[Coeur de Chene]

Our newly adopted working cocker spaniel has ear mites. The vet has prescribed Oridermyl for 30 days. The info on the box says 21 days and that it should be discarded after 28 days. Vet now on holiday for 2 weeks but I'll follow the manufacturers recommendations. I have seen some spot-on type treatment advertised which sound easier to apply. Any advice or experiences?
Also, where's the spellcheck feature gone???

[NicandChic]

We use thornit ear powder you can get it on the Internet.

[Coeur de Chene]

Thanks, that looks more like the alternative I was hoping for.

[doganjo]

Thornit recommended by large numbers of breeders - I used it when I had cockers.

[Baois Glas]

I second Thornit! My male Dalmatian had lots of problems with itchy ears, bought some Thornit and he is so much better now. I actually used it on my own hand as well when I had an itchy rash after putting my hands in something, cleared it right up!

[Jukes Mum]

Thornit here too! Smells awful but works a treat! Do be wary of secondry infection in the ears tho. Spaniel's lovely flaps do not make for good air circulation and baddies can linger. One of my spainels had earmites, but had such small ear canals than the infection never cleared up and he had to have surgery to open his ear canals. I'm not trying to scareyou, just to say keep an eye on them and not too much swimming 
Where is spell check 

[Coeur de Chene]

Ordered! None of our dogs have had problems with ears before but from a friend's experiences with her cocker, I am expecting more. She has not shown any interest in the pond so far, but we were hoping to get her working- dry land only then!

[doganjo]

No need to keep her out of water if she is to be a working dog - in fact you may need her to retrieve from water.  Just dry her ears when you get home from a days shooting and put some thornit in.

[Coeur de Chene]

Reassuring to know that it can be a preventative as well, thanks for all the info.

[Jukes Mum]

Yes sorry, by "not too much swimming" I meant just that. Not no swimming at all. Certainly most gundogs will need to pick from the water from time to time. One of my springers who had ear problems was swimming nearly every day last summer which didn't help.

[Coeur de Chene]

No, its ok I did get that, and I wouldn't really keep a dog from water! Its good to know spaniel tendancies and remedies. I've been around dogs all my life but a new dog, a new breed and there's loads more to learn.

[Jukes Mum]

Your first cocker then  They are such good fun. I do hope you have a good sense of humour 

[Coeur de Chene]

She's a joy! From the bedsprings in her paws to those soulful, big, brown eyes. Bit tough trying to garden when she's determined to sit on your knee though!

[lauren85]

I know you must be frustrated. Ear mites can make a dog feel miserable.
I've had dogs for over 20 years and I have dealt with ear mite problems.
The bad thing with ear mites, is that they can cause an ear infection. I don't know if your vet has put your dog on antibiotics, but that might help clear it up.
The best thing to do is to take a cotton ball, put a little alcohol on it and thoroughly clean your dog's ear. You can use a q-tip if you can be very gentle. This helps get rid of any dirt or build up in the ear.
Then, I'm sure your vet has put your dog on ear ointments and/or drops. When you apply the ointment or ear drops after cleaning the ear, make sure the medication goes deep into the ear. Then rub your dog's ear. This helps get the medicine down into the ear canal. This is the best way to get the ear medications down in the ear.
Do this every day and the ear mites should go away. The longer a dog has ear mites the more likely it will develope into an infection. Clean your dog's ears daily. Then, when you put the ear ointments in your dog's ear, put it in a deep as possible, then massage the ears. You should feel a squishing when you massage the ears, which is good because you are getting the medication down into the ear canal. This helps a lot with getting rid of ear mites.
It's frustrating dealing with ear mites and even infections. Just remember to clean the ears daily then put in the ointments and massage the ears to get the medication as deep as possible in the ear canal.
Best of luck with your dog. Hope I helped.

[funkyfish]

Advocate Spot on- does worms, fleas and mites including ear mites- its great. It also does lung worm which is serious.