Is there another way to remove hair from a standard poodles ear canals besides plucking it (As described by our vet?)

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2000

Answers

Have you tried Nair? Just kidding. I have a 9 1/2 year-old standard, and I do my own grooming. The fine hairs seem to come out without difficulty or much discomfort on his part. Either the ear powder or the drying cream (don't over-do it) helps in terms of the grasp. I use my fingers, although a mosquito hemostat is good as long as you don't grab part of the ear structure. My dog's right ear seems to run chronically to problems--yeast, bacteria, whatever, it's a mess--yet his left ear is fine (and full of hair). When I groom him (daily), I check his ears, and as long as they are clear and dry I don't worry about it. There is, of course, some risk of inflammation or even infection resulting from over-vigorous plucking. Although much of the literature insists upon the importance of plucking the hair from the ears, I suspect that the insistence is founded upon the notion that, without it, people would neglect their poodles ears.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001