Thanks to their dogs' long, heavy ears, most poodle owners are very familiar with ear infections. They're not hard to detect. You might notice your poodle shaking his head a lot or scratching his ears. When you smell the ears during your regular at-home exam, they might stink. If the infection is quite bad, your poodle might cry out or flinch when you try to handle his ears.

Treating Ear Infections

If your poodle has an infection, your veterinarian might prescribe antibiotics to fight it. If the infection is particularly severe, your poodle may need to be anesthetized so that the ears can be flushed out.

One product that can help clear up ear infections without antibiotics or steroids is called Zymox Otic, made by Pet King Brands, Inc. It uses four types of enzymes to fight bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. It works quickly and painlessly and comes with or without hydrocortisone, which can help reduce pain and inflammation. Ask your veterinarian if she can order some if she doesn't already carry it.

Antibiotics may sometimes be necessary, but if your poodle has recurrent infections, you'll need to do more than give your dog course after course of antibiotics. Chronic ear problems don't happen just because airflow to the ear canal is inhibited by your poodle's long, heavy ears. Frequently, they're a byproduct of other health problems, like allergies and yeast overgrowth. Pesticides, in the form of flea and tick control products or residue on food ingredients, have been blamed for chronic ear problems, as have vaccinations.

If your poodle suffers from one ear infection after another, and antibiotics and steroidal ointments aren't addressing the cause, consider seeking advice from a holistic veterinarian. This way you can try to find the source of the problem, rather than just addressing the symptoms.

Ear Cleaning

If your poodle's ears have a lot of brown, waxy discharge, you may need to clean them to keep him comfortable. You can buy a lot of veterinary preparations for cleaning out the ear, but an easier method is simply to warm some olive oil, dip a cotton ball in it, and gently wipe the underside of your poodle's ear flap.

Don't become a zealot about keeping your poodle's ears clean and plucked. In a healthy dog, frequent cleaning should not be necessary. Putting too much liquid in the ear can cause ear problems, and plucking the hair in the ear canal can irritate it. If your poodle's ears look good and smell sweet, don't rock the boat by cleaning and plucking.