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More about ears and red mouth stain (Long)

O

Om's Mom

Well-known member
Hi again! :flwr: I just want to mention what worked for me to clear up the red from the fur on Om’s face and paws.
She had ear troubles requiring vet visits and antibiotics. Her breeder recommended a mixture (see below) that worked wonders. No more problems.
On other sites, I had seen mention of using this solution for the red stain. I used a cotton ball to wipe a bit of the Blue Power Mixture on the outside of her mouth especially in that deep fold on the lower jaw that was a really dark red. I applied it every day until the stain cleared up. I also trimmed all that extraneous fur (result of being spayed) from her mouth. I wash her face after she eats. :roll: She’s a bit of a slobbery eater! :lol: I keep the fur in the fold of her lip really, really short.

Here’s the “magic” formula that worked for Omlette . BTW the Gentian Violet is an antiseptic/antifungal found in the pharmacy or healthstore.

Basic "Blue Power" Mixture:
16 oz of 70% rubbing alcohol
2 tablespoons boric acid powder
8 drops gentian violet solution 1%
Mix, shake well.
You will also need to shake solution every time you use it to disperse the Boric Acid Powder. I “squirted” it in the ear, but it can be sprayed. Massage the ear. Wipe out loosened debris with a tissue.

Hoping this can be of use to someone else,
:luv: Dorothy and Om
 
Dorothy, thanks for this 'recipe'!

Actually my India has the yeast staining problem, and I'm sure it was caused by being on antibiotics for UTIs. Now we have the UTI problem controlled! I have been giving her plain yogurt with live cultures and probiotics, and she is slowly improving.

I'm going to use this mixture as well - I'll be soooo relieved when she is finally stain-free! :flwr:
 
Where do you get these products. ????

I had a post going about the red staining around the mouth and another solution given by a great friend Nicki was to use Pure Apple Cider Vinegar.

I will find the link and post it.
 
Some years ago, on another forum, a breeder recommended a boric acid mixture to remove staining (i think it was wee staining on a bitch's skirts). I would be very wary of putting powder in a dog's ears, though.
 
I actually have the gentian blue (also called violet) formula in the Library -- it is used by a lot of experienced dog people for ears and the recipe or variations go around the breeder lists regularly. I have NOT heard of using it for staining and would personally not want this anywhere near my dogs' mouths or where they could otherwise ingest it (eg wiped on paws) for the reasons below.

***Note there are some potential hazards with it as well -- gentian violet must be handled carefully, and people need to weigh up the risks involved in using it against the benefits they are seeing.*** See below.

http://www.cavaliertalk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1238

I believe gentian violet is no longer available from chemists in the UK or Ireland because it is considered a dangerous substance. I may be wrong on this count though!

This is from the longer post at the link above:


The Bad-Some of the dangers
Now why, if this stuff is so great, don¹t we see commercial preparations of
this formula? One reason is that Gentian Violet is a mild carcinogen (cancer causing agent) Studies at the National Center for Toxicological Research (and similar studies listed in the bibliography) have shown Gentian Violet to be a thyroid and liver carcinogen for laboratory animals like rats, mice and rabbits. Another reason is that Gentian Violet is toxic to the sensitive cilia cells of the inner ear. If some of the solution happens to seep through a perforated eardrum it can cause a debilitating and permanent dizziness or deafness. A third consideration is its reported effects on the fetus. Pregnant animals in the Gentian Violet studies showed fetal abnormalities including those to the musculoskeletal and urogenital systems.

Gentian violet also affected fertility and was deemed the cause of a high
rate of post-implantation mortality (either death or reabsorption of the
fetus). These factors make the product too big a potential liability for a
commercial production. The FDA has banned its use as a food preservative anddiscourages its use in human medical and veterinary preparations designed for chronic use (like ear cleaners) although the agency seems to have no problem with occasional use.

The Ugly-More is not better
Please don¹t use more gentian violet than is recommended in the formula.
Antiseptics, like Gentian Violet, have been found to be toxic not only to
bacteria and fungus, but also to cells essential to the wound healing
process, such as fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and leukocytes. However, this
cell toxicity appears to be concentration dependent. In other words, in low
(recommended) concentrations, antiseptics like Gentian Violet retain their
antibacterial and anti fungal activity, but they don¹t end up killing off
beneficial cells.

The Moral of the Story
When used properly this is a good ear cleaner/disinfectant. It has been
reported to stop some ear infections when all other treatments have failed.

Given the research studies, especially the cancer studies, it may not be
advisable to use this as your dog¹s only ear cleaner, but it is a good
product to get ears back under control. The fetal death and abnormality
studies suggest that it is not advisable to use this product on a pregnant
or lactating bitch. The risks of fetal abnormality are just too high.
Colloidal silver preparations and non-staining iodine compounds work almost as well as Gentian violet preparations and have been shown to be very safe.

Many commercial preparations are also very good and very safe. Look for
those that do not contain chlorhexidine (also can cause birth defects) and
state that the product leaves the ear acidified to discourage re-growth of
bacteria and yeast.
Click to expand...
 
Oh wow, thanks for the warning on gentian violet, Karlin! I don't want to take any chances with it.

I will continue feeding India plain yogurt with probiotics, as Donna suggested, because her stains (chin and front feet) are slowly fading. I just have to be patient. Here is the link to that thread: http://www.cavaliertalk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5685

Linda, I had tried the organic apple cider vinegar for awhile, but I don't want to mess with the pH of my other two cavs, who don't have the problem. Plus our vet has prescribed daily vitamin C for India to make her urine more acidic, so I don't want to make her too acidic.

BTW, when India had a yeast infection in her ears, the vet prescribed Momentamax ear drops, which cleared up the ear infection completely.
 
Claire, the "formula" is in my original post just above this one. I am sure Ireland is lovely. I'd sure like to visit there.

Linda, I found the gentian violet at Walgreen's pharmacy (USA),but I've heard it may be available through health chains.

Barbara, Indeed, one should be wary of putting powder in ears. This Boric acid powder is suspended in the solution of rubbing alcohol mixed with gentian violet drops.

The solution must be well mixed/shaken before putting into the ear (or on the stain). It should also be slightly warmed. The ear is then massaged to loosen debris, the debris is gently wiped away. It shouldn't go into the dog's mouth.

Just read the warnings Karlin posted. :yikes

I probably shouldn't have mentioned this at all in regard to mouth stain. :sl*p: However, when I was doing Om's ears, I used only the q-tip on her mouth.

It is best if no one uses it for red stains!!! Find the online commercial product.!!

In closing, I have always suspected that clearing up the red waxy goo in Om's ears was a significant reason her stain left. That, and pain old face washing after she eats and during her bath.

As the warning states, it is not for chronic use. It stopped Omlette's recurring ear infections. I no longer (need to) use it on her.

Peace! :flwr:
Dorothy
 
There are definitely restrictions on chemists dispensing this in the UK and Australia (and I believe some other EU countries) -- just found a letter from the Lancet (British medical journal) which indicates the former at least is the case. Also argues the evidence of cancer in humans is quite limited (but that is humans!).

Just be sure to use the right solution of this, if anyone is using it. Many people swear by it for ear infections in dogs. (y)
 
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