Cleaning the ears

[danielle]

Hi there,
I wasn't sure where to put this thread there doesn't seem to be a grooming option so here it is.

I have a maltese, she is about 15 weeks and her ears are a bit dry and flaky and have a light odour.

I have also noticed that compared to our other puppy she is quite a smelly dog over all.

Nothing medically is wrong with her she just smells like a dog.

My question is how do I get over the cleaning the ears part. It seems horrible to pull the hairs out, is that the best way.

And instead of using all the chemical powders can baking soda be used instead.

Also with the dry flaky skin on her ears is it ok to use olive oil?

many thanks for your hepl. Danielle

[mia's mom]

This is what I use to clean my fluffs ears.

http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/EarCleaner.html

Scroll down to the middle of the page.

[Morkie4]

I've been using the stuff the Amy (Posh's mom) recommended and it has been helping a lot with their ears........but I did go and buy all the stuff for the remedy that Mia's Mom posted. I am going to try it as well. I had a really hard time finding the powdered boric acid.......seems like only one place was carrying it......Publix of all places and they said they only had one bottle. They set it aside for me and said when I needed more, just to let them know and they will order it for me. :)

[JiJi's Mom]

I don't pluck my girls hair inside the ear since I'm not sure how far down to go so I just take her to the groomer every month.
I have a bottle of Dr. Golds extra gentle ear therapy is to clean, disinfect and deodorize and it's alcohol free. I use it every time I bath them, just a drop.

I also have a lil' stinker, I don't know if it's because she might sneak a bite out of her sis poo or it's just genetically her.

[MalteseJane]

Hi there,
I wasn't sure where to put this thread there doesn't seem to be a grooming option so here it is.

I have a maltese, she is about 15 weeks and her ears are a bit dry and flaky and have a light odour.

I have also noticed that compared to our other puppy she is quite a smelly dog over all.

Nothing medically is wrong with her she just smells like a dog.

My question is how do I get over the cleaning the ears part. It seems horrible to pull the hairs out, is that the best way.

And instead of using all the chemical powders can baking soda be used instead.

Also with the dry flaky skin on her ears is it ok to use olive oil?

many thanks for your hepl. Danielle

In my opinion there is something wrong somewhere. First there should not be even a light odor from the ears.

Secondly a Maltese is not a smelly dog. On the contrary. Maltese don't have the doggy smell.

In 12-1/2 years I have plugged my maltese ears only occasionally. I know that some have more hairs in their ears than others, but at 15 weeks ?

Have you had your little one checked by a vet ?

[Morkie4]

Oh and I forgot to address that your maltese is smelly. I have no problem with my maltese smelling and I have three of them. Only time they smell is when they need a bath which I have gone as long as four weeks without bathing them and still no smell. Now my yorkie is another story......he needs a bath much sooner than the girls. So I don't know why your little one is smelly.........you might need to take her to the vet for a check-up on that one as well as the ear issues. Ear issues isn't something you want to mess with as it can be very painful for them if they have an infection or mites can be very irritating.

As I said, I have four fluffs and do all my own grooming from clipping the anal area, expressing anal glands, cutting their nails to plucking the ear hair out. They don't seem to mind but they are use to it since I have done it since I adopted them.......but not sure just how much ear hair a 15 week old puppy can have or that it would need plucked. You would have to be the judge of that. :)

[mom2boo]

If there's a bad smell coming from the ears, your puppy needs to be seen by a vet & checked for an ear infection. Plucking the ear hair will not cure it,nor will ear powder. I do most of the grooming myself for my 2,but I do take them to a groomer once a month for nail clipping & she plucks the earhair every other time.

[Morkie4]

If there's a bad smell coming from the ears, your puppy needs to be seen by a vet & checked for an ear infection. Plucking the ear hair will not cure it,nor will ear powder. I do most of the grooming myself for my 2,but I do take them to a groomer once a month for nail clipping & she plucks the earhair every other time.

Ya know Sue, I use to let the vet clip the nails but the last time Kallie had her teeth cleaned, I told them to clip her nails as well since she would be out and easy to do...........well, they cut one of her nails too short and it bled:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

So with doing all four of the fluffs, I am getting pretty good at it. Two of them have dew claws as well............ so that is 20 nails to cut! Hey I found something else I'm good at! :p :p :p :p

[mom2boo]

Ya know Sue, I use to let the vet clip the nails but the last time Kallie had her teeth cleaned, I told them to clip her nails as well since she would be out and easy to do...........well, they cut one of her nails too short and it bled:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

So with doing all four of the fluffs, I am getting pretty good at it. Two of them have dew claws as well............ so that is 20 nails to cut! Hey I found something else I'm good at! :p :p :p :p

Good for you. Clipping nails terrifies me. Boo fights me & because of that I accidently clipped a quik. I thought I was going to faint & I got sick to my stomach. So now I let a groomer do that.:o Since I have to take them to the groomer for that,I just let her do the ears too. Hannah has dewclaws,but Boo doesn't. Those little things are hard to get too.

[Morkie4]

Good for you. Clipping nails terrifies me. Boo fights me & because of that I accidently clipped a quik. I thought I was going to faint & I got sick to my stomach. So now I let a groomer do that.:o Since I have to take them to the groomer for that,I just let her do the ears too. Hannah has dewclaws,but Boo doesn't. Those little things are hard to get too.

The only one that I have to be very careful with is Toby since his nails are all BLACK and hard to see the quick. With the girls, I can easily see the quick and so not a problem. And yep them dew claws are hard to get to. For the most part all are pretty cooperative (I know they don't "enjoy" it) except for Kallie.........she always puts up a struggle but I always win in the end! :D:D

The ears, I just do a weekly check and pull any hairs out so there is never a major ear hair pull out day!:lol2::lol2::lol2:

[Emma's Mama]

I can handle clipping the nails if needed in between trips to the groomer, but that ear hair is just about more than I can take! I try plucking it the best that I can but most of it gets left for the groomer. Emma hates having her ears messed with and she always acts like I'm hurting her. Of course, she's also a major drama queen so who knows. Even the groomer mentioned how much Em doesn't like it to be done.

[JiJi's Mom]

I can handle clipping the nails if needed in between trips to the groomer, but that ear hair is just about more than I can take! I try plucking it the best that I can but most of it gets left for the groomer. Emma hates having her ears messed with and she always acts like I'm hurting her. Of course, she's also a major drama queen so who knows. Even the groomer mentioned how much Em doesn't like it to be done.

WOW, I'm glad to know mine is not the only brat. LOL, groomer told me the same thing.

[Eklectic]

I bathe mine every 7-10 days. I always check their ears before drying them: first to see if some water got in there and second to see if they need plucking. If they do, I always do it dry!
I started doing nails about 3 months ago. D'Cotton and D'Sugar HATE having their front paws touched, so...I do them when I am bathing them, all wet in the sink and voila no more fighting me!
As far as being smelly, mine all play outside in the pen for about two hours everyday (one hour in the am and one hour in the pm) and except for boy's "pee smell" they are fine!

I would have the vet do a complete check on your baby: Maltese do not smell!

[Emma's Mama]

WOW, I'm glad to know mine is not the only brat. LOL, groomer told me the same thing.

Oh no, yours is definitely not the only one! Both Emma's groomer and her vet have called her a little drama queen on more than one occasion. Does this girl ever have ATTITUDE! :)