What is "The Purple Stuff?"
*This article is from a Gordon Setter site but any dog with ears that are not erect is susceptible to ear infections*
Billy with an adorable friend
Sleeping with a sixty pound bundle of black and tan fur on the bed can be challenging, sleeping with one who is chronically shaking his head throwing dollops of drool around the room like rain falling in the rainforest is impossible. Then, just when the head shaking stops and you heave a huge sigh of relief, thinking “finally” you’re both going to get some sleep, the ground thumping, bed shaking, digging for gold in his ear starts, and the digging is, of course, accompanied by moans and groans and other bizarre and spooky sounds that bring the kids running from their room to yours screaming that the creature from the lagoon is in the house somewhere preparing to attack. My best advice to you, given this scenario, is that you should never, ever raise your Gordon Setter’s ear flap to have a “look see” at what’s wrong in there, because at night, in the dark, without outside ventilation to chase it away, the smell that wafts out from under that ear flap will send you running for the nearest exit and will ruin the rest of your night’s sleep unless you’re a zombie who thinks dead, decaying body odor is homey!
Yep, your Gordon Setter has an ear infection, and it’s probably another ear infection, and I’ll bet you’ve tried just about every cure you’ve been handed and still the trouble persists. Well I’m not here to sell you anything, no new-fangled products on my shelves, no 800 number to dial and you won’t hear “wait, there’s more…if you dial in the next 10 seconds we’ll give you 2 more widgets for the incredibly low price of …” What I will do is share a remedy that I swear is priceless. Since I started using this stuff over 10 years ago my Gordon Setters have all been completely clear of ear infections, and that is close to a miracle in long-eared breeds. In addition to being a cure for ear infections, the Purple Stuff (as I call it) can and should be used as your dog’s regular ear cleaner. Did I mention that it’s also cheap?
The recipe that follows is for a large bottle, simply divide the amounts to create a smaller bottle to fit the number of dogs you own.
16 oz witch hazel or isopropyl alcohol
4 tablespoons boric acid powder
16 drops gentian violet solution (1% solution) You may need to ask for this at the pharmacy counter if it is not on the shelf, and in some instances the pharmacist may not have it in stock but will order for you. It’s inexpensive so don’t worry about a huge price tag.
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A personal note from Honor - this recipe is VERY effective for dogs that tend to get yeast or ear infections a lot. One word of caution is the apply it in the ears outdoors, When the dog shakes his head, some of the solution will come out and the purple will stain some surfaces.