This Page: Fleas, Ears, Eyes, Toes
Beloved Havanese
Waverly Hall, GA 31831
Deborah Owens
706 577 5733
Office Hours, M-F 1-4:00, Call and leave message anytime. We Will Call you back as quickly as possible. It is usually best to reach us by phone. BelovedHavanese@aol.com
AS YOU CAN SEE IN OUR HISTORY PAGE AKC IS NOT THE ORIGINAL REGISTRY OF THIS BREED.
****WE HAVE REFUSED TO REGISTER OUR DOGS WITH THE AKC FOR YEARS AS WE DISAGREE WITH THEIR POLITICS COMPLETELY AND WE DISAGREE WITH THEIR POLICIES ON IN-BREEDING OF FIRST DEGREE RELATIVES! IN-BREEDING OF MOTHER TO SON, BROTHER TO SISTER, AND FATHER TO DAUGHTER IS NOT SAFE, THAT IS WHY IT IS NOT DONE IN HUMAN CULTURES AROUND THE GLOBE! *** IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, NEED PAPERS, NEED TO DISCUSS HOUSE TRAINING, IT IS BEST TO CALL ME, NOT EMAIL! IF YOUR PAPERS HAVE NOT ARRIVED PLEASE CALL ME! WE PROVIDE AMERICAN PET REGISTRY, APRI, PAPERS! APRI WILL REQUIRE A COPY OF YOUR SPAY NEUTER PAPERS TO REGISTER YOUR PUPPY.
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| Please, Scroll down and read the text on Ears, Eyes, & Toes. This is a very long and important page! |
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| 1 Teaspoon REAL APPLE CIDER VINEGAR WITH 1 QUART WATER as only water available to dog will USUALLY stop light flea infestations in 6 weeks. |
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| Vials of flea med that are put on the back of the dog's neck are called systemics. They are very dangerous for small breeds. Vets still use them although the FDA has recently published advisories against the use of them on small toy dogs. Almost every type of flea med comes in that form as well as spray forms. We should only use spray forms on the small breeds. |
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| Biopsot will wash off and can be used in a light spray down the back, around the tail, down the tummy, and across the head once a week if need be. Cover your dog's head with a cloth prior to spraying. Spray far away from his water and food bowls! |
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| Please, Buy Biopspot, now! You can get it at Jefferspet.com. They will deliver it asap, often the next day in the southeast. Always keep a bottle of spray on flea med available for your dog in case fleas become a problem. Squirrels and wild cats that enter your yard can leave fleas that can jump on your dog. Some dogs have allergies to fleas. |
©deborah owens
FLEAS, EARS, EYES, & TOES
Copyright deborahowens 2011
Our vets have approved the following treatments and information for our use. We are not offering this information as veterinary advice. You must consult with your veterinarian prior to using any of this information.
TO KILL FLEAS ON YOUR DARLING DOG
Mild Flea Treatments are always preferable to the harsh systemic chemicals that stay in the dog's body for months. We believe that many of the cancers that are occurring in dogs today, may be from the flea meds that are routinely overused. All of the products that are dispensed on the back of the dog's neck are systemic controls, that are much too strong for toy breeds like Havanese. Sometimes those products cause neurologic damage to toy dogs. Some toy dogs develop a shaking disease. It is very sad and it is avoidable.
Baby Shampoo Soaks
To kill fleas on any dog, particularly one that is elderly, frail, too young for flea meds, pregnant, or nursing, you might try this gentle method of flea control.
You can use Baby Shampoo, without Conditioners & Detanglers [which cause skin problems]. Wet the dog. Lather him up with Baby Shampoo, and let it sit on the dog for a few minutes. It will stun or kill the fleas, so that when you wash & rinse your dog, the fleas will wash off. This is, by far, the most gentle method of killing fleas. The fleas will return but you can feed Apple Cider Water, to slowly eradicate them.
WHITE VINEGAR SOAKS
1. Bath the dog in Baby Shampoo without Conditioners & Detanglers. Rinse the dog well.
2. While the dog is still wet, and in the bathtub, spray the dog with a mixture of one half white vinegar and one half water. Be careful not to get the vinegar in the dog's eyes.
3. Let the dog air dry. It will make all, or nearly all, of the fleas jump off of the dog.
4. Repeat every couple of days to remove fleas.
This will eventually work, if combined with the Apple Cider Water Flea Prevention method of flea control. You will also need to control the fleas in your environment.
These two mild flea control methods, above, are what we use for our pregnant & nursing moms, who cannot use flea meds. If you try these gentle methods with your dog, please remember it may take a couple of weeks to remove all of the fleas, but with perseverance, you will remove the fleas.
If you vacuum your carpets, and clean your yards simultaneously, you will be able to get the fleas under control without putting harsh chemicals on your dog. If you have a heavy infestation of fleas, vacuum daily.
You may need to treat your yard twice to remove new fleas and eggs.
Apple Cider Vinegar Water Flea Prevention to Control Fleas
FLEA TREATMENT: the following treatment will kill fleas, ear mites and flies. It is an inexpensive means of flea control, but more importantly, it prevents the dog from being bombarded with harsh chemicals.
Sometimes this method is also used to control fleas with feral cats, in cat colonies, and in wildlife rehabilitation.
1. Mix One Teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar with one quart of water.
2. Use this mixture as the only source of water for you dog.
3. Provide newly mixed Apple Cider Vinegar Water daily.
It will take about 6 weeks to remove the fleas, but it does work, as long as the environment is cleaned regularly to remove the fleas.
Apple Cider Vinegar Water will eliminate fleas slowly, and it will even kill fleas and flies that drink it. Yes, fleas will go to a bowl of water. If a fly enters your kitchen, and you have a dog water bowl there, with the Apple Cider Vinegar Water mixture in it, the fly will probably die soon after you see it.
FRONTLINE SPRAY - For Fleas, Ticks and Ear Mites
Frontline Spray is not available now due to patent trouble, but we expect it to become available again soon. Keep looking for it because it is the best product for fleas. It kills flea eggs and will not wash off. You need only spray one spray down the spine once a month!!!
Keep looking for FRONTLINE SPRAY, as it is the best product, and it should become available again soon. It contains fipronil to prevent new eggs from hatching! Until it is available again, please buy BIOPSOT SPRAY.
Biospot WASHES OFF AND HAS PYRETHINS, [which may not be the safest ingredient], SO, BIOPSOT IS THE 2nd best product.
If using the vinegar method:
When you first start using the more gentle forms of flea control, you may have a sudden flea outbreak, and temporary set back. If you need to supplement the gentle methods of flea control with something stronger please use FRONTLINE SPRAY, or Biospot Spray.
In the month of August, fleas can be difficult to control. They can reproduce rapidly and
become a big problem very quickly. Yes, it is usually okay to supplement the more gentle methods of flea control, with an occasional Frontline Spray, or Biospot Spray treatment for flea control.
Frontline Spray is sometimes hard to find. You can purchase it at Jeffers Pet, online, or by phone. It is about $50 for a bottle that will last for about two years.
The directions will say that you must saturate the animal entirely. Total saturation is severe overkill.
1. Spray one spray down his spine.
2. Spray a circle around his ears, while covering his eyes with a cloth.
3. Spray a good bit on his head, between his ears, while covering his eyes with a cloth.
4. Spray a good bit on the base of the spine near his tail [on his back]. Avoid his wee wee area.
5. Spray a quick spray on his chest and halfway down his tummy.
The Apple Cider Vinegar Water method of flea control really works, but please do not forget that you may need to supplement the vinegar treatment with additional treatments, like Frontline Spray, particularly, in the first few months, and, possibly, in the month of August.
When using Frontline Spray you can spray your dog monthly for fleas. If you happen to run into a severe outbreak of fleas, before the end of the month dosage period, [in between times to spray], you can still spray the dog. If this happens, try to use as little spray as possible, like a single spray down the spine, and maybe one around the ears. Remember to cover the eyes with a cloth.
You will need to redo your Frontline Spray if the dog gets wet within 48 hours after being sprayed.
You are also supposed to wait 24 hours after a bath, to spray the Frontline.
Ear Mites
Ear mites do not affect humans!
Your dog can get ear mites any place, and at any time of the year. Ear mites do not affect humans but ear mites are highly contagious between dogs.
It takes a couple of weekly Frontline Spray treatments,or the Biospot ear treatments, to get rid of ear mites. While the Frontline Spray is doing its work, for a period of up to two weeks, you will need to clean your dog's ears daily.
The signs of ear mites are:
1. Brown crumbly substance in ears, which will reappear in hours
2. Scratching ears
3. Shaking head
Ear mites can create a medium for bacterial growth and add to yeast infections. It is important to try to get rid of ear mites as soon as you notice the brown crumbly substance in his ears.
WHEN YOU CLEAN YOUR DOG'S EARS, IF HE HAS EAR MITES, THE BROWN CRUMBLY SUBSTANCE WILL REAPPEAR WITHIN HOURS. IT IS AMAZING HOW QUICKLY THE SUBSTANCE APPEARS!
We do not like the many ear mite meds. Some of them are made of highly carcinogenic ingredients. Most ear mite meds take about two weeks to work. The few ear mite meds that work instantaneously may be too strong for toy dogs.
Frontline Spray will work in a few applications, or more slowly than some other meds for ear mites, but it may be less problematic for the dog. It is not as strong as many of the other products.
It is very important to clean his ears daily if he has ear mites. As we mentioned, he can get an ear infection if the ear mites are not treated, and if his ears are not cleaned daily. As described below, clean his ears with swabs dipped in hydrogen peroxide. Dry his ears with dry swabs.
Treat Ear Mites Weekly with Frontline Spray
Spray Frontline Spray or Biospot Spray in a circle around the outside of his ears. Spray around his ear for ear mites weekly, until the ear mites are gone.
Please remember to cover the ears with a cloth prior to spraying around the ears.
And, clean the ears daily, as described below.
TREATING YOUR ENVIRONMENT FOR FLEAS
Fleas have a two week cycle. Neighbors' animals, visiting cats, and squirrels, can bring fleas into your yard. Fleas can reproduce in your yard, very quickly. They inhabit areas under plants and buildings. Fleas even eat grass and other plants. Fleas wait for small furry critters to appear, so they can jump on them.
Fleas can also reproduce rapidly in your home. They will seek out dark corners.
If you have an outbreak, be sure to vacuum your home daily. You may need to spray something into your vacuum cleaner to kill the fleas after each vacuuming. Some people put moth balls in their vacuum cleaners to kill vacuumed fleas. We do not use moth balls, because they present too large a poisoning threat to little dogs, and they produce a strong moth ball smell when the vacuum is used again. We spray a very small amount of Bug Spray in the vacuum hose, and then we plug the hose with a rag, to kill the fleas.
Sevin & Flea Bombs
We do not use flea bombs, as we consider them to be too dangerous.
When needed, we spray the yard with Sevin. It is available in packets that can be used with a hose end sprayer. It is very convenient to spray Sevin just before a heavy rain. Sevin kills the minute it hits the surface. It does not need to sit after being sprayed. All of the Sevin must be washed off of all surfaces before your dog is allowed back outside. If the rain was incomplete in cleansing the Sevin from the yard, you will need to thoroughly hose down your yard, grass, patios, etc.
Be sure to remove water bowls before spraying Sevin. Also, be careful not to get Sevin in a pool or bird bath, etc.
So, if you have a severe outbreak, you can spray the yard with Sevin. If you time the yard spraying just right, and spray just minutes prior to a soaking rain, you may not have to wash down your yards and patios. All of the Sevin should be thoroughly washed away after spraying. But, please remember to remove water bowls, and be careful around a swimming pool, bird bath, etc.
Trimming Coats & Groomers
People ask if we use Groomers! There are many great Groomers, but you should stay with your dog while he is being groomed, and watch all that is done to him. A watchful eye assures that the groomer is treating your dog the way you want your dog to be treated. A respectful groomer understands your expectations and does not object to your presence.
Some Grooming Salon Nightmares:
1. No hot water, and only the dog and groomers knew there was no hot water, for 20 years.
2. Chemicals/detanglers/creme rinses/conditioners used to detangle coats, will often cause skin problems.
3. Harsh shampoos cause skin problems. Groomers often spray detanglers on coats after bathing.
4. Inadequate rinsing causes skin problems.
5. Numerous contagious diseases can be contracted from grooming shears, grooming table, and other dogs in the salon. Diseases such as Canine Influenza and Kennel Cough can sometimes be found there.
6. Groomers have been known to drug dogs to make them more compliant.
7. Groomers have slapped dogs. I witnessed one groomer that I had used for 20 years, slap someone else's tiny dog, for no reason. When asked, her response was that she had to show the toy dog, who the boss was before she started grooming him.
8. Trachea damage is quite common from the neck loop used to keep dogs on the table. Trachea damage usually results in a slow death over a couple of years. The grooming injury incident may go unnoted until a good while after the injury! Consequently, the dog's owner may never know where the trachea injury was sustained.
9. Dogs that leap, or fall off of grooming tables often sustain life-threatening injuries.
10. Two salons we know of, burned two different toy poodles to death in the drying booths. They left the room while the dog was drying. It was tragic and totally avoidable.
We know there are many, many great groomers, however we have had some bad experiences, so we now do all of our own grooming. Under no conditions should you leave your dog while he is being groomed. Stay with your dog or don't have him groomed!
You Can Do Your Own Grooming
To us, taking a dog to the groomer is like taking a baby to a stranger for a bath
If you cannot do your dog's ears, then you need to keep trying until you can. The groomer will have a much tougher time dealing with your dog's ears than you do. The dog may get hurt as the groomer has a schedule to meet, and may have to hurry, even if the dog is being very difficult.
Foisting the problem off on a stranger, who may harm the neck, spine, etc., of the dog while the dog is fighting to escape, is not the answer.
With patience, and training, you can clean your dog's ears. Clean his ears regularly. The more often you work with your dog, the more likely he is to relax while you are cleaning. Frequent cleaning is very beneficial!
Sit quietly and talk to your dog in a calming voice, prior to any grooming session. Daily care may be what is needed to calm your dog and yourself, so that you both can learn to do it correctly, and without stranger/groomer trauma.
We buzz cut all of our Havs twice yearly. They love it and they look so cute in their coats as they grow out.
You can purchase a grooming table for about $140. Shears are about $140-150. #10 blades are about $15-20 each. You can shave down your own dog twice a year. The table and shears will pay for themselves the first year. Buy several blades. You can purchase the grooming table, shears, and blades from Jeffers Pet Catalog, or at www.jefferspet.com
Grooming Sanitary Area
1. Even with dogs in full coat, we clip all hair from the sanitary area, We clip all hair below the tail, beside the tail, and along the bottom part of the tail.
2. We clip all hair around their wee wee area. We wash this area with a baby wipe/wet cloth every day.
Bathing
We bath them weekly with Baby Shampoo. Only use Baby Shampoo without Conditioners & Detanglers.
Do not listen to anyone who says weekly bathing in Baby Shampoo will dry the skin, as it is the mildest form of shampoo. It also rinses out more easily than other shampoos, and it will not harm their eyes. We have used it for 30+ years with no dry skin whatsoever! It rinses easily. Always overdo the rinsing! Rinse three times as much as you think you need to, as improper rinsing is the main reason for itchy skin. We clean their ears thoroughly prior to the bath, with hydrogen peroxide, to decrease the bacteria that will get into the ear canal. We will get to ear cleaning in a moment. After the bath, we clean their ears again with hydrogen peroxide. You can follow the cleaning with alcohol wipes, to remove any water or bacteria that might be in the area. The alcohol wipes remove the water that can cause yeast infections in small dark ear canals! We blow-dry their ears, on low, to help remove all water from the ear canal. Water left in the ear canal can cause yeasty ears, and ear infections, and it can lead to deafness if untreated.
Does your baby have stains under his eyes?
Does your baby have clots at the inside corner of his eyes?
Proper hair trimming will prevent and correct these problems.
We use "Ear Hair Scissors" to trim hair at the inside corner of the eyes, and along the orbital bone, which runs in an arc below the eye.
The special "Ear Hair Scissors" are very tiny and have a rounded tip. The scissors are so small that they may only fit a lady's hands. They work well in the tiny space between the eye and the nose.
If there is a Tear Stain, you will see a red stain along the orbital bone on the lower inside corner of the eye socket. The stain will follow the orbital bone, in an arc around the eye. If the eyes have not been groomed for a long time, you will see large red patches under the eyes.
Conversely, in a well groomed dog, even about a week after eye grooming, there should only be a tiny bit of Eye Stain that is about the width of a pencil mark under the eyes. Dogs that have weekly eye grooming, and are properly groomed, do not have perceptible eye stains.
When the eyes release tears, the tears fall on the coat below the eye. The tear moisture on the hair creates yeast, and the yeast turns the coat red. We trim this area weekly to remove stain. If we trim it weekly, there will be no perceptible Tear Stains.
If your dog's eyes are left ungroomed for a few weeks, the hair around his eyes will irritate his eyes, and the tear production will rapidly increase. Additional tears will form a clot at the inside corner of his eyes. The dog then needs immediate care. If the clot is left untreated, the clot will cause an eye infection and it can even scratch the eyeball. Clipping the hair at the inside corner of the eye is imperative.
The easiest method to control Eye Clots is to clip the hair at the inside corner of the eye, weekly. We clip the inside corner of the eye so closely that you basically cannot see the hair at all. You may also need to trim the hair at the other end of the eye, the outside end of the eye. You will occasionally need to trim the hair above the eye to prevent it from getting into his eyes. It is also very important to clip the hair all around the eye, occasionally, to prevent eye irritation.
Teething makes the staining worse. As the pup grows up, it will probably decrease. Ear infections will also increase Eye Stain. Pups reach a stage of maturation when their ear canals are very small, and they are teething at the same time. The frequent bathing that most pups must have, will often cause yeasty ears. When yeasty ears are coupled with teething, and small ear canals, we generally see Tear Stains.
Eye Stains are easy to control. Read on!
Products for Tear Stains
Angel Eyes is an expensive product that works. DO NOT USE IT. It has antibiotics in it.
There are many products on the market but none of them work well, except the antibiotics. Dog products are not FDA regulated, and they can be produced off shore, with almost zero regulations. They may cook your dog's liver. They may also cause antibiotic-resistant bacteria to grow in, on, and around your dog. You might even be attacked by antibiotic resistant bacteria, if you keep your dog on a extended regimen of unnecessary antibiotics.
If you are using a product that prevents Eye Stain, it probably has antibiotics in it. Since the products are not regulated, the antibiotics may not even be listed on the label as antibiotics. If the product is preventing Eye Stain, it probably is an antibiotic. It probably is even produced off shore, and marketed over-the-counter for dogs. If you use it, you may cook your dog's liver. You may also be creating new strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria that may just sit and wait to infect someone!
IT SHOULD BE AGAINST THE LAW TO USE ANTIBIOTICS FOR COSMETIC PURPOSES.
2. Trim the stain clean down to the skin, all around the orbital bone under the eye. Trim Weekly.
3. To prevent Eye Clots, trim the inside corner of the eye so close that you basically cannot see the hair at all. Trim weekly.
4. Trim the hair above and at the outside edge of the eye, occasionally to prevent eye irritation.
5. Trim Eyelashes monthly, to a length that is about 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch long. The eyelashes can get to be 3+ inches long, making it hard for the dog to even keep his eyes open. Long eyelashes increase Eye Tearing and thereby Eye Stain, Eye Clots, and Eye Irritation.
6. Teething also makes the eyes water. You have to wait this one out.
7. Ear infections also increase the staining. Try to avoid them.
8. Ear mites also increase the staining. They can be removed. See Ear Mite Information.
Please do not use the products with antibiotics in them. The easiest way to avoid unneeded antibiotics is to avoid all products for Eye Stain and to clip eye hair as described herein. Clipping the dog's eye hair will benefit him and not hurt him. It is painless, and it is inexpensive.
If the proper eye care is provided to the dog, there will only be a small amount of hair to trim each week. There will only be a stain the width of a pencil line. When you trim it, there will be so much hair around the stain, that trimming the stained hair, will not even be noticeable. If you keep up the good work, with this quick weekly grooming, the dog will never appear to have Eye Stains, and he will never have Eye Clots!
TOES
Toes, get itchy. If so, we sometimes remove all hair between them, as the hair will hold shampoo and moisture. Shampoo and moisture can lead to toe biting and perhaps create allergies. If you have a toe biting monster, and nothing else works, mix up a little Epsom Salt. Mix 1 Tbl. of Epsom Salt to a gallon of water. Dip those toes in it.
When bathing, remember to rinse three times as much as you think you might need to rinse. Pay particular attention to rinsing the toes as they may be standing in puddles of bubbly shampoo.
If your dog has walked in moldy leaves, you might try bathing him quickly. Try to avoid mold contaminated areas, mildew, dirty water and lakes.
Bath and blow dry toes after exposure to contaminants.
EARS
We are not vets, but we have tried all that is available on the market, for ears, and we keep coming back to the old tried and true methods that were used prior to modern medicines! Ask your vet for his acceptance of these practices and go with your vet's advice.
EARS INTRO
A Dog's Ear Drum is not at the end of the ear canal. The ear drum is around the corner from the end of the ear canal. You can use swabs and clean the dog's ears without worry that you will rupture his ear drum, as long as you do not go deeper than the area you can see, when you are looking down the canal.
Improper ear care can cause many problems, even deafness.
Ear Cleaning
1. Set up the right environment for ear cleaning. Work in a room in which you are alone with the dog. Make sure that there are no distractions, noise, or people walking through the room.
2. Assemble your supplies:
Hydrogen Peroxide, in a small bowl
Cotton Swabs
Revlon Handle Tweezers, flat tipped
Small Flashlight
Trash Can
Paper Towels
Towel
Animal Crackers as treats when you are finished
3. Cover your lap with the towel, and assemble your items on a table near your seating.
4. Place the dog on your lap, pet him and talk to him, so he will relax.
5. Place him ear-side up so that you can see into his ear canal.
6. Tuck the flashlight under your chin so you can see the tiny crevices in his ear.
7. Dip a swab in the hydrogen peroxide, and clean his ear with it. Repeat this process until his ear is clean. Dry his ear with a dry swab.
8. Use the Handle Tweezers and remove the ear hair. You may have to push him back into position and speak to him with a bit of a rude tone, until he understands that he will be okay. It may take a while to do this. Though he may resist at first, he will eventually be okay with it.
9. After all of his ear hair has been removed, clean his ear again with a swab dipped into hydrogen peroxide.
10. Dry his ear with dry swabs.
11. Repeat with the other ear.
12. Give him a treat after you finish each ear.
Clean ears again the day after the ear hair removal, to protect against bacterial infections in the skin abrasions.
Notes:
The dog may shake his head a lot for a week or so after ear hair removal. Some of the head shaking may be from the bath. Some may be from the ear hair removal, and some may be from a bit of hydrogen peroxide.
Ear hair removal does not hurt them, because they have very few nerve endings in their ear canals.
Ear hair holds moisture, bacteria, yeast, fungus, mites, fleas, and debris. Improper ear care can cause deafness.
When you finish, be sure to check his ear with the flashlight, there may be a lot of hair left in his ears. There may be fine ear hair left in the lower and smaller areas of the ear. Sometimes the ear hair is so light that you cannot see it. Keep working until you remove all of the hair.
Your vet may suggest an antibiotic skin ointment in the ear. This seems to aid in the recovery of skin tissue, since the initial hair removal or the removal of large amounts of hair, seems to do minor, temporary damage to tiny pores in the skin. Removing the hair, if there is a lot of hair, will remove tiny bits of skin and though it is necessary to remove the hair, the skin may get slightly inflamed.
When we cut their coats down we shave the inside flap of the ear.
We always clean ears before bathing, as the bath can force bacteria deeper into the ear canal. We also clean the ear after bathing to remove water and bacteria that entered the ear during the bath process!
After bathing, we dry the inside of the ear with a blow dryer set on low.
Many people put cotton balls in the ears prior to bathing. The cotton balls do not work. Skip the cotton balls, as the dog's head must be thoroughly washed to have a clean dog, so his ears will get wet.
Some people even go so far as to suggest you should not get the dog's head wet! Forget about it! Wash your dog's head!
Your dog will get accustomed to having his ears cleaned. If he is resisting you, try to place him in the ear cleaning position and pet him while he is in that position daily, or several times a day. Give him a treat while he is in the ear cleaning position. Let him adjust to it with this sort of training while you continue to clean his ears, regardless of his attitude about it.
You may have to force him to let you do ear cleaning, but it is very important. Without ear cleaning the dog will endure painful ear infections and perhaps even deafness.
You can teach him to let you interact with him in a positive way during ear cleaning. Keep trying if he is being difficult as you stand a better chance of working with him than a groomer would.
After teaching him to look forward to ear cleaning you will soon see him turn form one side to the other when you finish the first ear. He will catch on quickly, just persevere until you are successful.
You can spend $70-150 at the vet on steroids, drops, and pills but they usually do not work as well as this method. We believe the steroids are causing many of the cancers we are seeing in many of the lap- eared breeds. I have explained to my vet that I prefer to use all alternatives to the strong ear medications, but when the vet says I must use the strong meds, I will gladly use them.
Over- The- Counter Ear Care Products
1. Powders for drying and cleaning, many of them are made with highly carcinogenic substances, such as rotenone. Rotenone is a known human carcinogen and it is dangerous for humans. The drying powders do not work well, and they leave debris, creating a medium for bacterial growth.
2. There are many ear washes. Washes leave water behind, and consequently are the cause of bacterial and yeast infections. Most vets prescribe ear washes because it is easier to prescribe a wash than to get everyone to correct the ear problem with other methods.
3. Tea Tree Oil should never be used on a toy or small breed! It may be dangerous.
The Peroxide Method is a little more work, but we have had much more success with it. IT WILL REMOVE BACTERIA. With hydrogen peroxide, we do not worry about the cancers that might be a result of steroids and over the counter carcinogens, that are given these days.
If Your Dog Repeatedly Has Ear Infections:
1. Are you cleaning the dog's ears weekly?
2. Are you drying the dog's ears after the bath?
3. Are you getting the shampoo out of his ears after his weekly bath?
4. Are you removing his ear hair at least every two weeks?
5. Are you taking the dog to a groomer who could be creating the problem?
6. Is your dog walking in mold infested areas?
7. Is your dog swimming in a lake or pool?
If your dog has an infection, of any magnitude, please take your dog to the vet, ASAP!
You must consult with your veterinarian prior to using any of this information.
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EPA-
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/petproductseval.html
Pesticides: Health and Safety
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is pursuing a series of actions to increase the safety of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control for cats and dogs. Immediately, EPA will begin reviewing labels and determining which ones need stronger and clearer labeling statements. EPA will also develop more stringent testing and evaluation requirements for both existing and new products. EPA expects these steps will help prevent adverse reactions from pet spot-on products.
EPA is coordinating with Health Canada and with the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine on these actions. Canada identified similar concerns with incidents being reported from the use of spot-on products. The two countries have very similar products registered and some of the same registrants, and we often work together on review of data submissions. Some flea and tick products are drugs that are regulated by the FDA. We are collaborating with FDA as well because FDA regulates some similar products and it made sense for EPA to learn about FDA's processes and learn from its experience in post-market surveillance of incidents associated with animal drugs.
We will continue to reach out to the public on actions EPA is taking and provide information that will help consumers use pet pesticide products safely. By using pesticide products correctly, including determining whether or not they are needed, consumers can help protect their pets.
Results of this Evaluation of Pet Incidents
EPA is committed to sharing information with the public, so we are making available the report that our expert team of veterinarians wrote based on their findings. This report needs to be read with an understanding of the data limitations that the team faced, as described in the report.
Recommendations to reduce harmful effects include:
Further Restrictions on Products
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Dosing. To address concerns about dosing, the Agency is pursuing requiring label and/or packaging changes that would result in more narrow pet weight ranges per vial size. This means there will be more categories for the weights of pets so that small, medium, and large dogs get the right amount of product. Pet owners should always be aware of the weight of their pet and purchase and use the correct product for their pet’s weight.
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Improve labeling to avoid confusion between dog and cat products. Because there were problems reported with cats exposed to dog products, the Agency needs to address this problem and is pursuing the following actions:
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Label changes that prohibit the use of the same brand names on cat and dog products; and
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Requiring appropriate, clear label statements to address concerns with cat exposure to dog products as a result of direct application or interactions between cats and dogs in multi-pet households after the application of dog products.
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Make labels more understandable. To improve label clarity, EPA will pursue changes such as larger fonts and pictograms.
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Make other label changes as needed. EPA will meet with companies individually to review their products and discuss additional changes to labels or ingredients that the Agency feels are needed. These actions may include anything from adding a more complete list of potential side effects to product labels to canceling products.
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Inert Ingredients. To address uncertainties about the “inert” (non-active) ingredients in these products and how they might contribute to toxicity, EPA will be pursuing the following actions:
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No longer allow the interchangeable use of inert ingredients in these formulations;
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Determine whether additional information is needed and, if so, require that information to evaluate certain inert ingredients; and
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Disallow inerts that have suspected toxic effects when and if these are identified.
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Conditions of Registration. Based on what we currently know about these pet products, EPA expects to impose conditions of registration when granting amendments to existing products or granting new registrations. As with any registration action, EPA will review each application on a case-by-case basis to determine whether these conditions are appropriate and applicable to the product in question. The expected conditions are as follows:
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A two-year registration time limitation from the date the product is released for shipment
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Only one, basic confidential statement of formula
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The submission of quarterly incident reports and an analysis of these report
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The submission of quarterly sales information by doses sold
Tighter Regulation
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Standardized reporting. To be able to monitor these products better, EPA is pursuing more standardized reporting on adverse effects and sales. This will allow the Agency to more effectively review incidents, and if concerns are raised, give EPA information to act.
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Pre-market clinical trials and post-market surveillance. The Agency is taking steps to bring data requirements in line with FDA’s requirements for similar products. This will allow EPA to be more consistent with how FDA regulates similar animal drugs, which includes pre-market clinical trials and a formal post-market surveillance program, and will allow the Agency to more thoroughly assess the safety of the products.
For more information, see EPA’s mitigation plan and slides.
Agency’s Technical Review Document and Product-specific Evaluations
Mitigation Measures EPA Will Pursue to Prevent Future Incidents
Flea and tick products can be appropriate treatments for protecting pets and public health because fleas and ticks can transmit disease to animals and humans. For example, smaller dogs tend to be disproportionately affected by some products and the exposure of cats to some dog products is a concern. While most people use the spot-on pet pesticide products on their pets with no harm to their pets, in some cases the use of products on certain species or sizes of animals resulted in a number of reported incidents.
Based on its analysis, EPA determined that some changes need to be made in how we regulate the spot-on products, how companies report data on pet incidents, and how packages are labeled for cats, dogs, and size of animals to prevent unreasonable adverse effects and ensure the safety of these products. Based on reported incidents, EPA also concludes that many but not all pet incidents took place because the products were misused.
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Over the past year, EPA conducted an intensive analysis of the pet product incidents. In spring 2009, EPA noticed an increase in pet incidents being reported involving spot-on pesticide products for pets. EPA received a large amount of information on individual reported adverse pet incidents from the companies that hold registrations for these products (called the registrants). EPA also reviewed other information that was submitted.
EPA formed an expert veterinarian team to thoroughly analyze the data. EPA also partnered with the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), our counterpart agency in Canada, on the review of this analysis. The team studied incidents involving cats and dogs, looked at both active and inert ingredients, studied product labeling, and discussed data needs for the future to improve analyses and regulation.
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EPA found that the products could be used safely but that some additional restrictions are needed. EPA’s team of veterinarians learned that most incidents were minor, but unfortunately there were some pet deaths and “major incidents” reported. The Agency learned that the most commonly affected organ systems were dermal, gastrointestinal, and nervous.
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Based on results of the analysis, EPA is taking action. By taking the actions listed below, many of the adverse effects in pets can be prevented. The Agency also believes that providing more information to the public is important so that people can make the right choices for their pets and use these and all pesticide products safely.
Safety Tips for Flea and Tick Pesticides
Children's Health Protection
EPA is dedicated to the protection of children risks associated from exposures to pesticides, particularly those used residentially. EPA assesses all pet pesticide treatments, including spot-on products, using a screening level approach. Our review of these products includes a dermal assessment for adults and dermal and oral exposure assessment for children based upon conservative assumptions of pet contact and pesticide transfer to the persons exposed. Inhalation assessment to pet pesticide treatments is considered on a case-by-case basis. EPA scientists estimate the amount of applied pesticide that can transfer from the animal to the child’s skin from hugging or otherwise contacting a treated animal. Based on these estimates, the EPA ensures that children are protected from exposure to pesticide treated pets.
People should carefully follow label directions and monitor their pets for any signs of an adverse reaction after application, particularly when using these products for the first time. Pet owners may also want to consult a veterinarian about the responsible and effective use of flea and tick products, including whether the use of these products is necessary. Owners should consult a veterinarian about the best way to protect their pets from fleas and ticks, especially before using any product on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to pesticide products.
Additional safety tips are available for taking care of fleas and ticks on your pet.
What to Do if Your Pet Shows Adverse Effects
EPA recommends that veterinarians use the National Pesticide Information Center’s Veterinary Pesticide Adverse Effects Reporting portal  to report incidents.
Pet owners can report incidents through several routes:
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Tell the Registrant: Pet owners should always report adverse effects to the product registrant. Pesticide manufacturers are required by law to report incident information to EPA. Contact information can be found on the product label. Clearly identify the name of the product used, the EPA Registration Number, the type and breed of animal affected, symptoms observed in the pet, and any other details pertaining to the incident.
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Tell EPA: Forward the information in our “ask a question” site:
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Select "flea and tick products" on the left sidebar
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The question that will give you the information about reporting an incident will be one of the first questions. Or you can search for ID number 18052 using the advanced search function near the top of the left sidebar.
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Tell the National Pesticide Information Center: Call 1-800-858-7378 to report an incident.
Related Information
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