Hello all, my 11 month old lab Gabby may have an ear infection. I noticed yesterday when her ear was flipped over, it was very red. I tried to clean her ear as it also looked dirty. She got very agitated, ran and was growling at me. This is very unlike her, she is normally very sweet and it may be that her ear is hurting. I have cleaned her ears in the past when she was younger and although she did not enjoy it, she would let me do it and I always rewarded her with a treat afterward. My concern is that if she does indeed have an ear infection, how am I going to get the medicine in her ear with her acting so crazy! Anyone else experience this?
Re: Ear trouble Well, off to the vet pronto... If you need to put ear drops in a sore ear, and haven't trained for that, the only thing to do is have the dog on a lead (and get help if you can), hold the dog firmly and gently and apply the ear drops while feeding roast chicken (the dog might not take the food at first, but if you keep offering it, she will eventually). If you have to apply ear drops for sore ears over a long period of time, as I did, then it is worth clicker training but it takes quite a long time.... [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9816.msg142382#msg142382 date=1423349641] I sat on the kitchen floor with a pile of treats and the ear cleaner. I clicked if my dog approached me (he had learned to avoid me if I had the ear cleaner). Then for staying still as I touched the bottle. Then for lifting his ear...and so on. Now, he'll sit on his mat, refuse to eat treats, and look miserable like I'm going to inflict terrible punishment on him, until I've put in the drops - he'll hold his head still while I lift his ear with one hand and apply the drops with the other. Then, he'll immediately scoff the treats I've left on his mat while I massage his ears... :. Not perfect, but a workable system.... [/quote]
Re: Ear trouble Julie has given you good advice on how to get drops in. In the interim before you can train that or while you are training that, you should know that ear infections can be cleared up without drops! My family dog (who lives with my father now) has a thing about bodily autonomy and does not like grooming, poking at sore bits, etc… now training would be the right way to fix it, but he's old and stuck in his ways. He had a VERRRRY bad ear infection (pus, red, hot) and we were given antibiotics and pills to give him along with ear drops. I was able to sneak attack some ear drops in (maybe 1-2 drops) but we weren't able to give him the drops as directed. But the pill medicine cleared it right up without the drops.
Re: Ear trouble Great idea Julie. I do use the clicker with her so I will try that. Hopefully that will work! I also have a cocker spaniel, Delilah, who has had a million ear infections in her lifetime (typical cocker!) and my lab Gabby just watches very intent as I clean Delilah's ears probably thinking to herself "I cannot believe she is letting that woman clear her ears!"
Re: Ear trouble [quote author=maisiesmomma link=topic=10615.msg157269#msg157269 date=1429300275] But the pill medicine cleared it right up without the drops. [/quote] Were these oral ABs? I have to say, I spent a great deal of time, and money, messing about with oral ABs for ear troubles to no effect whatsoever. The dermatologist I saw in the end (mega £££s but worth it because the trouble was cleared up) said oral ABs were pretty useless for ear troubles and it had all been a big waste of time. I honestly think it's a big mistake to mess about with ear problems - these days, any ear problems at all and I make a beeline for a specialist dermatologist, and by pass my vet (who is lovely, and is a specialist orthopaedic vet and he is just fantastic at what he specialises in, but has agreed to give me a standing referral to the dermatologist and finds out about my trips after the event).
Re: Ear trouble I honestly don't remember what type of drops they were, but whatever they were, they worked very well. Each dog is different but I just meant as an interim measure while she works on training ear drops, the vet might be able to prescribe something that could help.
