Ear hair & plucking what is best?

                 This puppy had to be sedated to treat infection due to plucking

     Some longhaired breeds of dogs grow hair inside their ear canal. For many years, one of the most controversial topics among veterinarians and pet groomers, is the topic of plucking this hair from a dog’s ears. New research suggest plucking the ear hair from a dog is both painful and unnecessary to keep away ear infections.

     While traditional vets say that, a dog’s ear should be plucked and cleaned on a regular basis to keep the ear healthy. Veterinarians who specialize in dermatological conditions like Dr. Paul B. Bloom -DVM would disagree, arguing that plucking ear hair causes trauma to the ear. This trauma causes inflammation and tiny wounds, which excrete a serum; an inflamed, moist ear is prime breeding ground for bacteria. However, both agree that routine cleaning is essential for preventing an ear infection.

     The most common cause of ear infection is inflammation from food allergies the second is moisture in the ear canal. Remember a dark, moist, warm cavity is prime breeding grounds for bacteria and bacteria overgrowth causes ear infections. Moisture can come from trauma from plucking and from getting water in the ear due to swimming or bathing.

If your dog has hairy ears, what should you do to prevent ear infections?
     Many vets and groomers are just now starting to come to the conclusion that instead of plucking ears completely clean, the ear canal hair should be trimmed with blunt tipped scissors or clippers. Other alternatives are plucking just a few hairs a day and cleaning weekly. Previously it was believed that ears filled with ear hair could not circulate air and thus would cause infection. Now, reasoning has evolved that if the hairy ear remains clean and dry, as long as there are no underlying conditions, the ear will not become infected. Does this mean your dog can’t enjoy the pool or be bathed? No, it only means that to prevent ear infections a drying ear cleaner needs to be applied every time your dog gets his ears wet.

Tips to Prevent Ear Infections
1. Keep ear hair trimmed short or-
2. Pluck only what comes out easily with your fingers.
3. Apply drying ear cleaner after every bath or swim.
4. Never use q-tips to clean inside the ear.
5. Wipe ear clean with gauze pads moistened with ear cleaner.

What if your vet or groomer still believes plucking is best?
     I have spoken with many vets and groomers on this subject and I have concluded that many are still divided. Most have not tried the non plucking method and are still going by old fashioned teachings. Those who have stopped plucking have experienced nothing but positive results.

     If you simply ask your groomer not to pluck, they would be more than happy not to. Plucking a dogs ear completely clean is extremely painful for most dogs, they scream and try to bite and fear this part of grooming as the most dreaded part. Most groomers were trained to pluck and some vets chastise groomers for not plucking, so they feel like it is part of their job.

     To prove my point my poodle puppy had never had her ears plucked at 5 months old. So I plucked her hairy ears, cleaned them and she didn’t even seem to mind the procedure too much, however, the next day my poodles ears were dripping with puss, just like the photo of the puppy above. I had never seen so much puss come so quickly. The vet prescribed her an ear ointment and oral antibiotics and she was fine after a few days, but I never plucked her ears again. I researched why this happened and why I was not alone. Over my 13 years of grooming, I used to pluck every dogs ear completely clean, thinking that it was the only way to prevent ear infections. Now that I have stopped plucking, my clients have far fewer problems with their ears. What works best may differ from dog to dog, some just need a happy medium. It is up to you to find out what is best for your pet.

If you have questions about this topic please leave a comment below.