Cocker Spaniel Ears - Answered by Dr. Van Lienden

[kristen38]

I have had my spaniel, Keesha, for 7 years now, and have been using the same vet for that long. The vet retired and now we have a new one, and when Keesha ears were bothering her I brought her to the vet and he said that they were infected (which is not the first time it has happened) and she has her usual antibiotics, both oral and topical.
Anyway, he said that we should not be cleaning her ears every couple days but to do it only twice a month. The old vet said that doing it every couple of days was fine. It doesn't seem to affect Keesha one way or another.
I was just wondering what other people have heard from their vets about how often to clean out spaniels ears because I now have two conflicting opinoins. Either way I am not going to do a thorough cleaning unitl after the follow-up appointment in a week, like the new vet said.
Just curious though,
Kristen

[erykah1310]

I clean all the dogs ears once a week. My cocker I keep a closer eye on, plucking hairs from his ears and tying them up to dry them out nightly...
The last Cocker I had, had some bad ear problems and had to have her ears cleaned regularily...
What are you using to clean the ears??
Also, do you know what kind of infection she has?? If its a yeast infection it could be caused by her diet.
What do you feed?
I'll stop there for now... lol, too many questions so little time LOL

[kristen38]

We are cleaning the ears with ear cleaning solution that we buy from the vet. I don't know the name but it comes in a white bottle with purple and green writing on it. We have tried other kinds, and one took the hair off of her ears and neck and the other one smelled really bad. The old vet recommended the one we use now, and we have been using it for at least five years.
She does not have a yeast infection. It is a bacteria. But that's all I know about it.
The yeast infection is on her neck, and it being medicated by some other topical cream
The dog eats hypoallergenic food from the vet. I think it's medi-cal, and we also have been using that for year. She doesn't seem to do well when we switch her food, shes kind of picky.
The vet has also recommended that we somehow tie her ears up (he suggested with panty hose or something like that) but there is absolutley no way my dog will let that happen.
She is very sensitive about her ears.
Anything else,
Kristen

[erykah1310]

Perhaps at night when shes laying by you, just flip them over... Bailey sleeps on the couch beside me when its tv time and I pet him and flip his ears over and masage his face and neck so he stays still.... im not sure if your dog would tolerate that... but it is important with Cockers to keep those floppy ears dry inside... Are you using Epi Otic?? I was using Epi Otic but found the alcoholy-ness (wow, what a word) to be more irritating...
Im gonna head off line for a while, but im going to try to post a home made earcleaner that I found online...apparently works pretty good. I havent tried it yet, but do intend on doing so....
So, by tomorrow i'll post that up K... sorry to make you wait, but perhaps someone will have a good suggestion until then...

[Mocha's mum]

Originally Posted by kristen38

We are cleaning the ears with ear cleaning solution that we buy from the vet. I don't know the name but it comes in a white bottle with purple and green writing on it.

Sounds like Vet Solutions. I liked that one. I have Epi-Otic now, and yes, it does seem like it contains a lot of alcohol.

My Lhasa's ears get really bad. I've tried every possible kind of dog food that I can think of with him, with no relief. He doesn't get yeast infections, they swab his ears and always tell me it's gram positive (whatever that means), and I always leave with a bottle of Surolan.

So, I clean his ears every week or so, and make sure they are good and dry. And, like erykah said, I flip his ears over when he's on the couch with me. As long as I'm touching him, he's happy! I don't think Mocha would tolerate anymore cleanings than that!!

[petdr]

Spaniel ears are always a challenge, and require continual attention to avoid major trouble. Frequently there is an underlying allergy problem, usually an inhalant culprit, but flea and food allergies can also add to the mix, and various bacterial/yeast infections complicate the presentation.

There are no hard and fast rules for cleaning ears; basically, I advise my clients to clean pets' ears as often as needed, with a safe product. Some ear washes can not be used beyond a set schedule, therefore always consult the package insert prior to use. Other ear washes can be used daily, and some ear washes have various drugs added to enhance therapy.

Every veterinarian has a favorite ear cleaner; I'm not overly picky, but will use something easy to use for a particular situation--and every case is different. Don't think of your two veterinarians' advise as conflicting, merely different points on a continuum.

Dr. Van Lienden

Dr. Raymond Van Lienden DVM
The Animal Clinic of Clifton
12702 Chapel Road, Clifton
Virginia, U.S.A. 20124
703-802-0490

[Kaiser's Mom]

I have a Cocker that has problems with his ears also. My cockers ears stinks all the time.

I was told by my vet to take a small amount of Listerne and mix it with water and swab onto the ear with a Q-Tip, which he hates anyone messing this his ears. I have noticed this past week that he has small growths on each of his ears (inside the flap). Has anyone experienced this?

[Chiro]

Dear all,

I too have the same problem of ear odor with my 12 year old Cocker Spaniel Scott. I know that surgical spirit is used on humans as an anticeptic. Is it safe to use to clean Cocker Spaniel ears?

Note: Surgical spirits is highly volatile and evaporates very quickly, hence wont cause dampness in ears.

Cheers

Chiro

[mastifflover]

My Mastiff Bud had chronic ear problems and I spent thousands on them then I was given this recipe for the ear wash and it was like a miracle. Even my vet was impressed how well it worked and inexpensive. Gentian Violet can be bought at any pharmacy over the counter.
Blue Power Ear Wash. It REALLY works well.


INGREDIENTS:

16 Oz. Isopropyl Alcohol


4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder


16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%

Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well.

Please shake this solution every time you use it to mix the Boric Acid Powder. Either a baby ear syringe or a plastic squirt bottle work well for putting the solution in the ear.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:

Evaluate condition of ears before treating and if the are inflamed and sore do not attempt to pull hair or clean out ear at all. Just flush and then wait until inflammation is gone, which will be about two days. Warm the solution and shake the bottle each time before using. The dogs will accept the treatment much better if you warm it up for them.

Flood the ear with solution (gently squirt bottle).

Massage gently, wipe with 100% cotton pad.

On first treatment: flood the ear twice, wipe with a pad, and leave alone without massage.

The dog will shake out the excess, which can be wiped with a tissue. (Note: the Gentian Violet does stain fabrics so you're best to do this outdoors.)

Treat 2x per day for the first week to two weeks, depending upon severity of ears.

After the 2nd or 3rd day you can clean out the ear with a tissue or cotton pad.

Treat 1x per day for the next 1-2 weeks.
Treat 1x per month (or even less frequently, depending on the dog).