CARE OF THE POODLE EAR
by Grace L. Blair, M.D.
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.
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