[buckmeister]

My pup started shaking his head and scratching his ears and I see their is black stuff in his ears, my vet cant get to us until monday and I am wondering is there something I can get to start treating this condition?

 

[i_willie12]

NOt really sounds like he already has a ear infection. The only thing that will fix it is some meds.
Your dog will probably always have this problem and you will have to do some preemptive treatment. I use a known homemade mix that is called the Purple solution it is:
16 oz. bottle isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 drops Gentian Violet 1% Solution

All this can normally be found at your local wally world or pharmacy. I had to go to pharmacy to get gentian violet. Just mix it all up in a squeeze bottle and put some in the dogs ears about every week. This soultion sterilize's the dogs ear drums and doesnt allow the bacteria to grow.

 

[HNTFSH]

:ditto: Stuff works great!

Start by filling a 10CC dropper into each ear and massage it well inside. Let dog shake out after. Be careful - the purple stains.

Add another dose and clean inside of ear with gauze. Gently dig a little deeper in the ear than you would think.

You will probably have to do this every day for a couple weeks to clear it out and then preventative as suggested from there on out.

 

[buckmeister]

Would using a spray bottle work as well?

 

[HNTFSH]

Would using a spray bottle work as well?

10 cc's x 4 is a lot of spraying - you got to SOAK the insides of the ear. I use a syringe. An ear dropper would also work. I would not spray.

 

[i_willie12]

I went and bought a cheap hair dye kit at wally world $3 and threw it all away except for the applicator bottle. Cleaned it out and used it. I couldnt find any little squeeze bottles like that so went that route.

Oh make sure to do this outside like mentioned it will stain!!!

 

[buckmeister]

Okay, I have all the stuff, want to make sure I understand the mix. 16oz. rubbing alcohol, with 5 tablespons of Boric acid and 16 dtops of the gentian? Then take a 10cc syringe and apply with the gauze/sponges?

 

[buckmeister]

Also, please explain how to keep a 6 month old pup still while I do this. (Please dont say comand sit)

 

[rman114]

This won't cure the infection he already has though. I was cleaning my dog infected ears daily getting that black crap out but it would always come back. It didn't stop until he got antibiotic drops in there for a week.

But the concotion your making i'm sure is a great way to prevent a future infection. Always clean or at least check out the ears after swimming.

 

[i_willie12]

Okay, I have all the stuff, want to make sure I understand the mix. 16oz. rubbing alcohol, with 5 tablespons of Boric acid and 16 dtops of the gentian? Then take a 10cc syringe and apply with the gauze/sponges?

Just squeeze some in the ear. You are using the gauze to clean the crap thats in there out. Not to apply the soultion with. Really get in there with the guaze/cotton balls work too. And try to get that stuff out of there. They wont like that but you have to do that

 

[i_willie12]

Also, please explain how to keep a 6 month old pup still while I do this. (Please dont say comand sit)

IF dog wont sit your going to have to make it sit or hold still some how.

Rman is right this will not fix your current problem you still need some antiboitics from the vet. The dog will be on this certain med for a month twice a day. At least that is what mine was.

 

[buckmeister]

Thanks for the replys, he actually kept pretty still while I doused the ears.

 

[HNTFSH]

The majority of issues I have are ear mites that cause the inflamation and discomfort versus an ear infection. You should determine which it is at some point. :thumbsup:

 

[drod]

Might also want to consider a diet change in the future. My black lab is unaffected, but I have a golden retriever mix who gets ear infections whenever she eats food with beef or any dairy products like cheese (she's a family pet so she gets some table scraps now and then). Her son, whom my in-laws have, also has the same problem. Have to feed them lamb and rice formula food.

I've heard this is pretty common in retriever breeds.

 

[JoeP]

My first dog had ears like that. The vet gave me an antibiotic to use and showed me a cleaning technique. Try putting in a few drops of that stuff you made and then squeeze the base of the ear together and roll it around in your hand to brake that crap up. As soon as you let go of the ear the dog will shake its head and you will notice that black stuff will fly all over the place so you might want to do it outside. Its nasty but it works. Then wipe the remaining out as best as you can with gauze and/or go nice and easy with a q-tip on the stuff you cant get with a gauze. Some of that stuff can be deep but the ear squeeze technique that I mentioned should get most of deep stuff out. None of this should hurt the dog. If it yelps your squeezing the ear to hard.
If it is mites like someone mentioned above, then this cleaning method is just a temporary fix. You still need to take care
of the mites, but the cleaning will offer relief. Hope this helps. :thumbsup:

 

[buckmeister]

Great advice on the ear squeeze technique, I bought soe stuff that is suppose to work on ear mites too. You guys aint kiddin about that purple stuff staining.

 

[HNTFSH]

You guys aint kiddin about that purple stuff staining.

:yes: :yes: :yes:

JoeP - the Boric Acid in the purple stuff is what kills the mites.

 

[JoeP]

I will put that one in the memory bank for a later time. :thumbsup: Where can you buy this stuff? Boric Acid sounds
like you would have to call HAZMAT if you spilled it! :yes: I know you said a pharmacy but wow, the store clerk
will probably think I have a meth lab or something.

 

[razorback]

Just dont try to buy it in conjunction with Pseudoephedrine and a box of road flares... :no:

 

[i_willie12]

I will put that one in the memory bank for a later time. :thumbsup: Where can you buy this stuff? Boric Acid sounds
like you would have to call HAZMAT if you spilled it! :yes: I know you said a pharmacy but wow, the store clerk
will probably think I have a meth lab or something.

Yup just any store like wally world walgreens local pharmacy has all that stuff