Cocker Ear Maintenance
Cocker Ear Maintenance
Please note that I am not a veterinarian and my advice does not replace medical advice. Please ensure that anything you try, you do with the knowledge and agreement of a trusted veterinarian.
There are several reasons that a Cocker’s ears can get inflamed and infected. If it is only once in a while, then I would suggest that the ears just need a really good cleaning. I always recommend checking your dogs’ ears every 2-3 days, even if it is just taking a quick peek inside. Inflamed ears are very easy to spot – they are dark pink or red, they have a distinct “yeast” smell (sickly sweet) and if you look closely at the skin, it looks similar to elephant skin (thickened, with a sort of hexagonal pattern). This is a classic Cocker ear infection. Typical treatment, as given by a vet, is twice daily ear cleaning and treatment with a prescribed ointment (Canaural is the one I am most familiar with). This treatment tends to be effective, however there is usually an underlying problem. As long as the underlying problem is left unresolved, the ear infections will continue. Long term ear infections can lead to hearing loss, and sometimes the dog’s ear canal becomes so thickened that ear ablation is required (extensive surgery that effectively sews the ear canal shut to prevent further infections).
When I see a Cocker with regularly inflamed ears, I always look at the diet first. American Cockers are very prone to food allergies, especially wheat, corn, chicken and beef. Most dog foods are chicken-based, so the first challenge is finding a food without chicken (and that is not preserved with chicken fat). Once you find a good food without chicken (try duck, venison, salmon or lamb to start), you then need to ensure that there is no wheat or corn in the food. Most premium brand dog foods now have anti-allergy formulas, which use a novel protein (such as the ones listed above) and limit the typical allergenic ingredients. Typically you need to shop at a pet supply place in order to find these premium foods, they are not available at the grocery store. Some vet clinics carry hypoallergenic foods as well, but I find that often the ingredients are not as high quality as some of the private food brands.
When you are changing a diet due to allergies, you need to keep in mind that it takes between 10 and 12 weeks for the old diet to completely clear the system and stop affecting the dog’s body. You may continue to see symptoms of allergic reactions throughout those 10 to 12 weeks. While you are switching from one food to another, it is VERY important to discontinue use of all treats and extras. The only thing the dog should be getting is the new kibble. If your dog is used to getting a treat for something, use pieces of the kibble as a treat. This is important, so that you can judge the effect of the new food on your dog’s health, without other factors coming into play. After 12 weeks, if the dog is doing well on the new food, then you can introduce some fruits and vegetables, one at a time. Introduce something one week, and wait about a week or so to see if the dog reacts. If not, introduce something else the next week. Continue on in this method until you have re-introduced the dog’s favorite snacks. If you purchase commercial treats, be sure to avoid cookies with wheat, corn, chicken or beef. It can be very difficult to find healthy treats with limited ingredients, which is why I recommend using fruits and vegetables as treats.
Hopefully, with the change in diet, the dog’s ear infections will start to decrease, and you will notice an improvement in the dog’s body odor overall. I find that most dogs with allergies tend to have a “sweet” smell, as their body has trouble fighting off yeast overgrowth.
Another factor in Cocker ear infections is ear cleaning. First of all, are you cleaning the ears often enough, and second of all, are you using the right cleaning solution? It seems like all ear cleaners should be made the same, but this is not the case. Many commercial ear cleaners contain alcohol, which acts as a drying agent in the ear canal. Since yeast thrives on a moist environment, the alcohol is thought to prevent yeast growth. In most cases, when ear cleaner is used infrequently, this works. However, if you are cleaning a dog’s ears every day, or even every few days, the alcohol can stimulate over production of wax, in response to being dry all the time. I prefer to use an ear cleaner that is made with natural ingredients, such as witch hazel (also a drying agent, but more gentle than alcohol), peppermint and eucalyptus. Because Cockers commonly have trouble with their ears, some years ago a special ear cleaner recipe was developed. It is called the “Blue Power Ear Treatment.”
Spaniel Ear Cleaner Recipe
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Ingredients:
White vinegar
Powdered boric acid
Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
Betadine antiseptic (or the generic version, known as Povidone-Iodine Solution)
Please note: do not use "Betadine Scrub", use "Betadine Solution"
Directions for mixing the solution together:
Pour 6 ounces of isopropyl alcohol in to a plastic applicator bottle. Add 1/2 tablespoon of boric acid powder. Be careful not to get any boric acid on your skin or clothes. If you do, wash it off immediately.
Shake the solution extremely well, until the boric acid powder is dissolved, or for five minutes, whichever comes first.
Add 2 ounces of white vinegar. Shake the solution some more, until the boric acid powder is dissolved, or for another five minutes, whichever comes first.
Add one teaspoon of the Betadine antiseptic, and shake it up some more. Be careful not to get any Betadine on your skin or clothes. If you do, wash it off immediately.
The ear cleaning solution is now ready to use.
To use the ear cleaning solution:
It is recommended that you use the ear cleaning solution in your garage or outdoors, as the dog will shake it out of his ears and it will fly in to the air and stain things.
Squirt the solution inside your dog's ear until the ear canal is completely full. Massage the outside of the ear to help slosh the cleaning solution around inside. Release the dog and let him shake out the ear cleaning solution from his ears.
If you get any of the ear cleaning solution on your skin, wash it off as soon as possible.
Be sure to shake the solution up really well before each and every time you use it. The boric acid has a tendency to settle at the bottom of the bottle. Store at room temperature.
Use the cleaning solution daily until you start to see some improvement. Gradually cut back to once per week when you are happy with the condition of the ear. When the ear seems completely free of infection, you can go two weeks between treatments.
Warning: Do not use this ear cleaning solution on dogs with ruptured ear drums, or on dogs with open sores or wounds in the ear area. An ear exam by a veterinarian is recommended
prior to beginning treatment with this ear cleaning solution.
This recipe came to you from Jim & Kellyn Zimmerlin
www.zimfamilycockers.com
Something else that I find helps relieve some ear itchiness in Cockers is to shave the entire inner ear flap when the dog is being groomed. Most groomers shave around the ear canal, with a circumference of about ½” in most cases. When I groom a pet Cocker, I shave the entire inner ear flap, which reduces the amount of warmth and moisture retained in the ear. This is not a scientific finding, just something that I have found to work for me.
This is my method of treating recurring ear infections in American Cocker Spaniels. I hope it is of use and benefit to you and your dog!
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Originally Posted by Polly
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