Ears- to pluck or not to pluck?
Oh its the age old debate on whether or not to pluck a pets ear. As a pet owner I know there is a LOT of information out there for and against this practice, or your personal vet might have mentioned something to to you about the subject and having your groomer clear the hair from the canal. With all the contradicting information out there I’ve decided to do my own research and reach out to a couple Veterinarians I wholeheartedly trust, as well as some trusted articles, and local grooming shops about their practices, views, and beliefs on this controversial topic. I’d like to begin by saying that as a groomer I have absolutely no power or right to diagnose your pet. I cannot legally be asked to diagnose, as this falls under new law directive for what does and does not constitute a veterinarians diagnosis and medical finding. The best i can personally do is clean the area to the best of my ability without causing the pet any discomfort or irritation and recommend you see a vet, the rest is up to you as the owner to seek out that care.
Ear plucking has always been quite a controversial topic, and yes i believe there are some cases where it may be used as the last resort to allow airflow and medicine back into the ear canal after a large impaction of hair and other debris. This practice has been known to bring along some side affects as well such as causing micro-trauma and inflammation to the ear canals which can predispose your pet to infection, dogs with sensitive ears may shake their head a lot resulting in hematomas, and more. As a Groomer I want to cry every time an owner tells me their vet wants me to provide this service, I feel its personally outside my expertise and an unfair request to be put upon a groomer with the liabilities that can stem from it. I’ve personally had owners bring their pets in for grooming where a vet has plucked and cleaned one ear and left the other for the owner to tell me to pluck and clean- leaving me in a very strange position.
Some breeds have more of a predisposal to some of the issues above like dogs that have furry ears (doodles, shih tzus, etc) or deep set floppy ears (basset hounds, mastiffs, etc) help harbor some of the bacteria. Like other at home care such as brushing the coat between grooms you should be cleaning your pets ears weekly to bi-weekly with a dog ear cleaner with no fragrance or water (ask your vet what they recommend) and a cotton ball to help clear out some of the dirt and bacteria. Your pets ears should be pretty naturally self cleaning by working the bad slowly out of the ear canal to where we can easily access it and wipe it away with the cleaner and cotton ball. When bathing here at Garver Grooming we do a couple things to prevent your pet from getting water in its ears such as- holding the pets head in such a way when rinsing the face, putting clean dry cotton balls in the ear during the bath, and following the groom up with a moisture wicking dog ear cleaner to get rid of any left over moisture. While it is usually safe and effective for us to trim some of the inner ear hair to make it more manageable and less likely to mat, there is still the risk your dog may not like the new feeling of the hairs poking them differently which may lead them to shake their head causing hematomas as well. The definition of a hematoma is: A pool of mostly clotted blood that forms in an organ, tissue, or body space. A hematoma is usually caused by a broken blood vessel that was damaged. (in this case by shaking the head, but these can also form as a result of intense matting to the skin as it kind of cuts off circulation to the area causing the blood vessels to be weak and break when the matts get cut free, hence why we push brushing so hard in this career)
Vets advise that as an owner you are responsible for cleaning your pets ears after any extra curriculars such as swimming, grooming, and more that can expose your pets ears to that warm damp environment. Clean water from a bath is not the source of the infection, instead it just helps build the breeding ground for the harmful bacteria to grow. With all the controversy surrounding ear plucking, Garver Grooming does not participate in this practice. If this is something you want done we advise you call and set up an ear cleaning appointment with your vet clinic (it generally is a quick service that does not require an exam and therefor is usually pretty cheap & convenient). With this being said we can help scissor or clip some of the excess hair outside the canal to help make ear care more manageable, but you should still comb and check the left over hair for tangles and debris between grooms. Chronically dirty ears are often a sign of infection, and should be followed up with your vet as well. For clients who haven’t treated your pets prexisting conditions, we will ask that you refrain from grooming until taken care of and under a vets care. We here love your pets like family and want nothing but the best for them! I’ve put a lot of time into researching this lately and hope you appreciate this information.
-Thank you, Sarah & The Garver Grooming Staff
