What Is Ear Hair?
Ear hair is the hair which grows from the inside of the dog’s ear as seen from the photo. It is generally the small fluffy dogs or small designer cross breed dogs that have ear hair and is not generally found in larger breed dogs. If the hair growing out of the ear is thick it can sometimes cause problems inside the ear itself as explained below.
What Are The Benefits In Plucking The Dog’s Ears
Plucking your dog’s ears can definitely be beneficial. This ear hair can prevent air flow into the ear canal so if a little moisture or yeast builds up inside the ear and there is no air flow then the dog’s ears can become infected. Plucking the ears regularly to keep the hair blocking the canal to a minimum can help prevent ear infections and moisture build-up.
Plucking the ear hair out will also mean that it is more easily visible if there is any infection or problem in the ear canal. Foreign bodies, particularly grass seeds, can easily get caught up in the dog’s fur and if they get caught up in the ear hair and you haven’t noticed, they can travel down the canal and cause major ear infection which could end up requiring an expensive operation.
Keeping your dog’s ears plucked simply keeps the dog looking neat and tidy as well.
What Dog Grooming Equipment Is Needed To Pluck Your Dog’s Ears
Before attempting to pluck a dog’s ears it is recommended to get a special ear powder called Biogroom Ear Fresh Ear Powder which has gripping properties that make plucking easier. In Australia and the other worldwide regions you can purchase this product through Vet Products Direct; in the United States this product can be purchased through CherryBrook. The United Kingdom has a different product called Hatchwells Ear Plucking Powder and that can be purchased through Groomers-online.com or Petplanet.
Gently cleans and dries the ear canal as it removes excessive wax buildup.This product is not oily or sticky. This product can only be shipped via ground service.
Hatchwells Ear Plucking Powder is powder formula that provides added grip when lucking ear hair. Use sparingly.
Features: Provides added grip when plucking ear hair; use sparingly; size: 90g.
Alternatively it is possible to purchase special ear tweezers and forceps that you can use to pluck the ears instead of using your fingers. Check out these items:
These Ear Tweezers are a precise tool designed to remove hair from canine ears. The tips of these tweezers are textured for added grip.
These Short Ear Forceps are designed for the precise grooming of canine ears. Ideal for removing excess hair from the ear, or for cleaning around the ear with gauze or cotton wool
These Long Ear Forceps are designed for the precise grooming of canine ears. Ideal for removing excess hair from the ear, or for cleaning around the ear with gauze or cotton wool.
These Professional Ear Forceps are designed for the precise grooming of canine ears. Ideal for removing excess hair, or for cleaning around the ear with gauze or cotton wool. These professional quality ear forceps are made from stainless steel, and feature a comfort grip handle.
How To Pluck Your Dog’s Ears
Tilt the dog’s head to the side and sprinkle some powder onto the ear hole opening area over the ear hair. Sprinkle enough powder so that when you take hold of the ear hair it doesn’t feel slippery but do not use too much. If you are using your fingers you should be able to maintain a firm grip without them slipping. If you do feel your fingers slipping then you may need to use a little more powder.
Then either use your fingers or the forceps to grip a small amount of hair at a time and give it a sharp pluck. The ear hair should come out fairly easily in bits and generally does not hurt the dog. However, if you accidently pull the hair on the edge of the outside of the ear then that will pinch. Keep plucking little bits at a time until the ear is clear from fur. Then repeat for the other ear.
If your dog wriggles during the process you may need to get someone else to help. Ask them to hold some treats for the dog to nibble on as you do the job. You may need to give the dog a rest in between every couple of plucks. Give him a treat for putting up with it and also give his ears a massage as you do it or once you have finished.
You might notice your dog shaking his head and ears after you’ve finished plucking out the hair. This should be nothing to worry about, it just feels different after having the ear hair plucking done.
If your dog does not have a lot of inner ear fluff you might like to trim back what there is with a pair of straight edged scissors. This will keep the ear canal clear and tidy.
This is a relatively easy procedure but if you don’t feel comfortable about plucking your dog’s ear hair out then a professional groomer or a vet can do this for you.