# Washing ears during bath



## Specman (Jun 14, 2012)

I have seen people on YouTube thoroughly washing out their dogs ears while giving them a bath and how that helped to prevent ear infections. I never felt comfortable spraying water in Max's ear an try to avoid it. I'm curious if anyone here washes their dogs ears while bathing or your thoughts on doing this.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Actually, no! I put cotton in Molly's ears. I clean them before her bath with just a simple wipe, as her ears never seem to be really dirty! People need to be really careful about flushing ears , if they are left too wet and hairy, they'll get swimmer's ear/yeast infections! Always dry ears throughly!


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I don't try to directly spray water into my dogs' ears, but my groomer said that the way their ear canal is shaped, it's not easy to get water down in there unless you try. She doesn't bother with cotton balls. Just dry the ear thoroughly with the dryer afterwards, being sure the ear canal is dry and all the hair is dry. I use a liquid ear cleaner that doesn't contain alcohol for cleaning, again making sure the ears are dried afterwards. That does go into the canal to flush out any gunk. I keep the ears clear of wadded up hair, as my vet reiterated to me that air does need to circulate and when people think they get an ear infection after plucking, it's because there were bacteria brewing in the first place, that the plucking, even though it makes minute little wounds isn't enough to directly cause an ear infection. So, keeping the ears clean, clear of hair and dry is important to keep infection away.


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## Rachel76 (Feb 3, 2014)

Specman said:


> I have seen people on YouTube thoroughly washing out their dogs ears while giving them a bath and how that helped to prevent ear infections. I never felt comfortable spraying water in Max's ear an try to avoid it. I'm curious if anyone here washes their dogs ears while bathing or your thoughts on doing this.


Thank you Specman for starting this thread. During bathing I use my fingers to hold the tragus (?) over the ear canal. I have recently been plucking a little hair out of Hemi's ears as they are very hairy. I was just trimming the hair but I think that is just not enough. She HATES ear wipes. I will have to break out the amazing meat treats and work with her on that.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

With the disclaimer that when I told the vet Dermatologist this, he was shocked and said he never heard of anybody doing this, I do purposely spray the inside of girl's ears with water when I bath them. Then as soon as they get out of the tub, I put them down, and let them shake it out as much as they like. Then I clean and dry the ears with q-tips. I don't pluck, I just gently tug the hair to make sure that it does not mat down inside the ear, and maybe trim a little if it is very bushy, and I don't use any ear cleaner or powder. I have been doing it like this for fifteen years, and their ears are great! But I do bath them every 3 -10 days, and I have had their ears get a little yuck if I am late in giving a bath, so I do think that this would not work well if you bath less frequently.


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## Dolly's Mom (Feb 14, 2014)

My girls would end me if I tried that shenanigans! Also they (the older one specifically) tantrum HARD if I try to blow dry their ears. I don't cotton ball or anything but I do pluck and clean before their weekly bath. I think it would be very hard to get all the moisture out and with the floppy ears I wouldn't risk putting water in and causing an ear infection. But then I have Standards so everything is extra.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I don't aim the dryer directly into their ears either...very careful there. But it's more at a little angle. My dryer isn't particularly loud, but it still mustn't be held too near the ear, as I'm afraid to cause them to lose any hearing.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

My daughter works for a groomer. They have a ear cleaner they pour into the ear before the bath. They let it sit in the ear for a few minutes. Then during the bath they put warm water on very gently and flush the ear. I thought they were crazy, but she showed me one day. A dog who's ears looked pretty clean. When she flushed, chunks of black gunk came out of the ear. They do not accept new clients so all of their dogs are repeats and the regulars never have ear infections. She does Misha's ears every other week and since she started we have no problems. They also don't pluck Misha's ears, she trims the hair as much as possible.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

My vet long ago pointed out that water is a drying agent and that he suggests flushing ears with soap/water. I've done it a few times but usually after a bath I just use an ear flush instead. Still, during a bath, I do not worry about water getting in the ears and I haven't had any trouble with ear infections in my 4 standards.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Wow... This is interesting! I'm gonna subscribe, to read all the responses!

Since I've always been concerned about my babies ears, I really want to find the best option for them.

I've tried different things, but never water ...

Thanks for creating this thread and thanks for all of you sharing information too


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I flush ears! I have a recirculating bathing system and with a small amount of degreaser in the water I'll turn my system on low and flush my dogs' ears out. I really only do this on my own dogs, but I noticed that it cleans them better, with less mess, and have not had any ear infection issues.

I basically stopped plucking ears, however, and really only do it twice a year on my own dogs and upon request on clients (almost never). I only get my dogs being really irritated with their ears when I pluck. Vegas and Cairo's ears are naturally always clean, and Vienna just oozes gross. Her ears need to be flushed for longer.


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## Luce (Mar 4, 2013)

Thankfully, Luce hasn't had ear infections. Only one when I got her. I don't think her ears are terribly hairy, I do pull them with my fingers, just a little every few days or so - nothing to cause major irritation. I don't plug her ears for a bath and don't purposely dry them, I try not to let water get in them - if it does, it does. Since they were bred for water retrieving, it seems a little water getting in shouldn't be a big issue.

I did get some ear wash a while ago and forgot about it until I found it today! LOL Some things have fallen through the cracks of my life this year.


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## Taylor (May 31, 2014)

I am so relieved to hear that there are other poodles who have problems after their ears have been plucked. In 16 years of owning 2 poodles, they have never had ear infections except right after their ears were plucked. Happened every single time. I just kept their ears clean and forbid plucking, much to my groomers horror. No more infections.


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## Taylor (May 31, 2014)

*What is the degreeser you use?*

I'm not actually sure what that is. Really appreciate the info. Thanks


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Taylor said:


> I am so relieved to hear that there are other poodles who have problems after their ears have been plucked. In 16 years of owning 2 poodles, they have never had ear infections except right after their ears were plucked. Happened every single time. I just kept their ears clean and forbid plucking, much to my groomers horror. No more infections.



Yup, and Timi had really tiny ear canals, and yet they are perfect, no infections - just gleaning them with plain waster and trimming back the hair a little.


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## sunshine (Jan 31, 2015)

Bazaar... I was always taught to never ever get water in a dogs ears or accept that I would be paying a vet bill... 
I think I heard a pop...
...... was that my brain?


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## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

This thread is very timely for me, I have always thought you have to be careful not to get water in their ears when bathing. Recently I read somewhere on this forum that you should gently and indirectly flush the ears with water when bathing, so a few days ago when I bathed Abbey I flushed them in the tub. I've been reading every comment here thinking "omg I shouldn't have flushed them" then "oh good it's ok", now I'm not sure what to think. Abbey has a lot of ear hair, a lot, I have plucked but I'm not good at it so I don't get much out, the groomer did it but I told her not too much. I really don't know what is best and there are so many different opinions here that it's extremely confusing.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Old thread alert! But I do know some groomers flush ears, some don't. I don't; I just clean carefully after a bath with cotton wool, and pluck ear hair with my fingers. Never had an ear infection in this poodle family! Hopefully that continues.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

sunshine said:


> Bazaar... I was always taught to never ever get water in a dogs ears or accept that I would be paying a vet bill...
> I think I heard a pop...
> ...... was that my brain?



That is what every Vet had told me too, but how can you argue with success - I have been doing it this way with four poodles over the course of 16 years, and their ears have been great - only time that they might get a little something in them is if they go too long between baths.
Just make sure to let them give some good shakes as soon as they get out of the bath, you don't want the water sitting in the canals for too long, and then clean with some cotton swabs.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Caddy said:


> This thread is very timely for me, I have always thought you have to be careful not to get water in their ears when bathing. Recently I read somewhere on this forum that you should gently and indirectly flush the ears with water when bathing, so a few days ago when I bathed Abbey I flushed them in the tub. I've been reading every comment here thinking "omg I shouldn't have flushed them" then "oh good it's ok", now I'm not sure what to think. Abbey has a lot of ear hair, a lot, I have plucked but I'm not good at it so I don't get much out, the groomer did it but I told her not too much. I really don't know what is best and there are so many different opinions here that it's extremely confusing.



Just pick a method and see what works for your individual dog. I decided to go the least invasive way first, and it worked, no need to try anything else, but I would have if they had had problems....


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## all that jazz (Feb 6, 2011)

I use an ear wipe before I groom. I clip the hair hanging around the ear. Maybe that is not the ultra job but their ears smell fine and they have never had any infections. My vet had told me not to pluck the ear hair. (unless they were prone to infections.)


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## sunshine (Jan 31, 2015)

I've taught myself to pluck with both hands, Right handed on one side, left on the other. This thread has me thinking maybe we shouldn't be messing with ears as much as we do... something to think about I guess.


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## ladybird (Jul 9, 2011)

N2Mischief said:


> My daughter works for a groomer. They have a ear cleaner they pour into the ear before the bath. They let it sit in the ear for a few minutes. Then during the bath they put warm water on very gently and flush the ear. I thought they were crazy, but she showed me one day. A dog who's ears looked pretty clean. When she flushed, chunks of black gunk came out of the ear. They do not accept new clients so all of their dogs are repeats and the regulars never have ear infections. She does Misha's ears every other week and since she started we have no problems. They also don't pluck Misha's ears, she trims the hair as much as possible.


I do this with my poodle as well - pour in ear cleaner during the bath so the ear is full of the liquid, massage around the base of the ear until it makes a squishing noise, leave it to sit for a minute while I shampoo the rest of him, then let him shake (or tilt the head up so the fluid runs out), then get a cotton ball and wipe around to collect any wax and dirt, then flush the ears out with water good and proper. If there is a lot of dirt in there I will repeat with more cleaner until the ears are squeaky clean and no more chunks of wax are coming out. I have found that by doing this, the ear gets a deep clean which you cannot reach with just wiping cleaner in there with cotton, and it also cleans and draws out the hairs that are deep in the canal up to the surface where you can reach (I don't pluck them, just trim off what I can reach easily) thus preventing those inner hairs from balling up deep in the canal with wax/dirt and forming a nasty dirty hair plug which causes infection.

This video shows you how to use ear cleaner to do a deep clean (demonstrated by a vet) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4odbAlDRiz0


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## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

Thanks, that was an excellent video


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