The Cockapoo Club for owners, enthusiasts and ALL recipients of Hearing Dogs
WHERE COCKAPOOS COME FIRST!
WHERE COCKAPOOS COME FIRST!
EAR CARE & PLUCKING
Cockapoos are beautiful dogs, with a curly coat and long pendulous ears. Those ears can be a problem for them though, and some care is needed to keep problems at bay.
As part of your routine care for your dog, starting from puppy-hood, you should carefully inspect each ear regularly. This will get your dog used to being handled and will make it easier for you (and the vet if necessary) to examine the ears when necessary.
If the ear is clean then it should be left alone, no cleaning is usually needed to keep it healthy.
Check if the ears are -
Red or inflamed?
Is it sore?
Is there a discharge?
Does your dog object to the ear being touched?
Is it mucky looking?
Is there an odour?
Is your dog rubbing its head on the floor to scratch it or shaking its head a lot?
Does your dog stand with its head on one side?
These are all signs that trouble is brewing and needs addressing, possibly a vet visit.
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF EAR PROBLEMS
INFECTION - Bacterial or Yeast
EAR MITES - Small parasitic organisms which live in the ear canal and live off the ear wax. Cause intense irritation
FOREIGN OBJECT - Things like a grass seed, moulted fur can enter the ear canal and cause irritation. If the ear is clean and there are no issues, we do not think you need to bother with it. Over cleaning is as wrong as ignoring problems, so just keep an eye on things.
If you do see some muck, wax etc, you can gently clean the outer flap of the ear, using either an over the counter or a veterinary prescribed cleaner. NEVER try and clean down into the ear canal.
If your dog has repeated ear problems it can be a miserable time for both you and your dog. It is awful to see them in discomfort.
We always recommend that veterinary examination should be done to find the problems, and advice taken on treatment, but for chronic conditions it is sometimes worth looking at all aspects of your dog to try and improve health, the immune system and general well-being. A more holistic view of things can sometimes help.
For natural treatments for minor ear problems look on our NATURAL REMEDIES page
EAR PLUCKING - GOOD OR BAD?
Some Cockapoos have very hairy ears and the common practice is for ears to be plucked on a regular basis, usually when they are groomed.
There is some question-mark over this practice now however, with some vets and groomers starting to wonder whether this does more harm than good.
Their recommendation is, particularly if you have a dog with repeated ear infections, that plucking should be stopped. They say that the act of pulling fur out causes damage to the skin, and irritation. Where the skin is damaged bacteria can set in, starting the whole process of infection, discomfort and treatment all over again.
Their recommendation is to stop plucking the ears, but instead trim the fur underneath the ear at the side of the head, and on the underside of the ear flap and keep it short.
This will allow the air to circulate round the ear. Care should also be taken to keep the ears dry - Cockapoos are notorious for liking muddy puddles and any available water so carefully dry them as soon as possible.
Whatever your view on this, no dog who has an ear infection or any irritation should not have their ears plucked, unless it is done by a vet for medical reasons.
As part of your routine care for your dog, starting from puppy-hood, you should carefully inspect each ear regularly. This will get your dog used to being handled and will make it easier for you (and the vet if necessary) to examine the ears when necessary.
If the ear is clean then it should be left alone, no cleaning is usually needed to keep it healthy.
Check if the ears are -
Red or inflamed?
Is it sore?
Is there a discharge?
Does your dog object to the ear being touched?
Is it mucky looking?
Is there an odour?
Is your dog rubbing its head on the floor to scratch it or shaking its head a lot?
Does your dog stand with its head on one side?
These are all signs that trouble is brewing and needs addressing, possibly a vet visit.
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF EAR PROBLEMS
INFECTION - Bacterial or Yeast
EAR MITES - Small parasitic organisms which live in the ear canal and live off the ear wax. Cause intense irritation
FOREIGN OBJECT - Things like a grass seed, moulted fur can enter the ear canal and cause irritation. If the ear is clean and there are no issues, we do not think you need to bother with it. Over cleaning is as wrong as ignoring problems, so just keep an eye on things.
If you do see some muck, wax etc, you can gently clean the outer flap of the ear, using either an over the counter or a veterinary prescribed cleaner. NEVER try and clean down into the ear canal.
If your dog has repeated ear problems it can be a miserable time for both you and your dog. It is awful to see them in discomfort.
We always recommend that veterinary examination should be done to find the problems, and advice taken on treatment, but for chronic conditions it is sometimes worth looking at all aspects of your dog to try and improve health, the immune system and general well-being. A more holistic view of things can sometimes help.
For natural treatments for minor ear problems look on our NATURAL REMEDIES page
EAR PLUCKING - GOOD OR BAD?
Some Cockapoos have very hairy ears and the common practice is for ears to be plucked on a regular basis, usually when they are groomed.
There is some question-mark over this practice now however, with some vets and groomers starting to wonder whether this does more harm than good.
Their recommendation is, particularly if you have a dog with repeated ear infections, that plucking should be stopped. They say that the act of pulling fur out causes damage to the skin, and irritation. Where the skin is damaged bacteria can set in, starting the whole process of infection, discomfort and treatment all over again.
Their recommendation is to stop plucking the ears, but instead trim the fur underneath the ear at the side of the head, and on the underside of the ear flap and keep it short.
This will allow the air to circulate round the ear. Care should also be taken to keep the ears dry - Cockapoos are notorious for liking muddy puddles and any available water so carefully dry them as soon as possible.
Whatever your view on this, no dog who has an ear infection or any irritation should not have their ears plucked, unless it is done by a vet for medical reasons.