Leo Dog Ear Cleaner
Product Type: Leo Animal Health dog accessories
Newest Review: ... She now has a predisposition towards this menace and this ear cleaning solution was recommended by the Vet as a preventative. Air cir... more
Ear we go!
Leo Dog Ear Cleaner
Member Name: SueMagee
Product:
Leo Dog Ear Cleaner
Date: 15/02/06
Rating:
Advantages: A soothing cleaner for the dog's ears .
Disadvantages: Some dogs may be reluctant to have their ears cleaned in this way .
If you know a friendly dog, have a look inside his ear. Even in the bit you can see quite easily there are a lot of folds. The ear then gets more complicated because the canal makes a right-angle turn towards the ear drum. Wax is just one of the substances produced along the length of the canal to keep it healthy and supple. The only way this can escape is upwards – against gravity – and a lot of it is going to get caught in all those folds.
Have another look at this friendly dog. Does he swim a lot? Does he love hunting in the long grass? Does he generally like rooting around in the undergrowth? If he does then the chances are that all sorts of grass seeds, micro-organisms and general gunk are going to be meeting the wax that’s trying to make its way up and out of the ear. The ear then becomes the perfect breeding ground for an infection.
I have two Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs – Rosie and Kia. Ridgebacks were originally bred as lion hunters, so the long grass is their natural habitat. They swim regularly. Although they’ve got short hair their love of anything messy in the undergrowth means that we have to be very careful about their ears and my cleaner of choice is the Leo Dog Ear Cleaner.
The first thing to be clear about it is that if your dog’s ear is hot, red, bleeding or showing signs of puss then it’s not an ear cleaner he needs it’s a vet. He may well recommend the use of an ear cleaner, but he will also want to look at the underlying cause and possibly give some antibiotics. The Leo Ear Cleaner is intended to be used on healthy ears, which haven’t been along to the vet’s surgery, with the intention of keeping them that way.
The manufacturers describe the product as “organic solvents and moisturisers” and I’ve included a list of the ingredients under “Quick facts” at the bottom of the review. I was concerned to find Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in there as it’s an industrial degreaser but it’s the least of the ingredients and the vet assured me that it would not be harsh on the ear canal. The most startling ingredient though is menthol.
The cleaner comes in a plastic bottle with a long and very flexible nozzle on the top. This is gently inserted into the dog’s ear and a liberal dose of the colourless liquid is squirted into the ear. The ear – just below the opening - is then massaged. Most dogs will love this bit – one of our dogs actually purrs with pleasure. The menthol will act within moments to cool the ear, which soothes any irritation and this effect lasts for about half an hour after the treatment. The cleaner quickly loosens even hardened wax and accumulated debris in the ear and cotton wool is then used to gently remove this from the ear. You should never use cotton buds or even a human-ear cleaner on a dog.
The first time that I cleaned the dogs’ ears I was shocked at the amount of dirt which was removed – particularly considering that I had been “cleaning” their ears on a regular basis. My efforts had simply not loosened the hardened wax and debris. This cleaner is very effective but is still gentle enough for regular use. As my dogs have short hair I clean their ears once a week, but the cleaner can be used twice a week, or as directed by your vet. It must not be used if the ear drum (the tympanic membrane) is perforated, but I would expect any dog with this problem to be in the care of the vet and he would advise as a matter of course that no drops should be used on the ear.
Some cleaners stain or mark the dog’s coat, particularly with regular use and this did worry me as both our dogs have a light, smooth coat. The cleaning can be quite messy, but despite using the cleaner for about a year there are no marks on either dog’s coat.
So, how do the dogs feel about it? My older dog already had a problem with one of her ears when I discovered the Leo cleaner and she’s understandably nervous of anything touching that ear. Once the cleaner is in she will happily allow me to massage the ear, and if I can get it just right she will purr! She has no problems with me cleaning out her ears with cotton wool afterwards. My younger dog loves the whole process and will happily allow me to go through the whole procedure without any problem. Kia’s ears are in excellent condition: I only wish I had found this cleaner earlier and I might be able to say the same thing about my older dog.
A 100ml bottle last me about two to three months, but I am using it on two dogs. I normally buy mine from the vet (goodwill, you see) but I am aware that it can be bought cheaper elsewhere. The cheapest deal that I could find was from www.hyperdrug.com where the large bottle costs £6.60 including VAT.
Quick facts:
Ingredients: Aqua, Isopropyl Alcohol, Menthol, Sodium Borate, Chlorothymol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
Have another look at this friendly dog. Does he swim a lot? Does he love hunting in the long grass? Does he generally like rooting around in the undergrowth? If he does then the chances are that all sorts of grass seeds, micro-organisms and general gunk are going to be meeting the wax that’s trying to make its way up and out of the ear. The ear then becomes the perfect breeding ground for an infection.
I have two Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs – Rosie and Kia. Ridgebacks were originally bred as lion hunters, so the long grass is their natural habitat. They swim regularly. Although they’ve got short hair their love of anything messy in the undergrowth means that we have to be very careful about their ears and my cleaner of choice is the Leo Dog Ear Cleaner.
The first thing to be clear about it is that if your dog’s ear is hot, red, bleeding or showing signs of puss then it’s not an ear cleaner he needs it’s a vet. He may well recommend the use of an ear cleaner, but he will also want to look at the underlying cause and possibly give some antibiotics. The Leo Ear Cleaner is intended to be used on healthy ears, which haven’t been along to the vet’s surgery, with the intention of keeping them that way.
The manufacturers describe the product as “organic solvents and moisturisers” and I’ve included a list of the ingredients under “Quick facts” at the bottom of the review. I was concerned to find Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in there as it’s an industrial degreaser but it’s the least of the ingredients and the vet assured me that it would not be harsh on the ear canal. The most startling ingredient though is menthol.
The cleaner comes in a plastic bottle with a long and very flexible nozzle on the top. This is gently inserted into the dog’s ear and a liberal dose of the colourless liquid is squirted into the ear. The ear – just below the opening - is then massaged. Most dogs will love this bit – one of our dogs actually purrs with pleasure. The menthol will act within moments to cool the ear, which soothes any irritation and this effect lasts for about half an hour after the treatment. The cleaner quickly loosens even hardened wax and accumulated debris in the ear and cotton wool is then used to gently remove this from the ear. You should never use cotton buds or even a human-ear cleaner on a dog.
The first time that I cleaned the dogs’ ears I was shocked at the amount of dirt which was removed – particularly considering that I had been “cleaning” their ears on a regular basis. My efforts had simply not loosened the hardened wax and debris. This cleaner is very effective but is still gentle enough for regular use. As my dogs have short hair I clean their ears once a week, but the cleaner can be used twice a week, or as directed by your vet. It must not be used if the ear drum (the tympanic membrane) is perforated, but I would expect any dog with this problem to be in the care of the vet and he would advise as a matter of course that no drops should be used on the ear.
Some cleaners stain or mark the dog’s coat, particularly with regular use and this did worry me as both our dogs have a light, smooth coat. The cleaning can be quite messy, but despite using the cleaner for about a year there are no marks on either dog’s coat.
So, how do the dogs feel about it? My older dog already had a problem with one of her ears when I discovered the Leo cleaner and she’s understandably nervous of anything touching that ear. Once the cleaner is in she will happily allow me to massage the ear, and if I can get it just right she will purr! She has no problems with me cleaning out her ears with cotton wool afterwards. My younger dog loves the whole process and will happily allow me to go through the whole procedure without any problem. Kia’s ears are in excellent condition: I only wish I had found this cleaner earlier and I might be able to say the same thing about my older dog.
A 100ml bottle last me about two to three months, but I am using it on two dogs. I normally buy mine from the vet (goodwill, you see) but I am aware that it can be bought cheaper elsewhere. The cheapest deal that I could find was from www.hyperdrug.com where the large bottle costs £6.60 including VAT.
Quick facts:
Ingredients: Aqua, Isopropyl Alcohol, Menthol, Sodium Borate, Chlorothymol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
Summary: A soothing and effective ear cleaner for dogs.
