Puppy Boutique Plus
& Masterpeace Cocker Spaniels

Here you can find info about ear cleaning, nail trimming, basic bathing info, flea prevention and treatment and more.  Everything  listed here are only my personal tips. Please contact your vet for any medical advice.

I am a member of the Zim cocker spaniel Forum where the ear cleaning recipe comes from,   Thank you Jim and Kellyn

 Spaniel Ear Cleaner Recipe -  Can be used on any breed of dog
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ngredients:
White vinegar
Powdered boric acid  ( ask the pharmasist- it's kept behind the counter)
Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
Betadine antiseptic (or the generic version, known as Povidone-Iodine Solution)
Please note:  do not use "Betadine Scrub", use "Betadine Solution"

Directions for mixing the solution together:
   Pour 6 ounces of isopropyl alcohol in to a plastic applicator bottle.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of boric acid powder.  Be careful not to get any boric acid
on your skin or clothes.  If you do, wash it off immediately.
Add 2 ounces of white vinegar.
  Shake the solution extremely well, until the boric acid powder is fully dissolved.
Once the powder is dissolved, add one teaspoon of the Betadine antiseptic, and
shake it up some more.  Be careful not to get any Betadine on your skin or clothes. 
If you do, wash it off immediately.

   Squirt the solution inside your dog's ear until the ear canal is completely full.
Massage the outside of the ear to help slosh the cleaning solution around inside.
Hold the dog still for about a minute. 
  If you get any of the ear cleaning solution on your skin, wash it off as soon as possible.
Be sure to shake the solution up really well before each and every time you use it.
The boric acid has a tendency to settle at the bottom of the bottle.
Store at room temperature.
   Use the cleaning solution daily until you start to see some improvement.
Gradually cut back to once per week when you are happy with the condition of the ear.
When the ear seems completely free of infection, you can go two weeks between treatments.

Warning:  Do not use this ear cleaning solution on dogs with ruptured ear drums,
or on dogs with open sores or wounds in the ear area.
An ear exam by a veterinarian is recommended
prior to beginning treatment with this ear cleaning solution.

This recipe came to you from Jim & Kellyn Zimmerlin
www.zimfamilycockers.com

  Thank you ! 

    Trim nails so that when the animal steps down, nails do not touch the floor.
Invest in a good pair of nail trimmers in an appropriate size for your pet. They can last a lifetime.
     Make trimming time fun and not a struggle. Sit on the floor with your pet, trimmers, and quick stop to stop bleeding if you knick the quick. The "quick," a blood vessel that runs down the middle of your pet's nail, grows as the nail grows, so if you wait a long time between cuttings, the quick will be closer to the end of the nail. This means more likelihood of bleeding during trimming.(can also use liquid bandage or super glue for a bad bleeder)
     Try to trim your pet's nails weekly, even if long walks keep them naturally short. Weekly nail trimmings can also alert you to other foot problems your pet may have.
     Trimming your pet's nails doesn't have to be a chore or unpleasant. If your pet is not used to having his nails trimmed, start slowly and gradually work up to simply holding his toes firmly for 15-30 seconds. Do not let him mouth or bite at you. It can take daily handling for a week or more to get some pets used to this.
     Take one toe at a time in your hands and trim very thin slices off the end of the nail until you see a black dot appear. This is the start of the quick that you want to avoid. The good news is that, the more diligent you are about trimming, the more the quick will regress into the nail, allowing you to cut shorter each time.
     If your pet will tolerate it, do all four feet this way. If he won't, take a break. And don't forget the dewclaws. On most breeds, if they haven't been removed, dewclaws are 1-4" above the feet on the inner side of the legs. If not trimmed, dewclaws can grow so long they curl up and grow into the soft tissue, like a painful ingrown toenails.       Trimming nails regularly should be a part of your weekly grooming routine with your pet. Remember that cats as well as dogs can benefit from a nail trimming.

When a pet’s nails become too long they interfere with their mobility. Untrimmed nails can also split resulting in a great deal of pain, bleeding, and a trip to the veterinarian’s office. In severe cases nails can curl under and grow back into a pet’s paw causing a very serious and painful infection.

All you need to do is wet down the dog with a hose, mix the ingredients together in a container, and then slowly pour the mixture over the dog while rubbing it into the fur. After the dog has been bathed in this solution rinse it down with the hose and the dog will be odor free. 

Although the ingredients are not dangerous, care should obviously be taken to keep the solution out of your dog's eyes, ears and mouth. Also remember that hydrogen peroxide can bleach clothing and hair, however, my dog's fur never changed color or even faded.

Credit for this remedy goes to chemist, Paul Krebaum, of Molex Inc. in Lisle, Illinois. The above listed ingredients were published in the August 1995 issue of Popluar Science.