Ear Cleaner

JMc

JMc

Super Moderator
Searched the site and did not have much luck...any homemade recipes for ear cleaner. If there is a post, let me know and I'll go check it out. Thanks!
 
why cant you use a peroxide and water mixture like you do for humans I would think that would work for dogs as well
 
I would not use peroxide in my dogs eyes. I just remember something someplace it is not the best eye care product.

I make my own Saline Eye Wash; It is 1/2 teaspoon non iodized salt to about 1 Pint of Sterilized Water I make mine in a Sterilized pint jar. I use a Q-tip to get the seeds and other stuff out. If you are sure your dogs are clean and they are still weeping. Get to a Vet. There is something trapped behind the Second eyelid. Yes, dogs have 2 eye lids an inner and outer.........Bob
 
Darn if you are not right on Mike, I'm sorry still good info on the eyes. For the Ears. The best cleaner I have found is good old fashioned Mineral Oil. If it is for that brown stuff that is in their ears. Soak a Q-tip in the Mineral Oil clean the ears. It will take several Q-Tips to get the ears clean. After cleaning with the Q-Tip, pour a little into the ear canal and leave until next day and then reclean. If it is ear mites you will need a earmite medication. If it is seeds and such I just pick them out with a forceps, or wet with water Q-Tip. Something I find useful is a flashlight that has tip for looking in Ears and such. I got mine at a drugstore. It looks like a writing Pen.......Bob
 
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Here is a very popular home remedy that was originally formulated by a veterinarian.

If you google "purple power ear wash" I think you get quite a few hits. Anyway this formula works well as a maintenance cleaner and also can be used to treat mild yeast infections. I use this, only I substitute the alcohol with witch hazel.

Ear Cleanse Formula Purple Stuff

16 oz. bottle isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 drops Gentian Violet 1% Solution

Mix all ingredients in the alcohol bottle & shake. (make sure you shake before every application).
Treatment: Fill ear with solution & massage gently for 30 seconds and wipe with a tissue. Fill a second time and just wipe without massaging. The dog will shake the excess out. Be careful, the Gentian Violet could stain. I use a eye dropper to fill the ear.
Treatment:

For yeast infections use this schedule
2 times per day for the first 2 weeks
1 time per day for the next 2 weeks
1 time per month thereafter

If you are concerned about the alcohol burning the inside of the ear (it could if the dog has been scratching its ear), then you can substitute the alcohol with witch hazel.
All ingredients are available at a pharmacy. The Boric Acid is usually in the First Aid section where you find the alcohol. The Gentian Violet will be the hardest to find and may need to be special ordered.
 
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bobeyerite said:
I would not use peroxide in my dogs eyes. I just remember something someplace it is not the best eye care product.

I make my own Saline Eye Wash; It is 1/2 teaspoon non iodized salt to about 1 Pint of Sterilized Water I make mine in a Sterilized pint jar. I use a Q-tip to get the seeds and other stuff out. If you are sure your dogs are clean and they are still weeping. Get to a Vet. There is something trapped behind the Second eyelid. Yes, dogs have 2 eye lids an inner and outer.........Bob
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moellermd said:
I think he was asking about ear not eye.
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bobeyerite said:
Darn if you are not right on Mike, I'm sorry still good info on the eyes. For the Ears. The best cleaner I have found is good old fashioned Mineral Oil. If it is for that brown stuff that is in their ears. Soak a Q-tip in the Mineral Oil clean the ears. It will take several Q-Tips to get the ears clean. After cleaning with the Q-Tip, pour a little into the ear canal and leave until next day and then reclean. If it is ear mites you will need a earmite medication. If it is seeds and such I just pick them out with a forceps, or wet with water Q-Tip. Something I find useful is a flashlight that has tip for looking in Ears and such. I got mine at a drugstore. It looks like a writing Pen.......Bob
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you sure you werent using your own eye drops that you maybe, over saw this topic? jk...
 
JK, It is very easy to misread something. Yes, I do use eye drops for Glucoma. But they do not affect my reading ability, as they are put in my eyes at bedtime.........Bob
 
bobeyerite said:
JK, It is very easy to misread something. Yes, I do use eye drops for Glucoma. But they do not affect my reading ability, as they are put in my eyes at bedtime.........Bob
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you do know i was just giving you a hard time about it? i am hard of hearing, so when i hear something, i could say something and then they'd all look at me funny and say, we're not talking about that. so i know the feeling when you're corrected. no pun intended if i hurt your feelings.
 
Dakotazeb said:
I agree. I use Oti-Clens as a cleaning agent for my Brittany's ears. Got it from my vet and it wasn't that expensive. Although Drs. Foster & Smith has an ear cleansing solution that is almost identical to Oti-Clens and it's a lot cheaper. Here the link to it:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1585
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I use Oti-cleanse as well.
TIP: put it in the microwave to WARM it for 20 to 25 seconds. Test the temperature as you would a baby bottle to make sure its not hot. WARM ONLY ! It cuts the waxy stuff better that way and the dogs don't resist as much. Some dogs don't care, some go nutz.
 
Sorry I jumped into this thread a little late, been at a veterinary conference. Any of the commercially available ear cleaners are good choices, they usually have some surfactant to cut the wax and a mild acid to alter the pH of the external ear canal. Some also have fragrance added as others cause your hands to stink. The important thing to remember is to really flush and massage the bases to get out the debris that is in the horizontal ear canal. As another poster noted, these won't do diddly-squat for ear mites. If you do have mites it is important to remove as much of the debris as possible prior to treatment. More commonly though, especially in the south, we deal with mixed yeast and bacterial infections. For these it is necessary to treat with something like Mometamax or Otomax. After you clear the infections the ear cleaners work well used weekly to prevent reinfection. I have recommended before using a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water and it works OK. I hesitate using peroxide for anything more than first-aid because it is caustic to normal tissue when used repeatedly. And you don't have to buy the cleaners at the vets, though we appreciate it when you do, as they are available at most farm supply or pet stores.
 
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