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To Pluck, Or Not To Pluck


Clyde
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A few years ago I took on the grooming of an OES, the owners had been told to just trim the hair inside the ears. I had a look in there and pulled a few hairs out only to find at the other end a huge ball of wax and hair, resulting in the dog having to be knocked out to have this hair/wax ball removed and an ear infection treated.

I covered for another groomer for a few months, she had this evil tempered Shih Tzu with foul ears, owners weren't bothered. I plucked and cleaned the ears, next visit, the dog was a much nicer temperament and the ears looked a lot better.

There are plenty of other stories like that, perhaps vets don't get to see so many because it is the groomers who are treating the ears by getting them plucked and cleaned out? Then any residual pproblems (and I will tell owners if they need to keep a check on the ears or go to the vet) may then be seen by the vets when the dogs have cleaner ears?

I know with my own breed, if they aren't plucked, the ears get waxy and smelly.

So I am in the pluck until they are cleaned out group, I have not heard of a dog that has developed ears problems from being plucked

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I am finding this a very interesting thread, and very timely for me ATM

After months of treatment, TDs ears have finally cleared up enough to be plucked. He doesn't have very hairy ears, but on Wednesday his dermatologist suggested we pluck. Actually, he did it whilst he was suggesting it.

I still don't know enough about it to know whether or not I want to keep it up, which way is more likely to keep his ears infection free. So I'll just keep on reading this thread and try to be more decisive :cheer:

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I haven't had to pluck the Whippets ears yet though. :wink:
[

And your excuse is :love:

All dogs have different amounts of hair.With Poodles we find rarely do you get a hairy on .

With our schnauzers you get a small handful wit no hair at all but 95% of the time they have very hairy ears especially the blacks.

The best product we used for years for ear maintance(no problem ears) was leo ear cleaner,brilliant stuff until the vets complained & it was no longer available unless vet only & even them no one stocks because they all dish out epi otic :rainbowbridge:

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I groomed a just 5 month old Poodle puppy today, it had totally disgusting ears :laugh:

the canals were totally full of hair and sticking crud, this is what came out of one ear!

Image2.jpg

Edited by Crisovar
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Pluck 'em. My Lagotti all have very hairy ears and are frequent swimmers. My oldest boy is 9 years old so I have a bit of experience here. No ear infections and they dive into the water, head often going under. Surely floppy, close set, hairy ears could only lead to ear infections. They wouldn't even dry out before their next dunking!

So I am sticking with the "plucking".

Noels.

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I am a total NON plucker. I have never plucked my Lhasa's ears ever and never had any issues. Ever.

I groom quite a few Lhasas and I haven't found them to have the hair growth in the canals like some of the other breeds, with the exception a Lhasa X Poodle ( I know I know, WHY would you) it has terrible hair issues.

The worse one I see are usually Poodles and DD's.

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Poor mini! My groomer teacher used to keep all of such "undesirable hair items" in a ziplock and present them to the owners when they pick up the dogs. She said it was to show tthe owners what had been removed. It happened on several occasions that upon removing that much gunk, the ear canals of the dogs got sore and actually required medical attention. Owners generally blamed the groomer not knowing that an infection was there in the first place.

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