Ear cleaning

does anybody know some good stuff to clean my staffys ears.heard about wave/water,alcohol,vineger,equal amount cant seem to get alcohol,
also r blue staffys prone to allergys

Could he have ear mites?

Cleanaural is the one recommended by our vets and can be bought without prescription, and in our case in a bigger volume and cheaper than the vets.

I clean my dogs ears every week with sterile saline solution.

This is in order to condition them to be used to it should the need arise.

In my FA box I keep both Quistel and Thornit.

Both of which I prefer above all other potions.

http://quistel.co.uk/products/index.php?page=earcleaner

http://thornitearpowder.com/

I don't know about what is best, but I do know what my vet told me during Jimmi's recent ear troubles. She said that any ear drops or moisture put into the ear could make some problems much worse, and they should only be used if there is a proven need for them.

Obviously, if there are mites etc. then action has to be taken, but she is of the opinion that many dogs actually develop problems if the ear canal is constantly moist.

Jimmi's problems turned out to be a clump of his hair right down at the bottom and no amount of cleaning would have shifted that. If your dog is showing signs of irritation, then a vet should be able to point you in the right direction.

If your staffy has any kind of problem with its ears then first of all please get it looked at by a vet. Ears - like eyes - can develop serious issues if infections are left unchecked.

For just general cleaning then the products mentioned above are good but if the dog has any kind of irritation, is scratching the ears or you notice an odd smell, or see a lot of black matter inside, then do see your vet. Many dogs with healthy ears never need them cleaning unless there is some kind of infection or mites.

It is important to rule out any form of infection or parasites BEFORE treating the ears yourself as you could either make it worse, or allow something to develop into a low-level chronic condition that may need surgery.

To answer your other question, yes Blue dogs often have more sensitive skin and can be more prone to allergies. They can also have an inherited disorder which comes along with the Blue gene called Colour Dilution Alopecia meaning they have very thin coats which have a tendency to baldness in some places... This is entirely due to the blue gene BUT a vet needs to check over to confirm the baldness isn't due to mites or mange.

Food allergies and intolerancies often show up in the form of itchy skin, itchy ears, and poor coat, so together with the above it's also worth looking into the diet.

What do you feed your dog at the moment?

was just feeding him on wagg.just started him on iams pro-active.he has just come back from vets as he split a nail,which they cut back to nothing and is fine now,but he had been licking his other paw which was sore and the vet removed some hard skin so is wearing a collar at mo which is a nightmare,bless.

These are the two I prefer also and I have staffords