How do you get ear drops into a dog who wants to run away from it?

[Pen]

I need tricks along the lines of getting a cat to take medicine by putting it on his fur so he will get it when he grooms himself clean.

 

Our dog hates, hates, hates to have his ear oil for mites/fungus. Vet hold attempts are not working. He is only a Labramatian (Lab Dalmatian mix), but he is extremely strong and slippery, and upon getting free is then so upset he tries to run away, burrow in under bramble bushes, etc.

 

How does do you get ear medicine into an extremely resistant dog?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Can you leash him first and either hold the leash close or tie him so that his head is immobile?  Just for a few seconds to get the medicine in his ears without hurting him.  

[Flowing Brook]

First I try distracting with treats. One person holds his collar and feeds him treats. While the second person sneaks up and puts the medicine in his ear.  IF that does not work I try petting and distracting through a good massage. Than sneaking in the medicine. If that does not work then One person will hold the collar close with the dogs head to their thigh while the other person holds the drops in.

[Mom in High Heels]

My dog is has chronic ear infections and hates getting his ears cleaned and medicine put in.  It's horrible.  He's not a big dog (Pekingese), but when it comes to his ears, he's is extremely strong and fast.  He's 13, so moving fast is an amazing thing for him.  I have to come up behind him while he's laying down and sit on him (not putting my weight on him), with my legs to the back (like I've got my butt on my feet) to hold him still, and use one hand to hold his collar.  It's crazy.  Depending on how large your dog is, this might work if you sit up on his shoulders and have someone else hold his rump down.  The things we do for our dogs.   :001_rolleyes:

[MiMi 4under3]

First I try distracting with treats. One person holds his collar and feeds him treats. While the second person sneaks up and puts the medicine in his ear. 

 

:iagree:   That's exactly what I was going to suggest.

 

 

You could also try to do it while he's asleep...

[TechWife]

Keep in mind that you don't have to do both ears at the same time. If you can only manage to get one done before he becomes too agitated, then wait several hours and attempt the second ear. I know it means wresting the dog twice, but in the long run it may be faster and less frustrating for everyone. 

 

 

[Pawz4me]

Sometimes it helps the dog be more accepting if you can warm the drops just a bit.  Even rubbing the bottle between your palms for a few minutes can help.

 

For medium/small dogs who are resistant I usually put them in a down/stay.  I sit on my knees with legs spread and put the dogs between my legs.  Lean over the dog's body, use my left hand to manipulate his head and my right hand to administer drops.

 

For a really resistant dog you might try spreading some peanut butter on your refrigerator door or any other smooth, cleanable surface that the dog can lick comfortably while standing.  Sometimes the dog will be so engrossed in licking off the yumminess that he won't notice (or care) that you're putting the drops in.

 

And after getting the drops in make sure to give him a really good ear massage and lots of pets and praise.  Make him proud of himself!

 

One other thing -- It sounds as if you're administering the drops outside.  Assuming he's an inside dog, I'd try it in a smallish room like a bathroom or laundry room (you could maybe spread peanut butter on the washer or dryer?).  I know he might shake his head and splatter some that will require cleaning, but my idea has always been that it helps with resistant pets to give any kind of medicine/drops/whatever in as small a space as possible.  I tend to think the pet realizes there's no place to escape.  Whereas outside he can see all sorts of very desirable escape routes.  But that's just my own hunch and experience.  I have no scientific data or widespread anecdotal reports to support the theory. ;)

[plansrme]

Can you sneak up on him while he is asleep? That would get one of them at least. Sit on him, flip that ear flap up and get the drop in there. I would never try ear drops on a dog who is standing up--they are all faster than me.

[regentrude]

While he is sleeping? Just like you would cut baby's fingernails while she is asleep.

[gingersmom]

I had to give my 80 pound beast eye drops in both eyes. This is a dog that requires 3 people to cut her nails.

 

I put a giant blob of peanut butter on a spoon. I let her lick some of it and she actually stayed still for the eye drops. She was so busy staring at the peanut butter on the spoon she let me do what I had to do.

[HappyLady]

It took some time for my dog to understand, but if he holds still for it he knows he'll get a treat.  I usually have to hold the treat in my hand so he knows it's coming.  At the vet when they need to distract him they smear peanut butter or cream cheese on the wall and he licks it while they do what they have to do.  He's so into licking the food he doesn't have a clue what's happening to him.  :)

[Dory]

Catch them while they are laying down, use your legs to keep the dogs legs separate so they have a hard time getting the under them to get up. Use your body to keep the shoulders and head down somewhat and put them in. Flip the dog over (this requires two people). Make sure you flip with the legs going up and over, not the other way. Do the other side. I do my 135lb Dane this way and I've done Bull Mastiffs this way. We had a lab growing up that often had ear problems and we got pretty good at it. Distracting is good, but most dogs will catch on if you are doing it a lot.

 

Make sure you praise afterwards and play for awhile. If getting it done results in lots of praise they will sometimes struggle a little less after awhile.

[MarinesWife]

My husband laid on him and I put in the drops.

[celticmom]

I have a 100 lb dog that hates flea treatments. I put a leash on her and stand on the end so I have both hands free but she cannot escape.

 

Another technique that I use for cutting her nails is to give her a belly rub.  She does not care what gets done to her as long as someone is rubbing her belly(this won't work for flea treatments for obvious reasons).

[FaithManor]

Dh and I tackle Lewis, and one holds him down while the other puts the drops in and it just annoys me no end that he doesn't save himself the grief and just submit to the couple of seconds it takes to administer the med. Silly dog. But, this works because he's a cocker spaniel. If he were a Saint Bernard, I'd be tossing him hamburger with a sedative in it every day! LOL

 

[LostSurprise]

My spaniel has reoccurring ear infections so he needs daily ear squirts. 

 

I call him to go out. I grab his collar. I pick up the squirt bottle (by the back door). I put him in a sit. I flip the ear over (long ears). I grab the ear with the collar hand to keep it flipped. I talk to him very calmly and make sure the tip is definitely in the ear canal (this part has to go very fast). Squirt. Release ear. Rub the ear canal while telling him what a good boy he is. Switch ears. Do it the same way. Put him outside so he can shake it all out. 

 

When I started I would stand over him to keep him in the sit, but he's gotten used to it. He still cries though. :(

[Rose in BC]

I have a 100 lb dog that hates flea treatments. I put a leash on her and stand on the end so I have both hands free but she cannot escape.

 

Another technique that I use for cutting her nails is to give her a belly rub. She does not care what gets done to her as long as someone is rubbing her belly(this won't work for flea treatments for obvious reasons).

 

That's so cute! My dog likes belly rubs too.

[Gil]

My friend leashed his dog, tied the leash to something immobile, rubbed his belly for a few minutes and while the dog was in bliss he then fed his dog bits of bacon in peanut butter and the dog was so enamored with the treat that they gave him medicine in his ears while he was distracted.

 

 

[Pen]

Update: (I see more replies coming as I type, but will continue before I read others.)

 

Okay--thanks for all ideas!

 

He is around 70 pounds, well muscled, about 1 and 1/2 years old, so some of the ideas for smaller dogs won't work well at this point--he had ear problems when he first came to us at about 6 months old, and it was easier to do it then, even though he hated it. Then his ears were fine for about a year and he did not need the oil, now that he does again, he is a much bigger, stronger guy. I have had rottweilers in past, one of whom needed ear treatments, and also did not like it, but even though bigger she was a lot easier than he is.  He is...like trying to hold on to a mini tornado. Or maybe like the 13 year old dog describe above by one of you--but younger and bigger.  I was already warming up the drops by carrying them in a pocket for a while, or better, tucking the bottle under our other dog to get them to more or less dog temperature.

 

Anyway, I am ready to try anything that seems feasible.

 

1st, yes, we were trying to do it outside to avoid splattering oil when he would then shake, and, yes, I have switched to indoors.

 

In the past couple of days, I got drops in once during a surprise move, but alas discovered that in my haste I had gotten the wrong ear (only one is having trouble now), then my son got the dropper perfectly in place while I had managed to hold dog in vet hold at one point, but alas the drops did not squeeze out as they should have.  After that the dog was suspicious and ready to run at nearly everything. I have been showing him that my hands have nothing in them before he will willingly submit to pets.  We may have to work on getting him used to the bottle with lots of pets and treats and then working up to dosing him. We did that with nail clippers, and he is very good about his nail clipping now.

 

Anyway, this morning I got a bunch of coconut oil with a little bit of the medicine in it at least on the outer parts using my fingers (none of the hateful smelling stuff, and not the dread bottle)--he did not like it, but it was a success and my hope is that the oil will help soothe him so that he will be a little more tolerant. After that he got praise, treats,  petting and so on.

 

His ear felt very odd, sort of flaky and also I think scratched from his own claws, so I am sure it is painful to him and that may be a big part of the problem.

 

I will try to use the combo of getting to him when he is asleep and also holding him down on the floor techniques tonight, perhaps plus treat to get involved in, though I do not think he is food motivated enough to ignore ear drops just because there is peanut butter.  I think I'll also try to transfer the stuff to a container he does not recognize, and one that is easier to squirt so that we do not have another squirt failure,  and maybe also try to cover the smell with something he would like.

 

Then, I guess there is always that sedative in the hamburger idea.... :)

 

If you all have other thoughts, keep 'em comin'!  Please!