poodle ear plucking

Question
Is there a painless way to pluck the hair out of the ears? I am hoping there might be some topicle solution which might temporarily numb the skin so that it doesn't hurt so much when the hair is pulled out. My dog just cries and it breaks your heart. Can't say I blame her. I feel the same way each time i pluck my eye brows!

Answer
Hello Camilla,
Though it sounds like she is in quite a bit of pain, its actually not as painful as it seems.  Its also very necessary to keep debris, dirt, pests, and bacterial and viral diseases of the ear, away from the ear.  To do that, keeping the hair and wax build-up to a minimum will help.  

Most Pet Stores will carry an ear powder product that you can put in the ear to help you grab the hairs and pull them out.  If you pull just a couple of hairs at a time, it will reduce the pain a bit.  Praise and pet her in-between hair pulls.  This will reassure her that even though this "terrible" thing has to be done, that you are happy with her when she will sit fairly calm for you.  Also, by doing the ears frequently you will get the hairs when they are young and they will come out better.

You might ask your Vet about a Topical solution or spray that they might have.

Give this a try and I hope this helps some.  If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask me.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim