LaMancha ear Q.'s

[gracie88]

One of my does has a little bit of crustiness around her ears. They do not seem tender or warm, it's not oozing, but it does not seem like just ear wax (goats have ear wax?) Is there something appropriate to clean them out with, ointment I should stick in there, something else? How do you get a look in those little nubbins anyway?

[dbarjacres]

This is something that occurs in lamanchas occasionally. If you compare the ear structure of the tiny little mancha ear to a "normal" ear, there is a small ear canal and it's "right there" for you to see. As long as it's the yellowy waxy type stuff and not oozing, it's normal. You can wipe it off with a damp rag or carefully use a Q-tip if you want. Some manchas get this, some don't. My husband will gently squeeze the base of the ear if he sees one with discharge and sometimes a glob of stuff comes out. I only have one does that does that very rarely.

[DocM]

Normal for lamanchas, although they can easily get ear infections. I clean their ears every week or two. I've occasionally had to use an antibiotic in their ears, I just squirt pen-G (1 cc) in their ear with a needle-less syringe. If they're shaking their heads side to side, and it doesn't end when you clean it out (and they don't like it, you have to squeeze all the pussy looking discharge out), use an antibiotic, panalog I think is the kind the vet will give you, jeffers carrys it, or regular penicillin.

[gracie88]

Thanks, folks, I think I can handle that.

[Feral Nature]

Originally Posted by DocM

Normal for lamanchas, although they can easily get ear infections. I clean their ears every week or two. I've occasionally had to use an antibiotic in their ears, I just squirt pen-G (1 cc) in their ear with a needle-less syringe. If they're shaking their heads side to side, and it doesn't end when you clean it out (and they don't like it, you have to squeeze all the pussy looking discharge out), use an antibiotic, panalog I think is the kind the vet will give you, jeffers carrys it, or regular penicillin.

DocM, is that a one time treatment or should the pen. be repeated...i have a few with gunky ears i think will need some clearing up....thanks.

[DocM]

1 cc per ear per day for 5 days. Make sure you start with a "clean" ear, you may have to work out the gunky stuff. It will be crusty on the outside, and kind of cottage cheese looking on the inside. I hope that doesn't ruin anyone's taste for cc, but it's an apt description. I've never actually cultured it, but long suspected that its a yeast type infection.

[Feral Nature]

Thanks, DocM, it is odorless but bothersome all the same. So seems more of a cosmetic problem or mechanical plugging up more than anything. And yes, cottage cheesy or perhaps toothpastey.

[gracie88]

And yes, cottage cheesy or perhaps toothpastey.

Ick. Do any of you use a rinse for cleaning their ears (like with dogs or cats) or is that not a goat thing?

[goatkid]

I've never used a rinse like the Nolvasan Otic I use on the dogs on the La manchas. I massage the stuff up to the opening on the ear and clean it out with a Qtip.