DIY Dog Ear Infection Cleaner

Our poor Oliver has had some nasty bouts with ear infections....we are talking ridiculously disgusting! That is the downside to those adorable cocker spaniel ears...too much moisture and not enough ventilation. After crazy vet visits with the same antibiotics and poignant smelling ear wash, I thought taking things into may own hands couldn't make it any worse. So I did a little research and came across an ear wash recipe from Zim Family Cockers, a site for cocker spaniel fanatics. I got all the ingredients and waited for the signs of the next nasty ear gunk....and what do you know...the red coloring and funky smells showed up...

Poor Oliver! Thankfully the coloring on this picture is much worse than it looked in reality...but it was still pretty bad. So I went to work...

Ingredients:

2 ounces White Vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Powdered Boric Acid
6 ounces Isopropyl Alcohol
1 teaspoon Betadine Antiseptic Solution
A few drops Lavender Essential Oil
Empty Bottle

First, I cleaned out an old bottle of our ear wash from the vet and poored the ingredients through a typical funnel. One of the warnings on the original recipe was to add the ingredients in this specific order to ensure everything dissolves properly. So...begin with your alcohol and then dump in your boric acid.

Give the bottle a little shake to make sure the acid dissolves. Next add your vinegar...shake a little more...add your Betadine...shake a little more...and then top off with your essential oil. I added the lavender to have a touch of soothing and calming smell...for me and Oliver!

Now...for the hard part. Oliver HATES getting his ears cleaned! The goal is to squirt the solution inside the ear canal. Let the solution sit in the ear canal, fold down the ear over the canal, and gently massage the ear to make sure the solution really sloshes around nicely. Another option is to soak a cottonball and place it near the ear canal, flop that floppy ear back over, and massage the ear to make sure the cottonball releases as much solution into the ear as possible. This is the method Oliver typically allows because he hates the solution just being squirted in his ear!

Even after the first cleaning we saw a huge difference. We did this daily for a week and are now doing weekly cleanings with his bath.

His ears are still a little sad and I'm thinking our next step is to get rid of some of the hair around his ear canal to help keep them dryer longer. While I would like to leave this task to a professional... Chris saw a video online of an at-home ear hair plucking with a special powder...so we'll see...

A note to keep in mind about this solution: the betadine is an orange tint and can easily stain clothes, furniture, etc....so be careful!

DIY Dog Shampoo

With a toddler and a 9 month old, our poor furbabies get the very last of our attention. Well, when Oliver, our cocker spaniel,  jumped in my lap this afternoon and I really took a second to love on him...my heart just broke. His poor ears are a mess and I noticed a couple little spots on his skin that have been itching him...funky allergies. So, I decided it was time for a puppy spa day!

Oliver got a good smellin' bath, an ear cleaning, a manicure and pedicure, with a mini massage. He is once again a happy and good smelling boy!

I'm not a big fan of how dog shampoos smell so I decided it was time for a DIY option. He needed something that would deodorize but also moisturize his skin. So I did a bit of research and this is what I came up with...enjoy!

1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

5 tablespoons of castile soap

10 drops of essential oil

2 cups of warm water

I put all the ingredients into an old shampoo bottle and mixed well.

Since my Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap was lavender scented, I also used my Young Living Lavender Essential Oil. Not only does it smell fantastic, but it's also a calming and soothing on his skin. I'm a big fan of how smooth and shiny his coat is and he hasn't been scratching since the bath...which is huge for our sweet Oliver!

My only complaint is that it didn't lather very well. I'm going to keep an eye on his ears and little hot spots, but so far so good! He smells delicious, looks fantastic, and seems to be a happy boy! We will definitely be trying again next bath time!

Next on our list is a DIY ear cleaner...stay tuned!