# Any tips on dealing with Otibiotic Ear Ointment?



## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

So Beau's ears are gunky again. I have the small, white bottle of Otibiotic Ointment, which has a thin, straw-like, hard-plastic end that sticks out of the bottle about an inch. 

In the past, I've been too afraid to cram that hard plastic straw down inside Beau's (squirming, moving) ear, and so mostly ended up placing a blob of ointment around the visible external area surrounding the ear canal. I then did my best to rub it in a bit, as directed. To make matters even more fun, after a day or two, some of the ointment always ends up on Beau's ear hair, resulting in a greasy, matted mess instead of his usually fluffy ears. 

Am I doing it right? Should I be inserting that skinny tube all the way down into his ear canal? (I know the ear drum is behind a curve, and so can't be easily pierced, but still.) And if so, how do you know how much -- if any -- ointment has been instilled? What about dispensing a blob of the white Otibiotic goo onto a cotton swab, and using that to apply it? Any tips appreciated!


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

I try to get the tip in there but it is difficult as they always squirm. Usually hubby hold and I squeeze the tube. Still a pain. 


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Nickel never has that problem but the westie I'm dog sitting just had that and yes, it's oh so greasy. The vet warned his owner so I guess it's kind of unavoidable.


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## 2719 (Feb 8, 2011)

I would do like Poodle Mama99. Insert the nozzle into the ear and squeeze the appropriate amount of drops. Then remove the nozzle and gently massage the ear. This will help to loosen the brown yeast from deep inside the ear canal and draw it up. Next time you give a dose make sure to thoroughly wipe the ear to remove all the yeast which has surfaced.


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## mom24doggies (Mar 28, 2011)

Most people put too much of that stuff in, you only need a few drops. I would get someone to hold, then just quickly squeeze a few drops in and rub it around. That way, it gets down to where it needs to go and there is less mess. Also, last time I dealt with an ear infection, the vet gave me something that was in a syringe type thing and it was thick, like Vaseline. I only had to put a bit on my finger then rub it inside the ear. Which meant all of it went where I wanted it to and there were no greasy ears. I'll see if I can figure out what it was, that's a possibility for you to at least ask your vet about. 

Btw, pure dawn dish soap applied BEFORE the dog is wet works pretty well, it won't be perfect for a couple washes but it definitely works better than anything else I have tried. Also I've heard of people putting ear powder (cornstarch would work the same) on greasy areas to absorb the oil 30 minutes before the bath. Never tried it but in theory it would work.


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Well, I did it -- or, I should say, _we_ did it. All it takes is a grooming table and four hands. Poor guy, after the drops, I gently cleaned with a Q-tip, and it came away practically black with yucky gunk. I can see we're going to have a new routine for a few weeks.


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