Ear Issues

Cocker Spaniels are known to need more ear care than other breeds because of their long ear flaps that limit aeration.

For dogs not prone to ear infections, an ear cleaning once a week or every other week might be fine.

For dogs prone to ear infections, you might need to check their ears daily (for an odor) and clean them twice a week.

After you've thoroughly flushed the dog's ears out, let your dog shake.

Never ever poke anything down the ear canal like a q-tip.   You can use cotton swabs to wipe out the skin inside of the ear that you can see, but don't push it down into the canal.  

Here's a great tutorial on how to correctly clean the ears (by a vet):
 

Please look at our Nutrition Page for information on Cockers prone to ear and skin problems: they often are directly related to the ingredients in their food and treats.  Cocker Spaniel owners that make a commitment to reading all ingredients before they give anything to their dog, are generally successful at keeping ear and skin infections to a minimum. Here at Camp Cocker Rescue we have a strict policy restriction to any food, treats or anything made with Chicken.