"How To Care For Your Cocker Spaniel To Ensure His Ears Remain Healthy And Free From Infection"
Cocker Spaniel ears are beautiful; they're long, drooping, and covered in luxuriously soft, silky hair.
Unfortunately, such beauty comes at a price!
By design, their pendulant ears hang low, covering the ear canals, which results in the canals becoming dark, warm, moist places - ideal conditions in which bacteria can thrive.
This, and the fact that Cocker Spaniel's ears are covered with rather a lot of hair (both inside and out), means that the ear canal doesn't get the amount of ventilation it needs to stay healthy.
Trimming Cocker Spaniel Ears
You can help to improve the air circulation around Cocker's ears by removing any excess hair just inside the ear opening and by keeping the hair around the entrance to the ear canal trimmed short.
It's advisable also to trim the area underneath the opening to the ear canal in a neat semi-circle.
Some breeders also recommend shaving the underside of Cocker Spaniel ears (the leathers). If you don't intend to show your dog, we recommend that you consider trying this, or, if you don't feel too confident, ask your groomer to do it for you.
Keeping Cocker Spaniel's ears trimmed in this way will help to get the air circulating around the ear canal which, in turn, will help to keep your dog's ears cool and dry - lessening the chances of bacteria overbreeding. It will also help to make grooming his ears much easier too.
Check Your Dog's Ears Regularly
Cocker Spaniel ears need a lot of care and attention as they're prone to infection. Cleaning dogs ears regularly will help to keep them free from infection so it's important to keep your Cocker Spaniel's ears scrupulously clean.
Check your dog's ears regularly for early signs of dog ear infection - it only takes a minute, so you should be able to check them every day.
Lift your dog's ear lobe and check the condition of the skin; it should be a nice healthy pink in colour. The ears shouldn't smell, and there should be no discharge. A small amount of wax is fairly normal; it isn't something to worry about and can easily be removed when cleaning dog's ears. A large amount of wax however, particularly if it smells unpleasant, may be a sign that all is not well.
If the ear is red or looks inflamed, if it smells bad (like cheesy feet) or if there is a discharge, then your dog may have an ear infection - it's time to visit the vet.
Checking Cocker Spaniel Ears For Grass Seeds
Always check your Cocker Spaniel's ears for grass seeds or twigs after a walk, especially if your dog is allowed to run free through fields! If you don't remove plant debris from your dog's hair, it could easily work its way into his ear, causing considerable pain, or worse, an infection.
You'll know if your dog has something caught in his ear canal - he may shake his head from side to side, he may tilt his head to one side, or he may scratch at his ears - alway be vigilant for these signs.
Ear Infection In Cocker Spaniels
An ear infection can be very painful for your dog so it's important to get an early diagnosis and the correct treatment from your vet. If you don't, not only will your dog suffer unnecessary pain but, if left untreated, there may be a risk of permanent damage to your dog's ears.
It's not always easy identifying ear infections in dogs, so the vet may have to trial several treatments before successfull diagnosis and treatment - all of which can be very expensive, not to mention painful for your dog.
Doesn't it make much more sense, therefore, to be proactive by avoiding infection and other dog ear problems in the first place?
