Ear plucking and why we’d rather not…
If you have a long haired dog you may have noticed hair growing inside their ear canals. Some vets and groomers recommend pulling this hair out to allow for better cleanliness and air flow but not us! It’s something we really don’t enjoy doing and it has actually been proven to cause more harm than good. Here’s why…
Ear plucking can be a pretty unpleasant experience for your dog. We like to compare it to eyebrow waxing…it’s tolerable for most but there’s still a good amount of discomfort involved. While some dogs don’t seem bothered by it at all, some display pretty obvious signs that it is a painful process for them. This can be especially true for dogs with lots of ear hair and for those with ear infections whose ears are already sore and sensitive. Since our top priority is to provide the most comfortable and stress free experience possible for your pet, ear plucking is something we’d really rather not put them through. Since we are a regular part of their lives, it is very important to us that they see the grooming salon as a positive thing and that they don’t associate grooming visits with anything that causes them pain.
When we do pluck ear hair, we create open follicles that attract and collect dirt. Often times, after a dog has its ears plucked, it will scratch (remember the discomfort aspect) and introduce dirt from its toenails into these freshly exposed follicles. This can worsen or create ear infections.
With these two things in mind…If you do still want us to pluck your dog’s ears, we will give it a go! However, if they react in a way that makes us believe it’s too painful for them, we will stop and recommend asking your vet to take care of it for you. Again, we want your pet’s grooming visits to always be a positive experience! So, if it’s ok with you, we’d rather leave it alone ;)