“My dog stinks” is a complaint that I frequently hear. One of the main causes of odor from a springer is from the ears.

As we all know, springers, and other spaniels, have long, beautiful, pendulous ears. While the appearance is quite charming, the prevention of air circulation in the ear canal can cause serious and painful problems in the form of ear infections.

There are basically three main kinds of ear infections. There is a bacterial infection caused by some form of bacteria setting up shop in the ear. There is the yeast infection caused by heat, moisture and yeast. And there are ear mites. Ear mites are tiny microscopic mites that can infect the ears. These are passed from one animal to another, often from cats.

Ears that smell bad are not normal ears. The normal ear wax is dark brown and should not be profuse. If the wax is yellow, it may indicate a bacterial infection. Really dark brown or blackish wax could be a yeast infection and black ear wax that resembles coffee grounds could be mites. All should be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian. Ear infections left untreated can result in severe pain and eventual deafness for the dog.

Prevention is always the best option. Cleaning your springer’s ears on a regular basis can help prevent yeast and bacterial infections. At our house, we make ear cleaning part of the weekly bath routine, along with brushing, bathing, clipping toenails and emptying anal glands. Keeping the hair trimmed short around the opening of the ear canal will help also.

The ears should be cleaned weekly with a good ear cleaner such as Epi-Otic or Blue Voodoo. Squirt a small amount of ear cleaner in each ear and massage the ear. (I use a syringe without the needle and put about 1 cc in each ear.) Then wipe out the excess with a cotton ball. Epi-Otic can be purchased from your veterinarian but can be a bit pricey or you can make your own Blue Voodoo by mixing 1 pint isopropyl alcohol, 4 tablespoons boric acid powder and 16 drops of Venetian violet, all available at Wal-Mart pharmacy. Shake well before use. (The mixture, not you.)

Blue Voodoo can also cure some ear infections if administered twice daily for five to seven days. Some vets prescribe this as a last recourse for otherwise incurable ear infections.

I do not presume to diagnose your dog’s ear problems in this article, only a veterinarian can do that. It is merely my intention to pass along the fruit of my thirty years of spaniel ear experience.

Other causes of odor can be from the mouth, if the teeth need attention, from the skin, if the food has lots of fillers, and from the anal glands, if they are not emptied regularly.

Evaluating your springer’s overall health each time your bathe him will give you a keen understanding of any potential health, and possible smelly problems and will alert you to seek medical help to prevent further and possibly serious health issues.

Copyright August 18, 2006 - Zippy Cooper - LenLear Springers - All Rights Reserved