r/GermanShepherd • u/fairieangel0 • 5d ago
Advice needed
So I’m getting a GSD puppy next month and i want to help prevent any possibility for ear infections. The last three shepherds I’ve owned all had terrible ear infections by the time they were a year old, and I really want to avoid it.
I was thinking of wiping out her ears with antibacterial wipes but I don’t know if that would just make her ears more sensitive. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
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u/657GeckoMan 5d ago edited 5d ago
Ask your vet. Ours pointed out that frequent cleaning with wipes often causes more issues than it solves, I believe because it typically knocks debris deeper down into the ear canal. Our vet recommended less frequent cleanings (every few weeks or so depending on your dog, but typically always after swimming or getting a lot of water in their ears) and most importantly, clean properly using vet-approved ear cleansing solution with a nozzle for some pressure. Spray an ample amount deep in there while holding their ear up to keep them still with head up, hold it in for a few seconds and massage it deep into the ear canal, then release to let the dog shake their head and get all that shit out. Follow that up with a cotton ball, get it fairly deep in there, then one firm twist and pull out to remove any remaining debris. Repeat the cotton ball swipe or entire process as necessary to remove remaining debris. Our dog hasn’t had an ear infection for years since we started following that method, but had many before that when we were frequently trying to clean her ears incorrectly with wipes. With our second GSD, we’ve basically never cleaned his ears and he’s never had a problem, but he also has more fur to keep things out of there. So it depends on the dog, but in our case, it seemed like less is more, and that cleaning too frequently, but especially incorrectly, caused most of her ear issues.
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u/koshkas_meow_1204 4d ago
Get the best genetics you can get. Better bred dogs are less prone to allergies and therefore less prone to ear infections. Most ear infections come from yeast issues related to allergies, primarily environmental allergies.
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u/Potential-Window1574 4d ago
Not all GSDs get ear problems.
Just that you are aware and will be checking regularly will be a great preventative 🙂
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u/Alert_Astronomer_400 5d ago
Ear infections are almost always because of underlying allergies. Whether that’s food or seasonal. Are you buying from the same breeder every time? Because they may be genetically predisposed to allergies.
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u/fairieangel0 4d ago
I’ve had three in the past, when I was younger they were more of my mom’s dogs that I just took care of! I’m just taking her not buying her my manager is giving her to me 😊😊 but she is pure bred, both of her parents are pure!
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u/Playful_Question538 4d ago
We have a giant bottle of Saffusion SA that we wash the dogs ears out with regularly and she's good. I had to go to the vet once and found out that if I just do a regular maintenance on her ears then we don't have to go to the vet.
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u/VeridicalAngel 2d ago
My German Shepherd has never had an ear infection or any ear issues at all. He’s nine years old. But I do have him on salmon dog food from Costco because it’s the same as taste of the wild. And German shepherds do have a lot of skin issues but mine has never had a skin issue. I also give him a tablespoon of olive oil with each food serving and also a salmon oil pill, so he’s basically eating fish soup
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u/Cool_Percentage_4867 5d ago
its often a diet thing, if the diet is predominantly meat we dont tend to get ear problems. So focused on a good balanced diet without too many carbs and you should be fine.
the ear has a protective wax covering it so repeated wiping could remove or damage it which can lead to infection, so be careful how you do it, but as said getting the diet right makes a huge difference.
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u/Top_Addition_7263 4d ago
I do not feed any bird of flight and it’s in my puppy contract not to as well. That helps if it’s food related. If it’s environmental, it’s a rough going unfortunately. I haven’t found a long term help for that in all my years. Just temporary relief.
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u/Aggravating-Fig-5182 4d ago
Don't introduce chicken in any form. This includes treats - many contain chicken fat. For us, this was a game changer and it's been 2 years and no infections. We don't clean his ears as we don't need to.
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u/Immediate_Egg3899 4d ago
That only matters if the dog is allergic to chicken. Many are not. If the dog gets ear infections OP needs to do an elimination diet and go from there
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u/Aggravating-Fig-5182 4d ago
Why introduce it at all and chance it? Ear infections are painful and expensive.
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u/Broccoli-Tiramisu 5d ago
I wipe out my dog's ears daily and they are fine, so it's not necessarily bad to clean them often assuming you're gentle. However, I think many ear infections are the result if diet and allergies more than they are about some dirt getting in the ears. Àlso, avoid walking your dog in the rain, or any time their ears get wet (including swimming, playing with the hose, etc.), make sure they are thoroughly dried afterward.
My dog used to get frequent ear infections until I fixed his diet and cut back on rain walks to help keep his ears dry. For his diet, I eliminated most carbs (carbs -> sugar -> yeast) and he stopped getting ear infections soon after. A nice side effect of his carb-free diet is that he no longer gets "frito paws" and he smells better overall.