Poodle Ear Care: Helpful Tips to Take Care of Your Poodle's Ears

The Poodle’s floppy ears mean that they can require lot of grooming. Poodles require regular ear care to keep ears healthy, and a healthy pet makes for a wonderful companion.

Ear Grooming

The ears should be brushed with a fine pin brush once a week. Inspect the ears for any wax buildup, mites or ear infection. Pluck the inside hair from the pet’s ear canal. Pinching the skin or the hair from the inner ear is very painful and causes infection. Don’t leave the hair too long as it becomes prone to matting.

Poodle Ear Problems

Poodles are prone to ear infections due to their floppy ears. The ears lie flat and are not exposed to air making it a breeding ground for bacteria. Yeast, bacteria, pseudomonas, and ticks, thrive in the warm and moist ear canal, this can lead to allergies or itchy ears.

Ear Infection: Symptoms and Treatment

Smelly ears are a classic symptom of an ear infection. The ear may have wax build up and may be itchy. Your pet’s behavior may also change such as excessively scratching their ears, rubbing them against the furniture, or persistently shaking their head. In some cases, there may also be a bad smell or discharge from the ear. These are classic symptoms of an ear infection. If you notice any of these symptoms, take your pet to the vet who will prescribe a combination of drugs and drops to treat the infection depending on its type.

Daily Ear Care

Preventative care is the best approach. Proper ear care can keep infection at bay and keep your poodle happy and healthy. A routine ear care regime will keep the pet free from ear infections.

Brush and inspect the ears weekly. Brush around the ears to clear the area of mites. These mites are usually stuck close to the fold below the floppy ears or in the ear canal. They suck the blood which causes itchiness. Remove the mites by pinching them with your fingers close to the skin. Pull out but do not break them. Do not burn them with the tip of a burnt matchstick as this can increase the chances of toxins being released into the Poodle’s body by the mites.

Wash the ear canal weekly by squirting the mixture and rubbing the base of the ear until you hear a swishing sound. Move away to allow the poodle to shake its head. This helps to remove the water from the inner ears. It is better to carry out this cleaning outdoors so as not to dirty your house.

Clean the outer ear with a wash cloth and remove all the dirty and visible wax. If you observe a wax buildup, professional help is required. Keep the area around the ears dry, especially if your dog loves a water dip.

Taking proper care of the ears will keep infection away and your pet healthy.