Ear Plucking Techniques

[nancyk1029]

When I first learned to groom, I was taught to pull ear hair a few at a time using fingers and ear powder. I still do it that way. It's slow but seems to be relatively painless for the dog.

Years ago, when I went to "audition" at a shop, another groomer there saw me doing the ears and told me I was doing it all wrong. She grabbed a pair of hemostats, locked them onto a bunch of ear hair, twirled a couple of times, then with a quick yank, removed all the hair in one shot.

I have never been able to bring myself to do it that way. Seems so brutal, but maybe I'm just a wuss?

[windfall4]

Don't pluck the ear hair anymore. Read some of the past threads on here and you'll see that it isn't necessary anymore.

[odette]

wos#2 here! Had a girl fresh out of school do that to good dog,dog screamed, I quickly sowed her how to do it, and no more screaming!

[VIPgroomer]

When the dog first gets on the table, I put ear powder in ear. Then I do nails, sanitary, etc. When I start pulling ear hair most times the hair comes out pretty easily because the powder has been soaking for a few minutes. I do use hemostats if I can't get the hair out with my fingers, but I pull a bit at a time.

[AMelena]

I always do it with ear powder and my fingers. I was taught that if it doesn't come out easily with your fingers, then it probably shouldn't be coming out. While I would rather not pluck ear hair has it causes stress to a lot of the dogs I do, I work at a vet hospital and the vets always ask me to make sure I clean and pluck the ears.

[kwpgrooming]

I pluck ears using my fingers. Everyone has their own opinion on whether or not it should be done including vets. Ripping it all out at once is a cruel way of doing it and is the cause of infections due to plucking.

[brownlikewoah]

I do it the way you were taught in school. Powder and fingers, and if it doesn't want to come out with that method then it probably shouldn't come out. I agree with you that the grab a huge chunk with hemostats and yank seems cruel, I wouldn't do it.

[doggydivas]

I do it like you do too......The other way just seems inhumane....

[onekwd]

Grab a hunk of her hair in a pair of hemostats, twist it around and then give it a good yank.


She'll change her mind about that method PDQ.

[bulldogmom]

I work at a vet who believes in ear plucking, so I do it. I have seen techs use the hemostat method, but I stick with my fingers and a lot of ear powder. On a rare occasion I might use hemostats to get the stray hairs in the folds of the ears or if it's particularly deep, but I stick to the fingers mainly.

[Gracy Rose]

Another thing is I don't just pour a ton of powder in the ears- I put the powder on my fingers and lightly rub around the inside of the ear, then pluck with my fingers. NO FOREIGN OBJECTS go into any crevice of a pet.

[Particentral]

Grab a hunk of her hair in a pair of hemostats, twist it around and then give it a good yank.


She'll change her mind about that method PDQ.

And, why do you say that? MANY MANY MANY vets and tech and groomers do it this way, were taught this way and have done it for years....I personally do not pull ear hair. Well, VERY VERY Rarely.

[LeftyGroomer]

OK so those of you who do not pluck, what do you tell the clients when they complain about the ears not being plucked?

[celebpet]

I pluck the ear hairs with my fingers. I actually have gotten a couple of clients because their other groomer didn't pluck the ear hair and when they confronted the groomer they just blew them off.

[VIPgroomer]

If you don't pluck ear hair that's fine, but if you don't pluck and the customers want plucked you should because that's what the customer wants!