Photo 20/21
Once you have introduced the treatment of your choice close the ear flap over the ear canal and gently massage the ear to ensure a good even distribution of the treatment fluid/ointment throughout the ear canal. Both Martin Zephram and Virgil Tiberius, just like their predecessor Punk really love this part. The ear is cool and clean and the massage will leave them making contented grunting noises as you gently massage the ear.
This procedure will leave the ear somewhat tender and feeling “different” to your dog. The first time you do this they will naturally shake their head quite a bit for the next 12-36 hours and may even paw at their ear as the “natural wax equilibrium” re-establishes itself. A repeat application of the ear cleaner may be necessary to help soothe the irritation, especially if you have used a hemostat or tweezers to pluck the ear canal hair. As with any type of care monitor your dog for signs of abnormal or excessive post care distress and take appropriate remedial action. As you become more proficient in keeping the ears plucked and cleaned the procedure will be less problematic and eventually the dog will hardly shake his/her head more than a couple of hours after the fact.
Also please read my ear care post and the remainder of the thread at http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=2074 in conjunction with this photo essay. In that thread I answer a number of questions about ear cleaning posed by other forum members and explain why I recommend against the use of ear hair clippers, hemostats, etc. Please be sure to watch your dog’s reactions to any form of care you administer, be it ear cleaning or line grooming as I have discussed on this website, and if you have any doubts or concerns seek more help available in your area.

For further discussion I can be reached via posts or PMs at OES.org I prefer public posts at “the forum” as the information and discussion is then available for the benefit of all. I know a lot about OES husbandry but no one knows it all and there are many knowledgeable people there for peer review. Nevertheless I will answer private e-mails as well at sncf_fan at yahoo dot ca (note the underscore between the two f’s). Thanks and Cheers Carl


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