Toy Poodles and other Poodle varieties have ears best described as "drop ears", meaning the ear leather is long and pointing downwards. The ears which hang close to the head is wide and thickly feathered. Dogs with this kind of ears are more susceptible to ear infections because the ears are warm and moist, ideal place for bacteria, yeast and mites to grow. Regular ear care is therefore needed to prevent ear infections at the same time keep your Toy Poodles healthy and happy.

There are many ways to care for the Poodle ears as much as there are many people who do it. You can have your Poodle's ears cleaned by your vet or a groomer. You can even do it at home by yourself. All you need is the right information on how ear cleaning should be done. So here it is...

As mentioned, leading causes of infection such as yeast, mites and bacteria grown in warm, moist and dark environment. One of the best way to prevent ear problem is to keep the ears dry and clean. Removing the hair that grows inside the ear canal increases ear flow thus prevent infection. To remove ear hair easily, apply a small amount of ear powder on the area then gently pluck the hair with tweezers or with your thumb and forefinger. Ear powder and tweezers can be obtained from your vet or grooming supply or pet supply stores nearest you. After you have carefully removed the hair, wipe the ear with a cotton ball - dry or slightly moistened with astringent or mineral. Instead of astringent or mineral, other people use white vinegar diluted with water in 1:4 mixture. The process of removing ear can be done at least on a monthly basis.

To clean the inside of the ears, thoroughly wet a gauze or cloth with cleaning solution or alcohol. Gently swab out the residue and dirt using the moistened cloth or gauze. Keep doing this until there is no more dirt inside the dog's ears. In cleaning hard to reach places, Q-tips can be used, but be very careful so as not to thrust deeper into the dog's ears. Clean your dog's ears about once a week or if necessary.

Check the ears of your Toy Poodles about three times a week. Keep an eye also if your pet is scratching or shaking his head a lot. Shaking and scratching as well as foul odor and redness are signs of ear trouble, so watch out for these.