# To pluck or not to pluck



## Sissygirl

Hi everyone,

When Sissy was going to the groomers they always plucked her
ear hair. She was getting a lot of ear infections.

Then I started grooming her myself and I read in the Joyous Havanese Book on page 150 that we should not pluck the ear hair. She said nature put the
ear hair inside the dog's ear for protection. Sissy hasn't had an ear infection since I have left it alone.

So, do you pluck or not? I feel guilty leaving it because I feel I am not grooming her properly. Because I am busy this week, I am trying out a new groomer and she says she plucks and I can't decide if I should let her or not??

Just wondering what all of you do?

Thanks.


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## rdanielle

Pluck. Whjen I was growing up my family had a Silky Terrier and being new to long haired dogs we didn't know the importance of plucking the ear hair. Our Silky constantly had bad ear infections and eventually lost a lot of her hearing  Plucking prevents moisture and bacteria from going on a frenzy.

http://www.diydoggrooming.com/earplucking.php


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## HavaneseSoon

Dexter ear hair has been plucked for about a year now, and no ear infections. Jack has lots of ear hair and as soon as I get the nerve to start really plucking, I will be checking his ear hair. Jack still has a lot of wriggle in him for him to sit still and let me pluck away.

My Vet recommends ear hair removal. 

My question.....How do you keep a Hav's inner ear clean with all the hairs?


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## Sheri

I rarely pluck Tucker's ears. Only if it seems to be getting clumped up and dirty, and then only a bit. He's not had an ear infection yet. (He's 3.)

But, I think the main thing would be, if she used to have her ear hair pulled and she had ear infections, but, now that you haven't been messing with her ears she HASN'T had an ear infection, that is what I'd go with. If she starts to have infections again, then re-evaluate.


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## good buddy

I pluck. They don't have to be perfectly hairless, but I do believe that too much hair in the ears holds in the moisture and opens them up to ear infections.


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## Sissygirl

My DH cleans her ears - he squirts the solution in and swabs with cotton balls and qtips (carefully).

It's strange because since we haven't plucked - no ear infections. She had many ear infections when we were plucking.

It's a hard decision.


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## ama0722

Don't pluck! I have heard don't pluck but wit the added once you start, you have to continue (just like anal glands-they take care of themselves). Mine have never had an ear infection (minus Dora after the foxtail surgery which was expected).


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## krandall

good buddy said:


> I pluck. They don't have to be perfectly hairless, but I do believe that too much hair in the ears holds in the moisture and opens them up to ear infections.


That's about what we do. I don't believe that dogs "naturally" have a lot of ear hair. Long hair on dogs is not "natural"... it was developed by man. Short haired dogs don't have all that ear hair.

Once I got over feeling squeamish about doing it, I found that he actually tolerates ear hair plucking with much more grace than nail cutting!


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## krandall

Sissygirl said:


> My DH cleans her ears - he squirts the solution in and swabs with cotton balls and qtips (carefully).
> 
> It's strange because since we haven't plucked - no ear infections. She had many ear infections when we were plucking.
> 
> It's a hard decision.


It may be the solution you are using that's keeping infections at bay at least as much as the fact that you no longer pluck her ears. Were you cleaning them before the ear infections the same way you do now?


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## susieg

Sissygirl said:


> It's strange because since we haven't plucked - no ear infections. She had many ear infections when we were plucking.


I'd say "if it ain't broke don't fix it!" If you think she's better without plucking, then don't pluck. I think each dog is different. Some forum members say they do pluck and their havs don't get ear infections and other say they don't pluck and their havs don't get ear infections. If she used to get ear infections and now she doesn't....whatever you're doing is working.


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## kudo2u

I don't pluck Tango's, but I do pluck Bandit's. I think maybe it depends on the dog.

Tango has very little hair in her ears, and she's very tolerant of me cleaning them. Water tends to get in her ears when I bathe her (every other week), no matter how hard I try not to let that happen. Those times, I dry around her ears as much as I can with a towel, then I carefully clean (only the parts I can see) with a q-tip. I NEVER stick the q-tip way down into her ear!!! The off-weeks (when she does not get a bath), I squirt solution and follow the instructions on the bottle.

Bandit had really bad ear infections in both ears when I got him. The first time his ears were ever plucked, he was in for his neuter surgery (3 days after we brought him home). They went ahead and plucked while he was under. The vet said he had a LOT of hair, and we need to stay on top of it, or his ear infections would be recurring throughout his life. They were right - he does have a lot of hair. So I don't try to get every tiny hair, but I try to keep it as thin as Tango's. Then I follow the same cleaning procedure with him as I do with Tango.

Bandit came to live with us in November, and we haven't had any ear issues since we got the initial infection cleaned up.

So really, I think it depends on the dog.


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## Sissygirl

krandall said:


> It may be the solution you are using that's keeping infections at bay at least as much as the fact that you no longer pluck her ears. Were you cleaning them before the ear infections the same way you do now?


Yes, we are cleaning them the same way.


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## irnfit

I don't pluck. My vet said if they don't have a problem, leave it alone. Just make sure they are clean, which I do.


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## DanielBMe

I have my groomer mildly pluck the ear hair. Don't take it all out, but always make sure there's some there. It's there for a reason...


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## LuckyOne

My vet says pluck but I think it does depend on the dog. Einstein gets ear infections and Watson does not. My vet showed me how to use the q-tip. If you go straight down into the ear, parallel to the head (not toward the head but straight toward the ground and wipe out away from the head) you cannot get near the ear drum. I hope that made sense. Looks so easy when the doctor's staff does it!


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## Scooter's Family

krandall said:


> Long hair on dogs is not "natural"... it was developed by man.


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## Evye's Mom

Scooter's Family said:


>


Ditto ???


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## galaxie

I guess I'm half and half, because I have to pluck Roscoe while he's not paying attention. If he realizes what I'm doing, he squirms and wiggles and tries to chomp on my fingers :Cry:

Maddie, on the other hand, couldn't care less about having her ears plucked!


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## Julie

I have never plucked Quincy's ear hair and have not allowed the vet to do it either.(They want to routinely). I have never had an ear infection and do not do anything to them. I am careful not to get water in them during bath time and have a drying solution to squirt in there (from the vet) if need be.....but I have only used it twice in almost 4 years.

I vote no.....if Sissy is doing well with her ear hair--then leave it.:thumb:


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## pjewel

I never do it but the groomer I take the boys to now does. I've seen it. She doesn't seem to spend all that much time doing it though. Thankfully so far no ear infections in any of the troops.


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## krandall

Sissygirl said:


> Yes, we are cleaning them the same way.


Then I agree with those who say don't pluck. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!


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## krandall

Scooter's Family said:


>


Wild dog species all have coats significantly shorter than any of our long haired domestic dog breeds, and none of them have dropped ears either. So there is nothing "natural" about a Hav's ears... they were bred that way by humans.


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## Me+Sydney

I'm far from an expert, but I tend to just take it as it comes. If I happen to notice that there is hair inside the ear that has gathered any dirt/wax, then I grab it but otherwise I tend to leave things alone. Sydney doesn't have too much hair in there anyway generally, so unless it looks dirty, I don't really worry about it. Occasionally it does seem to gather a bit of ear wax, at which point it's very easy to pull with just my fingers. I don't think Sydney even notices!

If leaving things alone seems to have reduced the ear infections, then I say stick with what works!


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## Sissygirl

Took Sissy to the vet today. They said her ears were pristine clean - so I am not plucking!!! They suggested to leave the ear hair since she hasn't had any ear infections.

Trying out the new groomer tomorrow - I am going to have her trimmed up for summer.
DH is taking her in and giving instructions (I have another appt. and can't take her)
so we will see how she turns out.


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## Pixiesmom

I just brought Pixie back from the groomer-I love that woman-she's amazing! She was telling me that she doesn't like the idea of plucking and the practice is becoming antiquated. She said that the ear can get inflamed if all the hair is plucked out and that opens the follicles to infection. Makes sense. You do, however need to clean them. I'm using my 1/3 solution.


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## Carefulove

Pluck too.


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## SMARTY

Don't pluck is my vote. Smarty had one ear infection and that was when the vet's girl plucked her ear hair when I was out of the room. The assistant thought she was doing me a favor and let me know she did it. Whether it was from the ear plucking or the vets visit, a few days later we were back for meds. I don't pluck and my girls don't have any ear issues. (I bet I'll wish I hadn't said that.)


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## Evye's Mom

Evye's ears are plucked and has very little (almost none) ear hair and is currently being treated for an ear infection. I hope this is the last !! Those ear drops are so oily and all over her. Not to mention she is scratching like crazy and removing what little head hair she has left. The oral antibiotic is resulting in diarrhea (doubled the probiotics). She looks pretty pathetic. I do not want to go through this again any time soon. Bentley has tons of ear hair in spite of them being plucked. I think I am going to request the groomer stop plucking and just clean the ears.


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