Dog Care

Post tags: | dog_care | dogs |

Ear care

Ashley S - snapguide article How to Make a Gentle and Effective Ear Cleaner for a Dog

  • 2 Ounces Pure aloe Vera gel
  • 2 Ounces Pure witch hazel
  • 2 drops Pure lavender oil
  • 1 Travel bottle with squeeze top
  • T.N. Dickinson's Astringent, 100% Natural, Witch Hazel 16 fl oz
  • Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel
  • 2 drops Pure lavender oil

youngliving.com article How to Use Lavender Essential Oil

Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel

$18 for 12 oz at Amazon Seven Minerals Aloe Vera Gel ASIN: B00XTTFI6K

tinylovingcanines.org article Resources - Ear Cleaning

petgroomer.com article Ear Care & Cleaning

$7.91 for 4 oz at Amazon Zymox Ear Cleanser

$14.59 at Amazon Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleaner

Amazon Review By S. P. Another excellent product from Virbac

I volunteer for a poodle rescue group and rehabilitate a lot of neglected animals. Neglected poodles suffer badly since their breed needs washing and grooming or their hair mats, can stay damp, and becomes filthy. This leads to all kinds of bacterial and yeast infections of the skin, eyes, and ears. My current foster dog has a severe case of Malassezia yeast and Pseudomonas in both ears and a generalized yeast skin infection. The smell is horrendous so I can appreciate the odor control ingredients in this product. The ingredients help break up the bio-film that Pseudomonas forms in the ear and this is absolutely necessary for any medication to work. Obviously, the dog I am fostering needs and is receiving veterinary care and Rx medications to get her condition under control. I use the Epi Otic Advanced in conjunction with these meds and will recommend that her new owners use Epi Otic Advanced once or twice a week to hopefully prevent future ear infections. Dogs with allergies and other underlying conditions which compromise the skin, make a dog prone to ear infections and regular hygiene with Epi Otic Advanced is a must.

Before using any ear washes or medications, please have a veterinarian check the ear first to make sure the ear drum is intact. Any chemical put in the ear when the ear drum is ruptured can lead to deafness.

My favorite ear products are Epi-Otic original for normal hygiene, Epi-Otic Advanced for shelter dogs, ear infections, and maintenance for dogs prone to ear infections and zymox ear medications. Use all medications liberally and for an extended period of time to make sure you wipe out the entire infection. If your dog currently has an infection or is prone to ear infections, please skip the home-made vinegar, alcohol type treatments and use the scientifically formulated stuff. Your dog deserves to live without ear pain.

$13.99 at Amazon Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortisone

OTIC Hydrocortisone 1.0%

$35 for 4 oz Zymox Otic Pet Ear Treatment with Hydrocortison

$9.89 at Amazon Zymox Ear Cleanser With Bio-Active Enzymes, 4 oz.

witch hazel ear wash

$8.01 at Amazon Burt’s Bees for Dogs Ear Cleaner, 4 fl. oz.

$9.11 at Amazon T.N. Dickinson’s Astringent, 100% Natural, Witch Hazel 16 fl oz

Active Ingredients: Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana) (100% All Natural) (Containing Alcohol 14%) (Astringent)

healthypets.mercola.com Ear Infection: The Number 1 Reason Dogs Visited the Vet in 2011

For taking care of healthy canine ears, my favorite cleaning agents include:

  • Witch hazel
  • Organic apple cider vinegar and purified water, mixed equal parts
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Green tea infusion (using tea that has been cooled, of course)
  • Tea tree oil greatly diluted in purified water (for dogs only – never cats)

Notice alcohol isn’t on the list. That’s because it can cause burning and irritation, especially if there’s inflammation.