Taping Rottweiler Ears

You will need:

1. Rottweiler with badly folding ears

2. Human to hold Rottweiler (optional but helps)

3. About 3-4 inch length of one inch wide adhesive tape, I use Johnson and Johnson Zonas athletic tape. 

Looking at the Rottweiler ear from the front draw an imaginary straight line from the tip of the ear up (Image 1) and fold the ear along this line, fur to fur. Attach one end of tape to the skin side of the ear and wrap around the folded ear several times. Since the ear has a tendency to stick out of the head when first taped, you'll have to adjust it so that the end result looks similar to the picture of the properly taped ear.

Leave tape on for no longer than one week, then carefully remove the tape and allow the ear to "breath" for a day or so before re-taping.

The tape you choose has a great bearing on the success of the procedure. The "ouchless" kind is pretty well useless and falls off almost before it can be applied. The best tape I have found is Johnson and Johnson Zonas athletic tape it is avalable at most medical supply stores.  If the inside of the ear becomes irritated or sore apply some tincture of Benzoin (you will probably have to order it from your local drug store I used Shoppers Drugmart) to provide a protective barrier and to soothe the irritation.  Make sure to remove the tape every few days to allow the ear to breath before re-taping 

A puppy who is teething (at around 4-5 months) often has flying ears, which correct themselves. This procedure should be done before the pup is six months old if any kind of permanent results are to be expected. After that, correction tends to be temporary (long enough to show the dog).

Cleaning Ears and Treating Ear Infections

Own a drop eared dog long enough and someday you'll notice a foul smelling odor coming from the ears. Dogs with drop ears are notorious for developing ear infections. Ear infections can make dogs and their owners miserable. Its probably the number 1 complaint of dog owners with their veterinarian. The dogs itch, and scratch their ears until they start bleed. Hematomas can develop because of the shaking of the dog's head and the intense itching and scratching. Because the drop ear hangs down and doesn't allow air to flow through the ear, they are subject to ear problems since a moist, dark and hot ear is an ideal growth medium for bacterial or yeast infections. Because of this problem, it is important to keep your dog's ears clean. Owners of floppy-eared dogs should regularly check the ears for a build-up or an odor inside the ear, particularly if the dog scratches the general are of the ear a lot, shakes its head often holds the head crooked or rubs its head. If your dog has these symptoms, you are probably looking at an ear infection. Ear infections can be dangerous if they're ignored. The eardrum can perforate or the infection could travel to the brain since it is so close to the ear canal. Always have your vet check the ear the first time you notice a smell, a buildup inside or any of the previous symptoms. Your vet can determine if you're dealing with excess wax, yeast or ear mites.

This is the best solution I have used when it comes to gucky ears.  It was given to me years ago by a veterinarian.

16 oz. bottle isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 drops Gentian Violet 1% Solution

Mix all ingredients in the alcohol bottle & shake. (make sure you shake before every application).

Treatment: Fill ear with solution & massage gently for 30 seconds and wipe with a tissue. Fill a second time and just wipe without massaging. The dog will shake the excess out. Be careful, the Gentian Violet could stain.  I use a eye dropper to fill the ear.

Treatment:
2 times per day for the first 2 weeks
1 time per day for the next 2 weeks
1 time per month thereafter

If you are concerned about the alcohol burning the inside of the ear (it could if the dog has been scratching its ear), then you can substitute the alcohol with witch hazel.

All ingredients are available at a pharmacy. The Boric Acid is usually in the First Aid section where you find the alcohol.  The Gentian Violet will be the hardest to find and may need to special order it.

Even despite the alcohol, dogs don't object to even the first treatment. The Boric Acid soothes the ear & the Gentian Violet is an anti-infection agent. This solution is also effective for the treatment of fungus type infections on the dog including hot spots.

Avoid getting in eyes.

Disclaimer

This recipe is only intended to be used as indicated above, site owners nor Khayrick Rottwelers and/or their agents will be not responsible for any injuries resulting in the use of this recipe, use with your own discretion and at your own risk.

The frequency of the ear cleaning depends on how often your dog goes swimming and the temperature; you'll need to do it more often if you live in hot and humid climates or during the summer.

When cleaning your dog's ears, remember to never insert anything into your dog's ear canal… NO Q-TIPS. If you notice something in the ear, please let your vet take a look at it instead of trying to do something yourself.

If, despite following the above routine regularly, your dog still gets ear infections, it may be due to a food allergy/sensitivity. If you believe this to be the case, you may want to have allergy tests done to try and determine which food products your dog can tolerate. Usually if you change to a different protein source, the ears clear up. It can take many weeks for a food allergy to resolve, so be patient!

Know however, that some dogs just produce more wax than others and it might have nothing to do with food.

I must warn you all, if your dog isn't having problems with its ears DO NOT USE ANYTHING IN THEM. If you do you could upset the pH balance and actually cause ear problems. If its not broke don't fix it! Just wipe these ears with a clean/dry cotton ball weekly and count yourselves among the lucky ones.