How To Clean Dog Ears With Vinegar And Other Ways
Cleaning your dogs ears is an essential part of canine care. It is very important to regularly check the condition of your dogs ears.
Most dogs naturally have healthy ears and never need ear cleaning in their lifetime. On the other hand, some breeds of dogs with long hair are at high risk of ear infection and require regular ear cleaning to prevent ear infections. If you are uncertain if your dog needs their ears cleaned consult with your veterinarian to help you decide if your dogs ears need to be cleaned.
If your dog regularly visits a professional groomer, make sure their ears are cleaned there. If you want to clean your dogs ears at home, you should know the ear cleaning procedure and other important aspects. Read the article below and learn how you can clean your dogs ears.
How to clean your dogs ears with vinegar?
So you want to save on buying sometimes expensive dog-specific ear cleaners? Vinegar can also be used to clean the dogs ear. This is how you can use vinegar
Some vets recommend a 10% ear cleaning solution because if it is too strong, it will sting, and the dog will start scratching his ear.
Do not save the solution for later use, as you make the solution, use it only on time
Vinegar has a lot of benefits. It can help to remove the extra wax to decrease ear infection. As the solution is acidic, it will kill a lot of harmful bacteria.;
How to clean your dog ears?
Equipment needed
Recommended procedure to clean a dogs ears:
Procedure
How To Prevent Cocker Spaniel Ear Infections
Although nothing can be done to change the ear shape of cocker spaniels, theres a lot you can do at home to make sure your pups ears stay healthy and clean. The first, of course, is to establish yourselves at a veterinarians office if you havent done so already. They can show you the best ways to clean and care for your dogs ears.
Keep Your Cocker’s Ears Trimmed
Removing excess hair from around the opening to your dog’s ears can help the air to flow better inside the ear canal. You may need to use a puff or two of medicated powder to help you grip the hair if it’s too waxy.
The more air you can circulate, the better chance you have of reducing moisture levels in your dog’s ears, which in turn will create less of a breeding ground for bacteria.
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What Happens If I Dont Clean My Dogs Ears
According to the American Kennel Club, a dogs ear canal is more vertical than the one in humans, plus it has an L shape that tends to trap fluid. This makes dogs more prone to painful ear infections. Before you clean the ear, take a closer look and check for odor, scaly skin, stinky discharge, redness, and swellingthese are signs of trouble and your dog should see a vet before you try cleaning his ears. Watch out for these 10 common hidden dangers for dogs that lurk in your backyard.
Take A Close Look At Your Dog’s Ears
Ask your Cocker to sit while you carefully inspect the inside of each ear.
They should be clean and pink, with no waxy discharge and there shouldn’t be any bad smell.
A little brown or blackish/brown wax is fine so long as there’s no unpleasant odour. Max often gets brown wax in his ears now and then and I just give them an extra clean and a quick check every other day to make sure there’s no infection.
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Keep A Consistent Grooming Schedule
Because cocker spaniels have long, luscious hair, regular grooming is a key to their beauty, health, and happiness. If you dont let the hair on your dogs ears get super long, his ears may not trap in as much moisture, dirt, or bacteria. Trimming the hair inside the ears, however, creates less space for unwanted particles to gather and fester.
When your dog visits the groomer, theyre getting cleaned as well as trimmed. This cleaning is essential to ear health, too, since dogs often arent able to do it themselves. Its a good idea to clean your pups ears at home as well, since theyre likely to need more frequent care than their coat.
Products To Keep Cocker Ears Clean
Zymox Ear Cleanser: I use this non-irritating cleanser for long-term cleaning of non-infected dry ears. What I most like about the Zymox line of products is the powerful LP3 enzyme system which can be safely used on all ages of dogs. The patented enzymes contain no chemicals or antibiotics and go right to work on Cocker Spaniels ear canals.
When the LP3 enzyme system interacts with gunk in a dogs ear, it acts like as a catalyst. Since this the Zymox Ear Cleanser is best used in an uncleaned environment and you dont need to apply it more than once daily or as directed by your vet. I like that my dog doesnt put up a fuss, he knows ear time is a happy time, and Zymox keeps the ear canal clean. Putting this solution in my dogs ears once a week has pretty much kept ear infections away.
Zymox Enzymatic Ear Solution with 0.5% Hydrocortisone is used if your dog has minor inflammation, dermatitis , or other minor irritation of the ear. I know dog moms who live in more humid environments or who let their Cockers swim. It promotes healthy ears and contains no antibiotics. Best of all, you dont have to pre-clean the ear and wait before applying the enzymatic ear solution with 0.5.% hydrocortisone. This is the product my dogs Internal Medicine veterinarian suggested I use for Dexter, and I did so with success.
For more information about the Zymox line of products for dogs and where to safely purchase them, visit the Zymox website.
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How To Tell When A Dogs Ears Need Cleaning
Before you break out the dog ear cleaner, check to make sure your dog actually needs ear cleaning. Over-cleaning your dogs ears can lead to infection and irritation, so familiarize yourself with what a healthy, clean ear looks like and smells like , and clean it only when you notice a change.
Some dogs require infrequent ear cleanings, while others, such as those predisposed to ear infections or dogs who spend a lot of time in the water, may need them often. The Merck Veterinary Manual recommends that the ear canals be kept dry and well ventilated by using topical astringents in dogs that swim frequently and by preventing water from entering the ear canals during bathing.
If you notice a mild odor or see that your dog is shaking his head more than usual, it is probably time for a cleaning. And if your dogs ear looks red and inflamed, smells yeasty, or he appears to be in pain, contact your veterinarian. These symptoms could indicate an ear infection, fleas, or ear mites, or allergies, and require medical attention. Cleaning an infected ear often causes more harm than good.
Essentials For Cleaning Cocker Spaniel Ears
Before you begin cleaning your dog’s ears, it’s a good idea to have the following items within easy reach:
- a couple of cotton wool balls;
- cotton buds ;
- medicated ear powder ;
- a couple of treats for a well-behaved Cocker Spaniel.
You’ll find a selection of very good ear cleaning solutions in most reputable pet stores, but you may also find that one or two that can be drying to the ear. It’s simply a matter of trial and error.
Use a brand that you trust or alternatively you could ask your vet to recommend a product to you.
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How To Treat Ear Infections In Cocker Spaniels
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 55,989 times.
A cocker spaniel’s ears are long and covered with soft and silky fur. Although they are part of what makes cocker spaniels so beautiful, those ears can cause constant problems, including ear infections. Commonly caused by yeast or bacteria, ear infections can become chronic and severe, making your cocker spaniel feel miserable and itchy.XResearch source If you notice your cocker spaniel’s ears are bothering him, act promptly to get him the treatment he needs to feel better.
Enjoy Grooming Cocker Spaniels
If you are a professional groomer, we would love to hear of any other tips you can provide on grooming Cocker Spaniels.
On the other hand, if you are a Cocker Spaniel parent and want to take care of all of his grooming yourself, be assured that there are lots of tools and guides like this one to help you. With a little practice, you are sure to get bitten by the grooming bug – and you will be well on your way to becoming a talented groomer!
Which of the Cocker Spaniel grooming styles do you prefer?
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What To Use And What Not To Use
- Q-Tips? Weve been taught that it is not safe to put anything smaller than our elbows into our ears. The same counts for your Spaniel. Cotton tipped earbuds can be used, but you can clean with them only as far into your dogs ear as your finger-tip is allowed. Dont be as brave as to lunge anything down your dogs ear canal! You can easily puncture your dog’s ear drums. You need to check with your vet or groomer here.
- A safe ear cleaning solution can be recommended over the counter by your veterinarian, but there are a couple of natural cleaning remedies that can just as safely and effectively be used to clean and sooth:
Dry Food / Dirt Stuck To The Ears
This is a very common problem with all types of Spaniel. Food gets stuck to the bottom of his ears and becomes encrusted and matted and goes stale, letting off an unpleasant smell.
When your Cocker gets his ears wet the smell of the stale food can worsen. He can also pick up dirt as he sniffs around and his ears drag along the floor but the most likely culprit is the days-old food.
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What Is Your Dog Eating
Ear problems often are associated with food-based sensitivities and/or allergies. It is amazing how many dogs stop having ear issues when a food or environmental allergen is removed from their world.
A test that we tried and used here in our home is;NutriScan, a test that based on saliva alone, tests for the most commonly ingested foods of dogs. You purchase this kit, you can do it at home or in your veterinarians office, and in a few weeks, the results are sent to you. From that point, you can start eliminating ingredients from your dogs diet. It worked for us, as I found out Dexter is intolerant to venison.
How To Keep Cocker Spaniel Ears Dry
how to keep cocker spaniel ears dry?
How do you take care of a Cocker Spaniels ears? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o736GxJIgs
What do you clean cockapoo ears with? The Best Cockapoo Ear Cleaning Solution The hands-down best solution for regular use to clean Cockapoo ears is the Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleaner.
What can I use to clean my cocker spaniels ears? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o736GxJIgs
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Why Do My Springer Spaniels Ears Smell
Cocker Spaniels, Springer Spaniels, Cavalier King Charles Spanielssooner or later their ears get smelly, itchy, or gunky. What happens is that the long ears of these breeds ensure a moist and warm environment which is perfect for bacteria and yeast and other parasites. Something is colonizing them, causing the smell.
Do Cocker Spaniels Smell
Well yes. Cocker spaniels do smell because of the heavy secretion of the sebaceous gland. Other causes of smell include infections, wax build-up on the dogs ears, and bad breath. You need to always visit a vet for such situations.
Dogs are great pets to have, and you should love your dog, but their smell might pull you away. It is a common problem for many people but not a huge one, as it just revolves around hygiene. You should ensure to clean your dog and his home regularly. Let us now look at how to stop a cocker spaniel from smelling.
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Ear Problems In Cocker Spaniel Dogs
Their floppy ears are adorable, and are a characteristic of this beautiful breed. These floppy ears can also be easily infected, due to various reasons. Some reasons for infection in Cocker Spaniel ears include:
- The characteristic floppy ear structure decreasing air flow at opening of ear canals, which helps create a humid, warm environment within the ears.
- Hairy ear canals leading to further increase in the warm, moist local ear environment.
- Allergies are a primary problem causing ear inflammation. Allergies are quite notorious at causing ear problems, with or without symptoms of skin problems.
- Non-allergic skin conditions many skin problems can cause ear disease, but as Cockers often get the above described conditions, their ears can be prone to inflammation.
- Ceruminous gland proliferation the oil producing glands on their ears and skin are quite adept at producing oils. The ear wax producing glands can enlarge and produce too much wax, causing complications in ear problems.
Infection sets in ears that are inflamed, or itchy, or warm and humid. If there are more than one of these factors, infection is bound to progress fast. This is especially true if it goes unnoticed for a while.
Infection in ears leads to more inflammation. In return, inflammation can feed the ear infection by providing a supportive environment for microbes in the ears!
How To Stop A Cocker Spaniel From Smelling
Something you should keep in mind is that all dogs smell, and you cannot get away from this. Other dogs like the cocker spaniel tend to smell more. To eliminate the smell, you need to figure out where the smell comes from. That way, you get a starting point to stop the smell. The most common smelling parts of cocker spaniels are the ears, the mouth, the bottom.
The ears could have an infection or just dirt in the ears. If it is a problem with dirt, mostly the dirt is from food sticking at the bottom of the dogs ears. This food gets matted and stales resulting in a very unpleasant smell from the ears. You can solve this by soaking the ears thoroughly in water and find a suitable shampoo.
To avoid food from sticking in the ears, you should consider getting a proper feeding bowl. If it is an ear infection, then you will need to make sure that the dogs ears are not painful. If he allows you to touch his ears, you can go ahead and clean his ears.
At times, the infection could be so severe that you need to get antibiotics from the vet. Ear infections easily attack cocker spaniel ears so you should never neglect his ears. Ensure you clean them always.
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How To Treat A Cocker Spaniels Ear Infection
Before you treat a cocker spaniels ear infection, you need to nail down its root cause. This is when your veterinarian can really help you. Not only will they diagnose the ear infection as accurately as possible, but theyll also be able to guide you on your next steps toward treating it. This will most likely include a medication that youll apply to the outer part of the ear and massage in, but it varies from case to case.
Cocker spaniels are fantastic dogs when it comes to personality, but their ear health isnt always the best. Thankfully, with proper maintenance and TLC, those floppy bunny ears no longer have to give you trouble. Itll be back to playtime in no time.
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Common Ear Problems With Cocker Spaniels
As a breed, Cocker Spaniels are at greater risk of ear problems due to three potentially inherited conditions or diseases.; The first is congenital deafness, which presents within three to four weeks after birth.
Blood supply to the inner ear wanes and cuts off flow completely, resulting in partial or total hearing loss.; There is no cure for this condition.
A second condition that may affect your Cocker Spaniels ear health has an unlikely root: hypothyroidism.
While you may not see the immediate connection between a hormonal disorder and ear health, this particular disorder results in greater skin infections because the imbalanced hormones create conditions for natural flora to grow imbalanced.
Bacteria and fungi in the ear, normally balanced to preclude over-colonization and infection by either, shift and one dominates to the point of infection.
Diet and medication to treat hypothyroidism, as well as steps to prevent skin infection, reduce risk of chronic or permanent problems for your pup.
The third condition is structural in nature: the beautiful hanging ears that define the Cocker Spaniel also create a warm, moist environment within the ear to trap bacteria and fungi.; Long ears trap particles and foster growth.
Without careful checking and cleaning, the ears quickly breed infection and, in some cases, mites.
Adding ear checks to weekly grooming radically reduces this threat by keeping ears clean and conditions unfavorable for infection.
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