Is ear care necessary for dogs?
Ear, ear what are you saying about my dogs ears!
What exactly is involved in ear care?
Your dog’s ears should be free from odour. A small amount of light brown waxy secretion in the ear canals is normal, and some wax is necessary for the health of the ears. However, the inside of the ear flaps should be cleaned whenever there is an accumulation of wax, dirt and debris. Dirty ear canals provide wax & other debris that shelter mites.
At Scruffy to Fluffy, we know that ear care is essential for optimum canine health. We are extremely careful and use only the gentlest cleaning & wiping techniques using veterinary ear cleaner in order to groom the sensitive areas around and inside your dog’s ears, which will help to avoid ear problems.
Dogs with curley hair and folded down ears such as Bichon Frisé and Poodles and any mixed breed combination of these are predisposed to having hair inside their ears. In some cases, hair can be tightly packed inside, which can cause problems if left for long periods and not removed. Gentle hair removal is part of the groom if your dog is happy for us to do it. We use Thornit powder to help with the process and if there are any ear mites this will kill them off.
In fact, any dog with folded down ears and a lot of hair in and around can prevent air circulation and can contribute to ear problems. As part of our grooming process we assess ears and the amount of hair and usually thin under the ears to lighten and help with air circulation.
These pictures show the ear packed with hair and after the hair removal. If this type of hair is left for long periods packed into the ears in time the dog will develop ear problems. There will be cycles of vet visits with ear drop antibiotics which will help short term but the problems will reoccur if the hair is not removed. Obviously this service can only be done if your dog allows us to do it. This is a very delicate process performed by two groomers one holding and reassuring your dog the other gently removing the hair little by little so as to not cause discomfort. Your dog will hear better and feel so much better without ears packed full of hair and this process will definitely help with your dogs long term ear health.
Get in touch with our Clanfield pet parlour to ensure your four legged friend is happy and healthy, or read some more pet owner tips and tricks on coat maintenance or paw and claw condition.
