Doodles have floppy ears; because of their shape they’re more prone to ear problems. All the icky ear stuff will thrive in the warm moist environment a floppy ear provides. Consequently, it’s important that a Doodle’s people making ear cleaning part of their weekly routine. A few preventative minutes will save you time and money. More importantly, it will prevent the discomfort of an ear infection for your Dood. How to clean your Doodle’s ears:
- Gently lift his earflap, this straightens his ear canal. Now squirt a generous amount of ear cleaning solution into your Dood’s ear and massage the base of the ear for 20 to 25 seconds. Your Dood should enjoy a gentle ear massage, at the same time the cleansing solution gently reaches deeper into the ear. You may use a purchased ear cleaning solution or a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
- Now let your Dood shake out the extra solution – you may want to be outside for this step.
- Use a soft cloth or a cotton ball to remove excess wax and debris that the solution and shaking have brought up. Do not insert anything down the ear canal.
- After cleaning, fold earflaps back for about five minutes to dry ear canals, and then finish with a small amount of an ear drying powder.
If your Dood’s ears are dirty, you may need to repeat the process several times to remove all the dirt. For obviously sore ears (red) use an alcohol free cleaning solution. You can make a 50/50 solution with white vinegar and witch hazel that won’t sting a sore ear. Only use white vinegar. Use a little of the cleaning solution and some ear drying powder after a bath or a swim to prevent ear infection.