Reaction to Ear Cleaning Solution

Dodger's got the typical hound dog ears - which attract dirt and since he already seems to be an "extra-fast producer of wax" it makes matters worse.

On top of which, he keeps reacting to any solution I try. The vet has already dubbed him an allergy dog so she suggested I use the one they sell "Avena Sativa, dermatologist recommended, all natural".... Anyway, he lost fur on the outside of his ear the first time it was used. Within 48hrs of using it for the second time he had bloody pin-prick sized marks on the inside of his ear.

The vet suggested that I clean his ears every 3 weeks because of his allergies but Dodger needs them cleaned more often than that! So I've been using water weekly and diluting the ear cleaning solution to use every 3 weeks. The day after cleaning them, Dodger's ears are full of dirt - is this because I've only succeeded in loosening the dirt that's stuck deep in his ear?

The vet has been no help - saying that the water isn't doing any good and that the ear cleaning solution is not the problem.

Should I take him to a groomer and hope that they have a different ear cleaning solution and/or better ways of cleaning the ear?

I've read that Tea Tree Oil can act as a disinfectant but I'm worried that he may react to it.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Olive oil (or many vegetable based oils) will work at softening up the ear gunk as will hydrogen peroxide (just ensure there are no cuts or abrasions with the peroxide as it will cause great discomfort).

Try this:

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/BLUE.HTM

it's a recipe (in the PDF) for a gentian violet based ear cleaner.

So...basically your vet says it's not an allergic reaction to the cleaner, but whenever you clean, he gets a reaction. How does he react with just a dry tissue? I wipe my dogs ears out twice a week with a dry tissue, and get a bunch of gunk. What type of tissue/cotton ball/wipe are you using? Maybe he is allergic to that??

Gentian Violet is hard to find. Big pharmacies don't carry it (pharma plus, shoppers drug mart) so try small local pharmacies and ask the pharmacist, as they usually have it behind the counter.

The vet said my dogs's ears react badly to cleaning solution and recommended 'mineral oil' which is available at most pharmacies.

Our Vet recommended mineral oil for our cats ears as well.

I read an article in reader's digest about how you shouldn't use peroxide. Apparently, peroxide eats the healthy tissue along with the bad. I would use a diluted vinegar & water solution and see how he reacts with that. Good Luck!

I use vinegar and water to wash Levi's ear. He doesn't get as much gook in his ears as Dodger, but it did work.

And, like raingirl said, maybe Dodger's allergic to the wipes. Have you tried cleaning his ears with your finger (might be gross - but you'll be able to tell if he's allergic or not). Or maybe try with a washcloth?

I was going to suggest vinegar and water, but levimh beat me to the punch.

I also agree with the chances of the doggy being allergic to the wipe you're using because it's likely that not all the solutions you would have tried would have all had the same ingredients..

Thank-you everyone for you replies!

You might be right- he could be reacting to the cotton balls I use. I never thought about that, I'll have to be more careful! I'll give the washcloth a shot.

When he was about 3 months old I used Pet wipes (from Petsmart) and he was fine with those but my vet said they were not doing any good for the deeper part of his ears.

Raingirl - thank you for the link! I haven't finished reading the whole thing but it has already taught me a lot!

Since I have vinegar and water at home, I'll try that first while I try looking for mineral oil and gentian violet for future use.