The purple stuff

Archeryrob · Dec 10, 2021

Anyone used the Gentian violet stuff for dogs ears? We have Labradors and in the water all the time. My dog is fine, but my daughter dog seems to have a brown right ear every cleaning. He seems to be shaking and scratching it a and Optic solution is not get it out and gone. Looking to try something else and copied this on the net years back, but never tried it because my dogs ears didn't get infected.

16 oz. bottle isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 drops Gentian Violet 1% Solution

Mix all ingredients in the alcohol bottle & shake. (make sure you shake before every application).

Treatment: Fill ear with solution & massage gently for 30 seconds and wipe with a tissue. Fill a second time and just wipe without massaging. The dog will shake the excess out. Be careful, the Gentian Violet could stain. I use a eye dropper to fill the ear.

Treatment:
2 times per day for the first 2 weeks
1 time per day for the next 2 weeks
1 time per month thereafter

Johnny5k · Dec 10, 2021

My vet does an ear swab and gets results practically immediately as to what the issue is. They have a treatment that is some kind of gel or waxy substance that gets put into the ears and knocks out the infections very well. Treatment lasts about 2 weeks, and if it is still an issue, they can reapply. Mine had bacteria and yeast at the same time, and the type of bacteria she said was likely causing him considerable pain and discomfort (he is pretty stoic), but he was shaking and scratching at it, like you describe.

My dog has never had infections either, my vet was a bit incredulous due to the breed, but this treatment knocked it right out when he finally did. It was a particularly bad one, and he got the reapplication in 2 weeks. It was very cheap too, didn't cost much more than the cost of the visit.

Archeryrob · Dec 10, 2021

Well, I sent the list to my daughter and she threw it on amazon and ordered it. I guess we shall be testing this soon.

The professional waterfowl breeders swear by this "purple stuff" as they call it. I watched dairy farmers and they use a solution like this for cow udders when milking also.

FrankOceanXray · Dec 10, 2021

Google Zim Cocker Ear Recipe.

Cocker Spaniels are no strangers to ear infections and general funk.

This homemade elixir is awesome. Perhaps it would work for your dog breed? Or you could Google for a breed specific recipe?

wbw2123 · Dec 10, 2021

Zymox is the stuff

https://www.zymox.com/products/zymox-ear-care/zymox-enzymatic-ear-solution-hydrocortisone-free/

Our lab is very grateful for it when the funk starts. I use isopropyl alcohol with a little glycerine in it as post swimming prophylaxis.

Derwood · Dec 15, 2021

I had this issue bad with my old cocker spaniel and have had it come up once with my drahthaar. With the spaniel, it progressed to the point that he eventually went deaf. I understand it's a common problem with floppy eared dogs. With the draht, I was unable to resolve it with any over-the-counter products and had to go with antibiotic/antifungal ear drops. I think the medication cost me like $100 on top of the vet visit and it cleared up her ear within a few days.

Archeryrob · Dec 16, 2021

I have been twice a day filling his ears and cleaning the right one before the evening application and he is still making brown Q-tips. He seems to be holding fluid in the right ear too and not the left. She dropped him off to get snipped today and I told her to have them clean it, tell them we started the purple stuff Monday and have them treat it. Maybe this would fix it, but when he is at the vet anyways. Then we can just use this stuff every time he is in the water.

traveller · Dec 16, 2021

I remember visiting my uncle's house some decades back. He used the gentiana violet on some infected flea scab on his pups back. Next thing, there was a track of dog shaped purple imprints across the comforter in the bedroom :-)

smokey · Dec 16, 2021

gimme dat purple stuff....

fabsroman · Dec 19, 2021

Archeryrob said:
I have been twice a day filling his ears and cleaning the right one before the evening application and he is still making brown Q-tips. He seems to be holding fluid in the right ear too and not the left. She dropped him off to get snipped today and I told her to have them clean it, tell them we started the purple stuff Monday and have them treat it. Maybe this would fix it, but when he is at the vet anyways. Then we can just use this stuff every time he is in the water.

Had a golden retriever some 20 years ago that had terrible ear problems. The vet suggested that it might be allergies. So, we twitched his food to something without corn in it and we started giving him Benadryl on a daily basis. It seemed to work pretty good. Never had the problem with my Labrador for the 13 years I had him. Will have to keep "the purple" stuff in the back of my mind for when we get our puppies.

Archeryrob · Jan 12, 2022

I got side tracked because the young dog got his nuts cut and stopped the treatments. He started with chocolate in the right ear again and I setup morning and night reminders for outlook and a week and a half I cleaned his right ear today and got nothing but purple on the Q-tip. Monday coming switches to once per day and then I think to once per week and every time they go swimming. This stuff really seems to be working.

The trainers are wrong about one thing, though. The Gentian Violet stains everything as it is, but in this mixture I can give it in the kitchen and it doesn't even stain my fingers massaging their ears after applying. It is too weak to stain much in this mixture.

Archeryrob · May 9, 2022

Just a refresh on this, but I have changed my routine to once per week treatments, after the initial treatments. Every Sunday night the dogs get a squirt in the ear or every night after they go swimming. I have not seen any chocolate build up or scratching at their ears at all.

The purple stuff

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Archeryrob

Undecided on a great many things

Johnny5k

Ultimate Member

Archeryrob

Undecided on a great many things

FrankOceanXray

Ultimate Member

wbw2123

Active Member

Derwood

Ultimate Member

Archeryrob

Undecided on a great many things

traveller

The one with two L

smokey

2A TEACHER

Attachments

fabsroman

Ultimate Member

Archeryrob

Undecided on a great many things

Archeryrob

Undecided on a great many things

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Latest threads

Forum statistics

Share this page