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TabithaJ
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03-03-2011, 09:54 AM

Can I get some advice please: we are having real problems with Dexter's eardrops

Can I please get some constructive advice?

We have to administer ear drops twice a day to Dex at present.

Ever since he came to us, I've been aware that he hates having his ears touched. So over the past nine months I have made a point of slowly but surely getting him used to me stroking his ears, touching them etc.

He will now let me touch them BUT still the second I turn one over to try and look inside - he will react.

Last night my OH and I spent over an hour trying to administer his ear drops. He was fine accepting a muzzle - no problems there.

But when it came to doing the deed - he went beserk. Leaping, bucking, crying, kicking, trying to bolt, baring his teeth, gnashing - it was horrendous.

Even with two of us it was terrible and I ended up in tears over how distressed Dexter became.

I have been advised by some people to forget the muzzle, and instead to wait until he's laying down relaxing and I'm making a fuss of him and petting him, and to then put the drops in - my concern is that if I do it this way, will that damage the trust that it's taken nine months to develop??

Also the second he feels anything get near his ear, he tends to leap up or bare his teeth etc.

My OH says that at least with the muzzle etc, we are being open about it and he knows what's happening.....

The drops have to be given so just wondering if experienced dogsey folk might offer some guidance.

And to pre-empt some responses - yes, I realise I might be getting this wrong at present, hence my post

Thank you in advance for any help.
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TabithaJ
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03-03-2011, 03:07 PM
Problem solved.

I got the OH to leave, as he was making me more nervous, the way he kept wincing and flinching each time Dex protested.

It took over ten mins to get the muzzle on Dexter but once I did, I then just held him really, really firmly by the back of the neck and did the drops really quickly.

It was nerve wracking as at the start he kept barking and then crying - but I just kept reminding myself that he needed this medicine and that it would be letting him down NOT to do it.


Anyway, I just posted this follow up in case anyone out there ever has the same problem.
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smokeybear
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03-03-2011, 03:11 PM
Well done.

I remember the first time my daughter needed stitches at 2!

Same procedure (did not quite need the muzzle) sometimes you just have to be matter of fact and do the deed without worrying too much about the dog's point of view at the time!
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krlyr
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03-03-2011, 03:12 PM
Could it be worth, for the future, doing some clicker training to actually have him present his ears ready for drops? Rather than just letting him get used to having them touched. You could practise with some non-antibiotic drops, e.g. ones for ear wax. I'm not sure if there's any videos online to help, I just remember seeing some videos of dogs being clicker trained to do other helpful stuff - like relaxing to have their nails clipped.
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TabithaJ
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03-03-2011, 04:27 PM
Originally Posted by krlyr View Post
Could it be worth, for the future, doing some clicker training to actually have him present his ears ready for drops? Rather than just letting him get used to having them touched. You could practise with some non-antibiotic drops, e.g. ones for ear wax. I'm not sure if there's any videos online to help, I just remember seeing some videos of dogs being clicker trained to do other helpful stuff - like relaxing to have their nails clipped.


Great idea - many thanks!
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TabithaJ
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03-03-2011, 04:29 PM
Originally Posted by smokeybear View Post
Well done.

I remember the first time my daughter needed stitches at 2!

Same procedure (did not quite need the muzzle) sometimes you just have to be matter of fact and do the deed without worrying too much about the dog's point of view at the time!


Thanks Smokey Bear


Yes, that is key, being matter of fact - I found that once I stopped being emotional about it, Dex knew I meant business and that really helped
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sarah1983
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03-03-2011, 04:51 PM
I'd just get it done for now and work on desensitizing once he's finished with the drops. I remember putting Ruperts halti on him so I could hold his head still with one hand and put the drops in with the other. Sometimes you can't focus on making something rewarding to the dog because it needs doing and it needs doing now.

Rupe's been desensitized to his ears being messed with and will now hold still of his own accord for drops being put in but he doesn't like it happening.
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Helena54
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03-03-2011, 04:57 PM
Oh well done!! Sometimes you just have to get down to business on your OWN, just like you did! We have to do the very same in this house with Zena, coz if she see's both of us moving towards her, or even looking at her she just knows we're going to do something really awful to her, so I make sure I tell him I'm going to do something with her in the kitchen, be it administer a wormer, or whatever, and he has to stay put in his chair in the other room lol!

Everything goes smoothly, when you take the bulls by the horns, have confidence in what you're going to do, and just get on with it, matter of fact, but very well done to you this time around.

I found my "wait" command to be invaluable for times such as this, in that if my dog goes to leg it, or I need her to sit very, very still for say, removing a tick, if I use my "wait" short and quick first time, then I instill it again drawing the word out whilst I'm doing it, I have found that she has cottoned on to the fact that not only when out on a walk does wait mean "don't move a muscle" but it also means the same thing when I'm messing about with her! I even used it at the vet the other day and the result was quite miraculous lol!

Keep at it, use whatever seems to be working for you, but definitely do it on your own!
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ClaireandDaisy
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03-03-2011, 05:19 PM
I used to ambush my last GSD to squidge her ears. I`d carry the tube in my pocket and whomp it in when she least suspected. After a bit she actually realised it didn`t hurt and became stoical about it. In fact she quite enjoyed the bit where you massage it.
My point being that it`s often the lead-up to procedures that causes the trouble. The dog and handler get so tense it all gets very fraught.
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