Ear cleaning

[Jennie Benstead]

Hi Everyone

I have always for many years used CleanAural to clean my dogs ears.

I have always found it to be great it has changed name over the years but still the same product and my vet recommends it.

 

But after using on Riley he ended up with sore looking ears which did not seem to bother him but I am now not keen to use. They did return to normal after a couple of days.

 

Any Ideas on what else I can use? after having a dog which suffered very bad with her ears I like to prevent any nasties happening by keeping them clean.

 

[Yvonne H]

I have a 9 year old Gordon who has had bad ears since a puppy. We've used many cleaners and drops over the years but now sprinkle a little Thornit in his ears on a regular basis. Its like magic. It sounds horrid to describe but it seems to dry up the horrid gunk into small dry balls which I can easily remove with damp cotton wool and has thus prevented further infection.

[Jennie Benstead]

Thanks for that Yvonne will give it a try have looked on line and its a good price with good reviews.

[Angela Roberts]

Jennie, I used CleanAural in my dogs ears a few years back when I ran out of the product that I regularly used and it seemed to burn them.  Like yours it made them all red and sore looking.  I have nearly always used Epi Otic which suits mine.  My vet said what suits one does not suit another and it is finding the one that works the best for your dog.  I have used Thornit but don't rate it highly and I actually hate the smell.  I have also found some fantastic very large cotton wool buds online http://shop.dfordog.co.uk/dog-care-products/bamboostick-dog-ear-cle... 

[Jennie Benstead]

Thanks Angela...I think it will be trial and error until I can find one thats suits him.....The cotton buds look great am going to order those ....I hate putting anything in their ears but it has to be done...They dont have any problems at the moment with their ears just want to keep them clean..

[colette tuite]

Jennie, If your dogs do not have an ear problem at the moment i would not use Thornit as i was advised by a vet that putting a powder in the dogs ears could clog them up. We used to use Benzyl Benzoate application to wipe around the ear which we got at the chemists.

If a dog had a very bad infection it is worth getting a swab taken and then the vets could advise according to the results. I have had the vets change the medication after getting the results back.

[Torie Lancaster]

A friend of mine has a English Setter who used to scratch his ears till they bled....His vet prescribed all sorts of lotions and potions even a course of steroids which helped short term.

My friend was at his wits end until he read somewhere on the net about how diet causes all sorts of problem with ears, eyes, skin and coat of animals.  He changed the dogs food to completely cereal and additive free and within three months the problem had completely gone.  Four years on and the dog has no ear problems at all.

It's better to find the cause rather than treat the ailment.

[Fran Griffin]

Oh so true.  If the problem is caused by candida, then changing the diet away from carbohydrate based and/or foods which contain any form of sugar is essential. 

[Jennie Benstead]

Thanks every-one for your help

Fingers crossed all will be well they are both on a complete raw diet which I have read helps to reduce ear infections but they do both get waxy ears and I want to keep them clean.

After my old girl with all the problems she had with her ears I dont want to go down that road again.

[Jennie Benstead]

Torie,

This is so true. Penny my old girl who we lost last summer had a long life but it was filled with so many problems her ears once was so swollen they did not look like ears she lost all the hair on her chest and had red sore skin which ended up going black.

The last few years of her life she was on steroids which did help a bit.

I wish I knew then what I do now and maybe she would not have suffered quite so much.

I know my dogs now have a completely natural diet I prepare their food myself and yes they are still babies but they look amazing and it costs less.

I also make my own shampoo which is just liquid soap (no smelly stuff) and white vineger to be honest Riley has only had one bath (after rolling in something a bit smelly) but Cassie is a longhaired labradoodle who tends to bring half the woods and muck home with her I thought they would smell like a chip shop but no they smelt georgous and it costs next to nothing.

I wish I had done more research years ago.

[Fran Griffin]

A vet friend of mine told me that all the stuff they prescribe, including Canaural is quite abrasive. She suggested using 5mls of white vinegar (white is the best evidently because it is less abrasive) to 100mls of distilled water.  It works a treat. However, if the problem continues and a swab is taken which reveals the problem to be caused by candida, then diet MUST be addressed.  No carbohydrate sugar based diets, no matter how convenient they are, otherwise the problem will keep re-occuring.

[Jennie Benstead]

Thanks Fran

something else to make a note off.

Think I will be able to write a book after all the research I have done lol.

Dogs do not need Carbohydrates...its us humans that need them.

I have found it so easy to feed a natural diet....with no waste what so ever...am still learning..

[Fran Griffin]

Hi Jennie.  Some humans don't need them either.  I have hyper insulin secretion and oh boy do carbs make me bung on the weight.... permanent Atkins for me .... although I do deviate from time to time .... just as a treat ;-)  I know how to burn it all off again though once I have had the pig out :-D