# Removing hair from ears



## bailey1 (Feb 3, 2014)

Well, I'm a complete newbie to the poodle fan club, and don't have any helpful suggestions for you, but I did want to chime in with a heartfelt "mine too!" My 6 month old spoo has thick and long hair in his ears, too. The groomer didn't want to do it (Marti was really getting antsy as it was his first groomer visit) and suggested I get the vet to take care of it while he's getting neutered. When I went in for a visit with the vet (due to the ear problem he was having which were ear mites) he said the groomer should've done it. Well, next Wednesday Marti's going in for the neutering but as this was all a few weeks ago, and we've been treating the mites issue, my husband finally agreed to help me and we just had to hold him down and get it done. I was astonished at the pile of hair I got out of his ears! and like you said, some of it was really long. Needless to say, Marti was not happy about the whole ordeal, but there was no other way to go about it. And I didn't grab big bunches and yank; I took small amounts and just kept after it. We also were giving him treats and "good boy" accolades the whole time. We'll be doing it again this weekend and hopefully Marti won't be so scared. There's not much there now and it won't take but a couple of minutes on both sides to be done, and the ear mites are all cleared up, so it shouldn't be as uncomfortable for him. 

I'm sure others will come on and give you much better advice as to the "correct" manner to do this, but I did want to share my personal "journey" with you. Oh, and Marti was up licking us and playing immediately upon my husband getting off of him! :bounce:


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## AmandaNola (Jan 14, 2014)

I've spoken with my vet and two grooming friends about ear hair pulling when my Spoo puppy comes home, and all three of them have advised against it since it apparently increases the risk of infection. They told me just to trim it short with scissors, which is what I do with my Miniature American Shepherd anyway, so no big deal.


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

Some vets recommend not pulling and just trimming though I've always seen it done with small electric trimmers, never scissors. 

Others insist you have to remove the hair so that there is enough air flow to prevent moisture which causes environment for infections. 

The groomer will do it for you next time if you ask, but personally I prefer to do the ear hair at home myself because I know there is zero risk of cross contamination with instruments and I can take my time and let the dogs relax as much as possible. 

I use my fingers and hemostats - safer than tweezers. I don't use ear powder because every product I've tried has triggered ear problems after. And I don't do it before or immediately after a bath because I want the ear to be completely dry inside. 

Danno hates it. I have to just be super quick with him. Desi likes the attention but his ears are super sensitive and I can tell when it goes from tickling to irritating and that's when we switch ears. Roxy is the lucky non-poodle who just gets the ear massaging and none of the plucking. Otherwise she gets jealous.


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## bailey1 (Feb 3, 2014)

Ciscley said:


> Some vets recommend not pulling and just trimming though I've always seen it done with small electric trimmers, never scissors.
> 
> Others insist you have to remove the hair so that there is enough air flow to prevent moisture which causes environment for infections.
> 
> ...


I also used fingers and hemostats, Ciscley. I know there are two theories on the "pull/no pull" ear hair, but I think it's going to depend on your particular spoo. Some on this forum have pointed out that they have/had spoos that had very little hair in their ears and they've also had just the opposite. I would much rather not have to do this, but unfortunately, Marti has very thick hair in his ears that really does cause him issues; trimming it made it seem even thicker.

I also agree that doing it myself will probably be my preference. Like you said, it cuts the possibility of cross contamination. I hope everyone has a great day!


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

How is his general ear health? If his ears are hairy and never have been infected, I'd go with trim it and not pull. 
IME pulling makes the ear canals inflamed and then sets ears up for infection. 

On the other hand, people like their dogs' ears to be free of hair. 
Get some ear powder and shake some onto the hairs in the ear canal. You can hand pull the hair, but a quick way to do it is snap a locking hemostat onto the center of the bunch of ear hairs and then twist (stick a finger in one of the finger holes of the hemostat and twirl). Keep twisting and the hairs will all be pulled a few at a time, a little more comfortable for the dog that way. 

Additionally, you can get some ear powder for at home, and when he's hanging out on your lap, you can put a little powder on your fingers, casually flip an ear over, and pull a few hairs, flip the ear back over (because now the dog is likely going to look up at you like "WTHeck are you doing, lady!") and tell him how good he is. I do this with my Darby because she's a delicate flower that hates having her ear hairs pulled LOL. 

Hope this helps. Darn ear hairs.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Feeling very uneducated here. I don't even know what a hemostat is. And what kind of tool would one use to trim the hair in the ears? What about one of those things that men use on their nostrils?


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I actually tried one of those nostril hair things for Misha's ears. FREAKED her out. I just use blunt tipped tiny scissors and we have had not problems. I also have the groomer shave the inside of the ear flap.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

kontiki said:


> Feeling very uneducated here. I don't even know what a hemostat is. And what kind of tool would one use to trim the hair in the ears? What about one of those things that men use on their nostrils?


They pick things up...pinch together tightly. When I use to assist in surgery, eons ago, the doctor I worked for would ask for the instruments as he was working away. He called hemostats pick-ups. lol.

So, with ear plucking, you grab some hairs, pinch together, and pull. Some groomers twist the wad of hair first, then pull. Ouch! One of the groomers I use for Matisse did this as I watched in horror my poor baby screaming in pain. I asked her recently about the opinion of setting up for infection by pulling the hair out. She said that's b.s....that it's usually that the infection is already there or starting and not the other way around. But I tend to not believe that. It doesn't take a medical background to realize that there are minute holes left when the hair is pulled out...sores. And that sets up an environment for bacteria. She also said that cutting the hair still leaves a wad in there which blocks air circulation. (well, I say that depends on how much hair you can cut and how close) 

I have tried pulling just a few hairs with a little ear drying powder on the hairs to get a better grip. I've also used blunt tipped scissors to cut. I don't think I've been cutting enough out though. It's very scary that I'll get the skin with the scissors, especially if they twitch a muscle. So far though, they haven't gotten infections. knock on wood. I might have to spend more time pulling hairs which I hate doing.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

My suggestion would be not to pluck unless and until the ears are a problem. Both Jazz and our new pup Blue have lots of hair in their ears. I had Jazz's ears plucked a few times right after we got her, but the last time she got a raging infection in both ears that took three different meds and several trips to the vet to cure. It's been over a year since then. I have the groomer keep the inside of her ear leathers shaved and keep the hair on the outside short. The groomer trims the hair she can reach easily. Nothing else is done. Her ears have been fine. 

Blue saw my least-favorite vet this week for his second immunization (both the other vets were away), and while I frequently don't agree with her, this time she checked his ears carefully, remarked that he has a lot of hair, and said, "Leave it alone. Plucking just increases the risk of infection." 

I do think there's a big risk of contamination in a grooming salon--the instruments should be disinfected between dogs, the groomer should wash her hands, if the dog shakes its head and throws water from the ear canal on the grooming table or the groomer, all that should be cleaned up--but I'm willing to bet that doesn't always happen.


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## brownlikewoah (May 3, 2012)

leave it. Don't bother plucking, especially if it doesn't want to come out. Just pull the hair up, and shave closely, or trim carefully.


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## Rachel76 (Feb 3, 2014)

Hemi is my first poodle and so far so good(almost 5 months old).....knock on wood. I bought an expensive pair of baby nail trimming scissors (blunt tips) and I carefully cut the hair. From what I've read on other threads here it seems to depend on the dog, some need it plucked and some have more problems from plucking. I think it depends on your dog. If I have to end up plucking Hemi's ears I think I will ask the vet for a topical anesthesia .....if something like that would even work in the ear canal without making problems worse. oh well....


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

I pluck Kennedy's ears but the hair comes out very easily. I use powder and then flush the powder out with ear cleaner when I'm done. For my clients I don't pluck ears if the hair won't easily come out. On some dogs it is really thick and seems to be more anchored in. In that case I'll take a short blade on my clipper and clip as much as I can safely reach.


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## bailey1 (Feb 3, 2014)

To Shamrockmommy - thanks for the comments. Unfortunately, he already had ear mites in one of his ears when I finally figured I'd better try something. We replayed our drill this weekend and it was SO much easier - on him and us! There of course wasn't as much hair to have to try and deal with, and what was there was really easy to pull out. Marti didn't seem near as bothered, and since I'm just wanting to keep it "mostly" cleared of hair, I think we're on the right track.


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## reginaanna217 (Jan 16, 2014)

Rex has gone to one particular groomer three times now as he is a puppy she is against plucking the ears and that's why I go to her ...however the last time ewe were there Rex's hair was getting long.. She used the powder and pulled it with her fingers... It was perfect . Rex didn't even cry it was the best behaved I have ever seen him and I watched what she did like a hawk


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Interesting the "plucking causes infection" idea. I have no idea if plucking causes the infection chances to increase or not. I've had two Spoos, three actually but I haven't pluck Pennys' ears yet, and I plucked both and never had an ear infection. But that isn't science. Way too small a sample to make a definitive statement. I've always used the powder which makes the hair and your fingers super grippy and pluck small amounts of hair with each pluck. They don't love it but they've put up with it just like nail clipping/grinding. It's tough being a Poodle.

Rick


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

PR, there are a couple of reasons that plucking might cause infection. One is that plucking can damage the lining of the ear and leave open portals for bacteria and yeast. The other is, as I mentioned earlier, cross-contamination from one dog to another in a grooming salon. If one dog whose ears are plucked has an infection already, and the same instruments or hands are used on another without being disinfected, bacteria and yeast can be transferred from the first dog to the second. In fact, if a dog has the beginning of infection in one ear, that can be transferred to the other ear by dirty hands or tools. (Sorry. Once a nurse, always a nurse...)


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

JudyD said:


> PR, there are a couple of reasons that plucking might cause infection. One is that plucking can damage the lining of the ear and leave open portals for bacteria and yeast. The other is, as I mentioned earlier, cross-contamination from one dog to another in a grooming salon. If one dog whose ears are plucked has an infection already, and the same instruments or hands are used on another without being disinfected, bacteria and yeast can be transferred from the first dog to the second. In fact, if a dog has the beginning of infection in one ear, that can be transferred to the other ear by dirty hands or tools. (Sorry. Once a nurse, always a nurse...)


Well that makes sense. That's also why I did the ears myself and used one of those ear wash solutions after I plucked and then made sure the ears were dry shortly after that. But I can see your point.

Rick


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

I do remember when Beau was nearing the end and after a surgery I didn't bother him with too much grooming. I noticed his ear hair kinda turned into a Rasta dread and just for the heck of it I gave it a very light tug and it started to come out. I pulled a little more and it practically slid out. So I tried the other ear, same thing. And I thought, huh, all those years of plucking and if I had just waited a little longer I could have just tugged lightly and be done with it.
Live and learn I guess.

Rick


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

This is a 3 year old thread.... Are most of you still of the opinion held back then? That pulling ear hair out by hand - a little at a time - is best.

Or, leave it alone if your particular dog does not have a lot of hair in the ear canal?
Or, leave it alone even if a lot of hair unless a problem results?

Or, use a hemostat and/or let the groomer do it?

Rio had a nice groom yesterday, but she told me he (gentle Rio!) snapped at her when she tried to pluck his ears. She didn't want to take their 1st grooming experience in that direction, so stopped attempting it. 

Things to think about:
1. Rio's former owner told me she used a hemostat. 

2. Records I had faxed to me from the vet he went to prior to mine
showed 3 different instances of checking ears and moderate infection.

3. I took him to my vet for his New Pet Checkup 1st of May, he has nice dry uninfected, 
unsmelly ears.


What to do?
Anything?


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

I think it depends in the dog. Given what you said, I would try not plucking them and monitor. His last home plucked them and he had infections, so maybe try not plucking and see if it's better. 
I do not pluck my dog's ears. I trim them and I shave Lily's inside flap. The only ear infection any of them had was six years ago, after a groomer plucked Max's ears. Coincidence? Maybe, but not plucking has worked well for us-and Lily in particular has very hairy ears!


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Beatrice did the same to me when she was a pup , the snapping whilst I tried to pluck, her ear was packed with hair and she had an inflection. I pluck enough to allow air flow, no more, no less and no ear infections since. I will tell she doesn't like them done, so I am quick and then bribe her with a treat.


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

Carolinek said:


> I think it depends in the dog. Given what you said, I would try not plucking them and monitor. His last home plucked them and he had infections, so maybe try not plucking and see if it's better.
> I do not pluck my dog's ears. I trim them and I shave Lily's inside flap. The only ear infection any of them had was six years ago, after a groomer plucked Max's ears. Coincidence? Maybe, but not plucking has worked well for us-and Lily in particular has very hairy ears!


That's what I was thinking...
maybe it got to be a vicious cycle, where he had an ear infection, and someone was of the opinion that keeping the ear canal more hairless would help prevent another (vet or prev. owner) and the over use of the hemostat - causing more problems.

I don't know. But what I did do is purchase some ear powder, put a little of it on the hair I could see, and throughout the day I have been finger pinching a little out.

He has no problem with his ears currently, so I'm not going to do much of anything. I will tell groomer at the next appointment not to pluck.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Curious, what is the difference between finger pinching and plucking?


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

Well, I only meant to say that the few hairs that I grasp in a pinch, I then pull out... but there will be no aggressive plucking or pulling with an instrument to the point of "clean" for him. As long as there is no need.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I have had one poodle who got infections if I plucked her ears and one who got infections if I didn't pluck his ears. However, in the case of the latter, I learned to just wipe his ears down with diluted vinegar when I smelled the pungent odor of an infection, and that wiped it out without a trip to the vet. I also prophylactically cleaned his ears with the vinegar solution after baths or swimming.


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## RylieJames (Feb 3, 2016)

I pluck with a hemostat. It is an excellent tool and works to quickly pull the hair out--the quicker you do it, the less pain (just like ripping off a band-aid). One of my dogs was super chill with it. One of my others doesn't like it but will put up with it. My third hates the process and cries during it. So, I talked to my vet and got a numbing powder that I put into her ear a few minutes before plucking. As long as I use the powder she is fine with it now.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

RylieJames said:


> My third hates the process and cries during it. So, I talked to my vet and got a numbing powder that I put into her ear a few minutes before plucking. As long as I use the powder she is fine with it now.


Does the numbing powder have a name? I would like to get some for my spoo. He hates anyone messing with his ears. It is the only time he snaps at me or the groomer.


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

Shamrockmommy said:


> On the other hand, people like their dogs' ears to be free of hair.
> Get some ear powder and shake some onto the hairs in the ear canal. You can hand pull the hair, but a quick way to do it is snap a locking hemostat onto the center of the bunch of ear hairs and then twist (stick a finger in one of the finger holes of the hemostat and twirl). Keep twisting and the hairs will all be pulled a few at a time, a little more comfortable for the dog that way.


I'm a pro groomer and only pluck ear hair on request. I do not pluck either of my poodles' ears and have never had an infection. If dogs (like my spoo) have a lot of ear hair I carefully clip what I can with a 30 blade.
However I HATE the above method. I have seen a couple other groomers do it and the dogs HATE it. I can easily hand pluck (or pluck straight out with stats) those same dogs ears but the slow ripping of the hair as the stats get tighter and tighter is far too painful for them for me to put them through.


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## Raven's Mom (Mar 18, 2014)

I pluck with hemostats because Raven has a lot of hair and it starts to smell funny especially in the sweltering summer months. She has also had two ear infections and if I keep them fairly free of hair and use a vinegar wash they clear up quickly.


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## Tifamaroo (Jan 17, 2017)

I take the soft treat "milkbones" and cut them up into as many small pieces as i can. 

The first time I did Meek's ears, I gave him 1 piece after each time I pulled. 

The second time I did his ears, I gave him one every third time I pulled hair.

And so on, and so forth.

Now he will sit there for a while and I can give him his treat at the end. If he gets impatient, I either switch ears to give him a break or I give him a treat early and he sits through it.


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