets.
NOTE - When treating the ears, avoid doing it in an area where the Blue Mixture can stain walls, carpet, furniture, clothing etc. When the dog shakes its ears, the solution will spray all over the place! Any color remaining outside the ear can be washed off with a sponge or washcloth and soap and water. On white dogs, you may wish to place a cotton ball in each ear for a few seconds, while they shake.
DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE OUT WE COTTON BALLS.
* Shake the bottle well as you use it as the Boric Acid settles quickly
Special thanks to "Tempest Deptuch" for sharing this information with me and giving me permission to foward it onto others
Box 1400, Rimbey, AB
T0C 2J0