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Keeping your dog's ears in great condition with regular cleaning can help reduce the chances of an infection developing. It is recommended you clean your dog's ears around every one to two months. For wiping off the outside of the ear, a damp cotton ball or Q-tip (just don’t go inside the ears) will be fine. This is also a great method for drying out your dog’s ears, which is another important piece of the puzzle. The lower the concentration of alcohol, the more diluted with water it is.

The Veterinary Information Network says yeast infections are the most common type of ear infections in dogs. Thoseyeasty organisms that form in the dog’s ear are called Malassezia pachydermatitis. Yeast on the skin and ears is normal, but if the yeast overgrows, it can create a brown, greasy, or gray discharge. Cockers will generally itch at their ears and an odor may be present. Your vet will prescribe specific medications, such as antibiotics and antifungals, according to what is causing your cocker spaniel's ear infection.
Grooming
Depending on the ear infection's cause , you may see discharge exiting the ears. The discharge will be one of a few colors, such as yellow or brown, and have a certain consistency. For example, discharge will be brown and crumbly with ear mites; Pseudomonas will produce a yellow/green pus. Chronic ears in Cocker Spaniels are very common, unfortunately.
I would flush the ears with this garlic infused oil and use it as a means to clean them. The ears are likely inflamed - the products others have mentioned can help with this inflamation, as will feeding turmeric . Treat 2x to 3x a day with strong, fresh garlic infused oil. When the skin heals - the oozing stops - you can try a weak vinegar solution to flush the ears; try 1/4 cup white vinegar into 3 cups warm water.
How often should I clean my Cocker Spaniels ears?
A veterinarian should always examine a Cocker Spaniel’s ears during routine visits and if there is any suspicion of an infection. Cocker spaniels are prone to several skin and health conditions that make ear infections more likely. Prevention is often better than the cure and cleaning your dog's earsregularly will help you to keep bacteria at bay, allowing your dog a better chance of avoiding infections altogether. Environmental allergies – allergies that are due to pollen or house dust mites cause itching and ear infections. As you know cockers have many ear issues and the key is to keep the ears flushed out on a daily if need be basis. A high quality diet - no corn, no grains - is also recommended for dogs with yeasty ears.

The reason why is those long floppy ears which are characteristic of the breed. As they hang down the side of the dog's head they inhibit air from flowing freely into the ear canal. Reactions down the road to prescription “cures” is one reason Vet Organics believes in trying a natural approach first. Since Cocker Spaniels are smaller dogs with particularly sensitive systems, if you can avoid harsher treatments for health problems it’s advisable to seek them. I go in to much more detail about how to shave around the ears in my 7-part video series on Cocker Spaniel grooming.
A Guide to Cocker Spaniel Ear Infections
I asked some Cocker Spaniel parents to discuss their experiences and how to cure a Cocker Spaniel ear infection. Keep in mind some Cockers have narrow canals and despite the greatest intents, they will still wind up with an ear infection. Some Cocker Spaniels have such severe ear problems that the only cure is TECA . Here’s my list of the best dog ear cleansers for Cocker Spaniels.

If your cocker spaniel has ear mites, your vet will prescribe a medication to kill the mites. Many flea preventatives are effective at killing mites. If your cocker spaniel's ears are extremely painful, or the ear canal is very narrow, your vet will need to sedate your cocker spaniel to examine his ears.
Health
Pour six ounces of isopropyl alcohol in to your applicator bottle. (This is where those ounce measuring lines on the outside of the bottle really come in handy.) Next, add one and a half teaspoons of boric acid powder. Be careful not to get any boric acid on your skin or clothing.
Ear infections in dogs can be tricky to diagnose accurately, never mind treat, and if you don't get it right, you may just be making matters worse. Hairy ear canals – leading to further increase in the warm, moist local ear environment. I'm currently using Virbac Epi Opic, which was recommended by my vet. It does seem at this point that he just has an environmental allergy or a chronic issue if the food change has had no effect. My vet also recommended blood work to test for allergies as a next step but will look into Dr. Dobbs as well.
I use this non-irritating cleanser for long-term cleaning of non-infected dry ears. What I most like about the Zymox line of products is the powerful LP3 enzyme system which can be safely used on all ages of dogs. The patented enzymes contain no chemicals or antibiotics and go right to work on a Cocker Spaniel’s ear canals. When you want to examine your dog’s ears, he or she won’t put up a fuss if they are used to the handling. Reward your dog, give a treat, add some praise and good girl or good boy verbiage.

We had one ear canal ablation surgery, and it cost over $1,500. A nerve was nicked during the surgery, and she lost her vision in one eye. While I am cleaning his ears, a black hard gunge is coming from his ear. Comb the undersides of the earhair down and then slowly trim the long hair with grooming scissors to create the desired shape you would like your pup to have.
Lift the flap of one ear and squirt some ear cleaning solution in the ear, according to the label instructions. Gently massage the base of the ear for about 20 to 30 seconds, then wipe the ear dry with some cotton balls or gauze. Other health conditions, such as food allergies, can lead to ear infections by causing excessive ear scratching.
