How to prevent ear problems in English cocker spaniels / Grooming, diet, lifestyle tips / Perfect cocker spaniel breed & puppy guide, dog blog / (C) Natalia Ashton
by Natalia

I am all ears! | Preventing ear problems in English cocker spaniels

If a cocker spaniel puppy came with a User’s manual, the book would definitely contain a warning about ear infections.  It is true that English cockers are predisposed to issues in this area. It does not, however, mean that your dog is destined to suffer from one.

There are a few things that can cause your cocker experience an ear ache and irritation. They can be connected to genetics and anatomy, health problems elsewhere in the body, parasites such as ear mites (one of the most common triggers), environmental allergies and food sensitivities, yeast and fungi, overall health status, side-effects of some medications, lifestyle, foreign bodies such as grass seeds and, of course, grooming routine.

The most important rule here is to take the dog to a vet if you suspect anything however minor and insignificant. Guesswork, internet searches, over the counter medicines, natural remedies and ear problems do not belong together.

I love my boys’ ears. I love to look at them, photograph them, groom them, touch and stroke the silky hair and I even love the way they smell… So I make sure they stay this way – beautiful and problem-free.

That’s why today I am not going to talk about illnesses. Instead we will focus on prevention because it’s so straight forward yet so effective for keeping any problems at bay for the entire life of your dog.

So here is a list of things that I do and use myself and recommend to anyone who comes to me for advice.

Check your dog’s ears daily and be particularly vigilant if your cocker is an adventurer or avid swimmer. It helps to know what a healthy ear looks like, notice any changes in texture, skin colour, temperature and scent, and spot any odd-looking discharge or grass seeds before they get into the ear canal.

Clean your spaniel’s ears once a week and keep it simple. Simplicity is the key when it comes to ear routine. By nature the canine ear is self-cleaning, so you don’t want or need to fiddle with it too much. Do not insert anything inside the ear canal. Do not pour any solutions into the cavity either. The latter may have to be done if the dog already has problems and based on your vet’s recommendations. However, if your dog has healthy beautiful ears, all you need to do is to get two cotton pads, moisten them with an ear cleanser based on salicylic acid (the simpler the formula the better) and gently and carefully wipe the visible outer surface inside each ear. That’s all.

Trim the hair around the ear canal monthly to allow air circulation. Be cautious if using clippers – it can cause irritation. Plucking must be avoided because it can leave the skin open to infections.

Groom your dog every day, so the ears are never left wet. Leaving them to dry naturally softens the skin of the ear canal and around the edge, creates damp and warm environment, and allows infections, bacteria and yeast to thrive. Keep an eye on paws, too, because anything that affects the paws can be easily transmitted into the ears.

Brush the ears daily to avoid mats. Also don’t use clippers on your dogs ears – it will thicken the hair, make it prone to matting and trapping moisture. Use scissors or Coat King instead.

Avoid frequent bathing because it also softens the skin and increases the risk of getting the water into the ear canal. If you do bathe your dog, always protect the ears with cotton balls.

Use vet-prescribed flea and worming treatments. Besides keeping obvious parasites at bay, correctly chosen products will also prevent an ear mite infestation.

If your dog had to be on a course of antibiotics, remember to restore his gut bacteria with a course of vet-recommended probiotics and by adding some plain natural yoghurt or kefir into your cocker’s diet.

Feed your dog a complete balanced diet because it will strengthen his natural defences. It does not need to be home-made or unique. A good quality commercial age-appropriate dog food is a reliable and safe option. If unsure, consult a vet or nutritionist.

When feeding your dog, use special spaniel bowls, snoods and scrunchies to protect your cocker’s ears from getting dirty, otherwise you may end up with a dog who suddenly develops very smelly ears caused by yeast and bacteria.

You can find more information about English cockers, their health, grooming, nutrition and puppy tips in my book Perfect cocker spaniel.

Photo credit: Cooper & Fred photographed by me

Can household chemicals be harming your dog's health / link and risk between pesticides, herbicides, phthalates, common toxic substances in cleaners, cosmetics, make-up and risk of cancer, dermatitis, skin problems, behavioural issues, aggression, obesity, allergies in dogs / Perfect cocker spaniel pet blog / puppy tips, advice, grooming, health, diet, training tip / (C) Natalia Ashton
by Natalia

Is your home making your dog sick?

Dogs can help us discover the link between common household chemicals and several types of human cancers, but they can get sick, too. According to the latest study published in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, dogs that share their living space with humans, are essentially inhaling, absorbing and retaining the same chemicals as their family.

The scientists collected the data from exposure to pesticides, OPEs (organophosphate esters), phthalates, BFRs (flame retardants), and PCBs (polychlorinated bisphenyls). These are usually found in garden products, disinfectants, pest poisons, cosmetics, plastic and vinyl toys, vinyl and certain wood flooring, plastic food wraps, detergents, baby products, mattresses and foam furniture, just to name a few. Many substances have already been linked to disease in humans, but the problem has often been about the length between the exposure to chemicals and the onset of symptoms. With their smaller bodies, the dogs do not only absorb the potentially carcinogenic agents, but can develop the disease at a much faster rate.

Whilst it is certainly a welcomed discovery in terms of our health, the research, in my view, is a very valid factor and reminder for every dog parent to be incredibly vigilant when choosing their household products, cosmetics, food items, containers, dog toys and bowls.

I have talked about this link in my book through so many pages, you could have easily mistaken me for a mad woman obsessed with “clean living”. In reality, my ideas have always been based on my nutrition background, experience and all the evidence-based scientific research that has been conducted over the years (and something I had to be aware of due to my job and simply because I love science).

There hasn’t been many studies that focused specifically on canine healths, but the ones I would like to mention here are the link between herbicides and increased risk of bladder cancer in dogs (some of them have also been shown to increase the risk of hormonal problems, liver disease and breast cancer in people, and I do believe they may have the same effect on dogs), dog’s exposure to pesticides in garden products and risk of canine malignant lymphoma, BPA lining in cans of many pet foods and potential endocrine issues in dogs (in women BPA is associated with increased risk of endometriosis), increased infertility and reduced sperm quality in both dogs and humans after exposure to phthalates, increased occurrences of dermatitis and allergic reactions in dogs living in urban environment, and potential link between air fresheners and respiratory disease in dogs. And since the exposure to daily household chemicals has also been found to lead to obesity, behavioural and learning issues in humans, I would not be surprised if the dogs turned out to be at risk, too. On the other hand (and to put your mind at rest) the common flea treatments have not shown to be linked to cancers in dogs even though they do contain pesticides.

Fortunately, this part of our lives can be altered relatively easy because we now have such a fantastic choice of cleaner and more natural products to suit every need, from cleaning our homes to prettifying faces. Not only it will be good for us and the planet, but it will keep our dogs safe and healthy. It’s a win-win for everyone.

 

Photo credit: Angelo Rosa from Pixabay

Diary of reactive dog | What is reactivity and how to help the dog overcome reactivity and become resident / (C) Natalia Ashton, Perfect cocker spaniel dog blog
by Natalia

Re-activating happiness | The beginning | Walking into disaster

Fred was named after Mercury. But he turned out to be my Beethoven. No, not the movie giant… The composer. My favourite composer of all times, if I am to be precise.

Far beyond the similarities in hair style, Fred resembles Ludwig in the way he acts… From the gentleness and sensitivity of a being able to compose Moonlight Sonata to mourn the love that was never meant to be, to the madness and outbursts of a man slapping the piano lead, declaring “For such pigs, I do not play !” and storming out of the room.

That’s my boy… The loving, intelligent little boy who became reactive in August 2018…

It took me such a long time to share this. People asked. A lot. And I thought about writing notes for months, too. But a part of me did not want to dissect my pup’s life like a case study because I didn’t want people to misunderstand and perceive him as a “troubled” dog.

And then I realised that whilst I knew what I was dealing with, there were a lot of dog parents out there who had no idea of reactivity or ways of managing it, making dogs feel worse, not better.

I also felt that my diary might be helpful for people who found themselves in a situation similar to ours and are doing their absolute best to get through it, without feeling isolated and alone.

It will take me a few posts to cover everything we’ve done because dealing with reactivity is a multidimensional process. I am not even going to constantly refer to it as “reactivity”. Instead I will focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. The positive ray of sunshine however faint and remote. It’s out there. Hence, it’s not about “going through reactivity” but “re-activating happiness”…

In your dog, in you you, and the life you share together.

So let’s start from the very beginning…

The day it happened… I still remember it. We decided to explore a new beautiful walk, with the woods and the views. The utter perfection in every way. We had such a wonderful time.

We headed back. Excited, happy, tired… Boys were on their leads because we didn’t know the area well. We took the path stuck between a steep, almost vertical heel on one side and a fence – on the other.

The dogs appeared suddenly. Three labs and a boxer. Off lead. Sprinting towards us, no owners in sight. They quickly formed a circle around me and the pups and started bouncing, trying to push the boys to the ground. I tried to cover them with my body, but it wasn’t enough… My husband tried to pull the dogs away, but it was impossible, so he run off to find the owners.

There was growling, but luckily, no biting… And then I heard Fred scream… Like he never screamed before.

Next, the owners run into the scene, still staying away and calling the dogs, “come! come!” – not making any effort to get closer. The dogs ignored them, yet again, so eventually one of the women came over, held them by their collars and told us not to worry because “they wouldn’t bite”…

It was over in a matter of minutes, but that moment changed everything…

We got back to the car. Fred seemed back to his normal self, Coop was breathing heavily and I felt like I could do with a drink, or two, or a sedative… At that point I thought Fred would be find because the boy was so resident and acted relatively calm. I was afraid for Coop known to be extremely sensitive. And deep inside my brain was pulsating three words… “The fear period”… The time in life of every pup aged 8-10 months when any ordinary thing can suddenly look scary… Fred was 9…

As we drove home, I ordered some calming remedies for the boys, just in case we needed them. Upon return we crushed on a sofa, the boys relaxed and fell asleep.

The morning that came seemed no different from any other morning. And so was the next one. In the afternoon we went for a walk and saw our friends with their dogs. Just as usual, we rushed over to say Hello… As we got closer, Fred suddenly stopped and screamed, then barked… and barked again… He tried to hide behind me. The boy who loved his furry friends suddenly felt afraid of them…

It was frustrating, it was frightening, it was very, very upsetting… It was the moment I discovered reactivity. And from that moment on I had to find ways to deal with it.

To be continued…

 

Photo credit: this photo was taken by me during the walk that lead to the disaster…