topic Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog in Pet Lovers

Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

Julie928 — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 23:31:34 GMT

Hi, everyone! I know there are lots of pet owners here and I am hoping someone may be able to help. Our redbone coonhound was shaking her head, flopping her ears and her ears had a slight bad smell to them. We took her to the vet yesterday for what I thought was a shot to cure the irritation (we brought her in once before and this is what they did and it worked wonders). Well yesterday the vet takes her in back (which I don't like ~ I like to see what they are doing) and comes back in to tell me the techs are working on her! Really? A tech? I'm paying over a hundred bucks to have a vet work on my dog, not some 18-year-old. I kept asking for my dog and he kept telling me they are "working" on her. They finally bring her back and she is still shaking her head more than before, liquid flying everywhere. Turns out they never gave her a shot but put some medicine called claro in each ear. All night and all today she is still shaking her head, only now she occasionally tilts her head to one side. We called the vet and he told us this is normal and if she keeps doing it tomorrow to bring her back and lo and behold he'll sell us more medicine. I keep dwelling on the cost because this place has become very money-grubbing. The only reason I brought her there was the awesome vet I wanted to bring her to was booked into next week. I wanted to get her some relief. Now I am worried they hurt her. Is this in fact normal after an ear cleaning? The vet said her ears were in pretty bad shape and the gunk went pretty far down (although I didn't notice any gunk upon inspecting her ears, only a slight odor). She seems quiet today and I am so upset. I feel horrible, like I put her in harm's way. I even called an emergency vet and they told me to monitor it and bring her in if she starts vomiting or her breathing is labored (which it is not). I look forward to your responses. Thank you.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

MalteseMomma — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 23:56:00 GMT

Get Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution (Amazon) or anywhere I guess .It is the very best you can buy. I have used it with wonderful results on all the dogs in my life. . Also get the Zymox Ear Cleanser.

The ears will clear up immediately and not return most of the time.

Good luck with your furbabies ears

I am sure many others will recomend this great ear product

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

Pook — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 00:10:43 GMT

@Julie928Vet techs are well trained to do many things and cleaning of ears is often one of them and the ones that my vet has are very experienced and do many advanced things to help the vet. That is what they are trained and hired for. I have had dogs with ear infections and those can range from just a simple infection to a yeast infection to something worse as well as ear mites. Usually if the owner regularly cleans the ears properly this usually doesn't happen except for ear mites which a dog can get from another animals. I never had a dog given a shot for any of those things. I would suspect the shot you are talking about is a steroid of some kind and not the best thing for a dog unless absolutely necessary. Some vets - especially older ones - rely on shots but most vets now only use them if the infection keeps returning or is severe. Claro is a fairly new treatment and is used in the vet's office and eliminates having the owner treat the ears and not do or do it right or for as long as they should. It is normal for most dogs to shake their heads after having their ears cleaned or treated and all my dogs have done this after I have cleaned their ears.

I would trust the diagnosis and treatment since you say she is quiet now. I don't know if you have been cleaning her ears regularly but if not I would start. When I bring my dogs in for their yearly checkup, an ear exam is a regular part of it and I am told when I have not done a good job of cleaning the ears.

Like all of us dog moms we worry and often needlessly.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

missy1 — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 00:31:32 GMT

The vet techs are well trained. The vets overlook their work. My dog shook it's head, had a red ear, and smelled a bit. They put rx in the ear that lasts for 2 weeks.You come back in 2 weeks for a recheck by the vet.Your dog will still shake it's head for a bit. Give it time.The vet techs here clip the dogs claws and give shots etc.. They are competent. Do not judge them by their age.

@Julie928

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

Julie928 — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 00:32:53 GMT

Thanks for the responses. I feel better now ~ I'm just one of those people who likes to see what is going on with my pet. And I worry. A lot. :-)

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

NickNack — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 00:34:49 GMT

My dog had a couple of ear infections last year. The Vet cleaned her ears out well and gave me drops to put in three times a week. I now use TrizUltra Keto Flush for dogs once a week. She hasn't had an ear infection since. My Vet sells it, but I have ordered it from Amazon, and it's much less than it was at the Vet's.

It sounds like your Vet did the right thing since others on here know what this treatment is. I've never heard of giving a shot for an ear infection.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

candys mine — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 00:38:35 GMT

Not at all suprized that the Vet had a tech clean the ears. It's what they are trained for. In many places Veterinary Techs need Certification. It was a Technican, not the Vet, who taught me to give my Trinket fluids under the skin. It was a Tech who showed me how to syringe feed her when she had stopped eating. I would trust the Techs at my Vets to clean my pets ears. I WOULD however ask the Vet just what was in my pets ears that they are treating for and get a demo on how you can clean your pups ears yourself. He has floppy ears so the ear canal is a dark moist environment just dandy for yeast and bacteria to set up shop. He's had two infections allready, maintainance ear cleaning would help keep it from coming back.

Look at it this way, even Chefs have someone else doing the prep work.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

ECBG — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 00:50:46 GMT

Poor baby. Gone further, she may have lost her hearing. Just hold her and comfort her.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

missy1 — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 02:48:34 GMT

@Nicknack wrote:
My dog had a couple of ear infections last year. The Vet cleaned her ears out well and gave me drops to put in three times a week. I now use TrizUltra Keto Flush for dogs once a week. She hasn't had an ear infection since. My Vet sells it, but I have ordered it from Amazon, and it's much less than it was at the Vet's.

It sounds like your Vet did the right thing since others on here know what this treatment is. I've never heard of giving a shot for an ear infection.

How do you put in in their ears? Is it easy? My dogs doesn't like it when you get near the ears.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

Jk9 — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 05:15:10 GMT

We have an excellent vet and also go to the upstate specialty vet for advanced treatments and emergency care. It is common for the vet techs to do a lot of treatments. It seems the new trend is to take your pet to the back for a lot of things like ear cleaning, nail clipping etc. I have not had any of my dogs get a shot for an ear infection.....just cleaning and drops in the home after the vet staff did the initial treatment. I have hounds and they are at risk for ear infections due to their floppy ears. They need routine cleaning and monitoring. I currently have a bassett and a coon hound, so I know ears. I also suspect the shot was a steroid for swelling and inflammation of the ears causing a lot of discomfort. Give it some time.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

NickNack — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 12:01:07 GMT

@missy1 wrote:
@Nicknack wrote:
My dog had a couple of ear infections last year. The Vet cleaned her ears out well and gave me drops to put in three times a week. I now use TrizUltra Keto Flush for dogs once a week. She hasn't had an ear infection since. My Vet sells it, but I have ordered it from Amazon, and it's much less than it was at the Vet's.

It sounds like your Vet did the right thing since others on here know what this treatment is. I've never heard of giving a shot for an ear infection.

How do you put in in their ears? Is it easy? My dogs doesn't like it when you get near the ears.

@missy1 I put her on my bed so it's easier for me to do it. Then I just squirt a little in her ear and hold it in with a cotton ball. I hold it for a short time and do her other ear the same way. Then she shakes her head. She didn't like it at first, and still doesn't really, but it gets much easier.

When we went to the Vet recently for her annual exam the Vet said her ears looked great. That very much makes it worth it to do this for her.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

missy1 — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 12:40:55 GMT

@Jk9 wrote:
We have an excellent vet and also go to the upstate specialty vet for advanced treatments and emergency care. It is common for the vet techs to do a lot of treatments. It seems the new trend is to take your pet to the back for a lot of things like ear cleaning, nail clipping etc. I have not had any of my dogs get a shot for an ear infection.....just cleaning and drops in the home after the vet staff did the initial treatment. I have hounds and they are at risk for ear infections due to their floppy ears. They need routine cleaning and monitoring. I currently have a bassett and a coon hound, so I know ears. I also suspect the shot was a steroid for swelling and inflammation of the ears causing a lot of discomfort. Give it some time.

That's what I thought the shot was for too. Makes sense.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

SeaMaiden — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 13:51:46 GMT

@MalteseMomma wrote:
Get Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution (Amazon) or anywhere I guess .It is the very best you can buy. I have used it with wonderful results on all the dogs in my life. . Also get the Zymox Ear Cleanser.

The ears will clear up immediately and not return most of the time.

Good luck with your furbabies ears

I am sure many others will recomend this great ear product

@Julie928 This is what I use now. My Golden was having issues with inflamed ears and black coming out when I tried to clean his one ear. I used this product every day for two weeks and today his ears are pink, clean and fresh smelling! I clean his ears with the same product once a week and now for the past 4 months his ear issues are gone.

I saved an expensive$$$ vet trip and all the issues with having THEM clean the ears and upset my dog..

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

deb5555 — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:33:15 GMT

@MalteseMomma wrote:
Get Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution (Amazon) or anywhere I guess .It is the very best you can buy. I have used it with wonderful results on all the dogs in my life. . Also get the Zymox Ear Cleanser.

The ears will clear up immediately and not return most of the time.

Good luck with your furbabies ears

I am sure many others will recomend this great ear product

2nd vote for Zymox Otic Enzymatic solution, our vet highly recommends it and it works great. It gets deep into the ear canal and solves the scratching/itching.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

Wahoogaz — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:45:26 GMT

Other posters have given you great advice on cleaning/caring for the ear issues, but have you investigated to try and find out what is causing the ear issues?

In my experience with my dogs, it almost always started with allergies to something. Years ago, my English Bulldog had to be treated for ear infections every couple of months so I did a little investigating and found out that dogs can have food allergies (common knowledge now, but not back when this happened). I put him on a grain-free diet and he never got another ear infection. I currently have a Dogue de Bordeaux that seems to be allergic to just about everything ... food-related and environment-related. She's now on a hypoallergenic/hydrolyzed protein food and gets 4 Zyrtec/day ... rarely has dirty ears and hasn't had an ear infection in over 5 years.

I recommend you do some investigating on your own and try and find out what triggers the ear problems.

Good luck!

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

Julie928 — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:54:32 GMT

Many thanks again to all who responded. I will definitely look into the solution so many of you mentioned. It's interesting that allergies were brought up. Our vet hasn't said this might be the cause, but a friend of mine mentioned this. The vet thinks it's because she has such long, floppy ears. She is much, much better today. I am grateful for that as I was so worried. Many of you may know that we adopted her this past November after we lost our beautiful Dres. Paisley hasn't had a fair shake in life until we found each other. She had two different homes that ultimately returned her because she is (as they put it) a "handful." We love her dearly and want only the best for her. Thanks again, everyone!

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

Shawnie — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:17:47 GMT

Vet techs are the backbone of any clinic. Here is a read worthy piece written by one.

She’s Just A Vet Tech
by BRITNEY GREENE
September 27, 2015 For Pet Lovers
JUST a Vet Tech greeted you at the door with a smiling face, even though we’ve been running around for 11 hours straight. Your pet was assessed by JUST a Vet Tech and, when we noticed he wasn’t stable, JUST a Vet Tech carried your 70 plus pound dog to the back and screamed for a doctor.
Once the doctor assessed your pet, JUST a Vet Tech placed the IV catheter and started to bolus fluids. JUST a Vet Tech got a blood pressure on your pet today and administered medications because his blood pressure was low. JUST a Vet Tech drew blood and ensured it got run as quickly as possible. JUST a Vet Tech wrestled your dog to get x-rays today, with the help of an assistant. When we found that your pet needed surgery, JUST a Vet Tech made certain he was stable throughout the procedure. When your pet left the surgery suite, JUST a Vet Tech sat with him to make sure he recovered with no problems.

JUST a Vet Tech got vitals on your pet every couple of hours today and reported all issues to the doctor on duty. JUST a Vet Tech noticed your pet was painful and asked the doctor to administer more pain medications. JUST a Vet Tech sat with your pet today and gave him love while you were at work. JUST a Vet Tech told your pet that he wasn’t there forever, only until he got better. JUST a Vet Tech promised your pet you’d be back for him.

Just a Vet Tech took your dog outside for a walk today. When we realized he was cramped up in that cage and his legs were stiff, JUST a Vet Tech walked your pet around the building at his pace to ensure he got proper exercise. Your pet got a lot of fluids today and couldn’t control his bladder. He’s still so weak. JUST a Vet Tech checked and changed his bedding so he didn’t have to lay in his urine. JUST a Vet Tech administered all your pets medications today.

Your pet was scared (this is a new place with new people), and he was fearfully trying to bite me. JUST a Vet Tech took the time and did everything possible to show him that we weren’t going to hurt him. He accidentally wiped his stool on me when he sat in my lap today. It happens after surgery. But, that’s okay, he didn’t mean it. JUST a Vet Tech cleaned him up nice for you.

I’m so sorry to tell you, your pet had a rough night last night. He took a turn for the worse. You’re letting your pet go today. JUST a Vet Tech understands how hurt you are, and brought you tissues. You were too upset to see your dog leave the world today. JUST a Vet Tech hugged and loved him as he crossed the bridge today. JUST a Vet Tech went home emotionally drained because all the hard work didn’t pay off today. JUST a Vet Tech will do it again tomorrow.

Remember this the next time you call someone JUST a Vet Tech. We are JUST an important part of your pet’s care. And we care about your pet.
Sincerely,
JUST a Vet Tech
Michelle GreeneBritney Greene works full-time at a Pet Emergency Hospital in Maryland, and she absolutely enjoys her job. In her spare time, Britney has two children and is pursuing her Associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

JeanLouiseFinch — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 20:29:30 GMT

@Julie928 First off all, a vet tech is an actual trained position - not just a kid doing grunt work. Generally speaking, an ear cleaning would be something they are fully competent to do while the vet is attending to another patient in need of care. It's a common practice for a vet to let the techs do this kind of thing, nail trimming, etc.

We have a Golden Retriever. Dirty ears, and even ear infections, can be more prevalent in breeds with floppy ears. I was always treating him with either the Zymox product that was mentioned or Virbac Epi-Otic - applied to a gauze pad and wrapped around my finger to wipe out his ears.

Last year, I read about giving dogs wild caught Alaskan salmon oil, that it was a better option than regular fish oil for their general health and to also prevent inflamation, and I was compelled to give it a try. Within a very short time, I noticed that my dog no longer had gunk in his ears. I've continued to give it to him daily and his ears are never dirty anymore. What a pleasant surprise benefit! You might consider adding it to your dog's diet and see if her ears improve.

Re: Question regarding ear cleaning for a dog

goldensrbest — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:46:53 GMT

One of my goldens got a ear infection,last week i ordered ECO EARS,it is organic i am thrilled with it ,highly recommend.