Dog hygeine: Ear Cleaning

Cleaning dog's ears contributes to good health

Do I need to clean my dog’s ears?

Yes! Cleaning your dog's ears is an important way to keep your dog healthy, reduce the chance of ear infections and excess wax build up. The regularity with which you clean your dog’s ears depends on your pet's breed, coat, level of activity, age, and ear wax production. Most dogs with normal ears require cleanings at least once a month. Others may need more frequent cleanings, especially those that regularly swim or get their ears wet. We recommend that you take time each week to examine your dog’s ears.

Examining your dog’s ears. Look inside the ears for signs of irritation, infection, dirt and parasites. If you notice redness, discharge, dirt, or waxy build up, do not attempt to clean your dog’s ears; your dog likely has an ear infection and should be seen by a veterinarian. If there is no sign of an ear infection, it is safe to clean your dog’s ears.

Before cleaning the ears. Dirty, matted or excess hair should be removed from around the ear canal and the ear flap. In some dogs, excess hair may need to be removed from inside the ear canal; this must be done very carefully to avoid damaging the ear canal. If you feel uncomfortable or your pet is unwilling to cooperate, it may be best to have a professional groomer or medical professional remove the hair if needed.

Do not attempt to clean if you detect an ear infection

Now that you have examined and prepped your dog’s ears, you are ready to begin cleaning.

Here are two important things to keep in mind:

1. Dogs don’t want their ears cleaned.
2. If you are not careful, you can cause serious damage.

So how exactly do you clean your dog’s ears?

Step one: Prepare

Your Work Space. Because your dog does not want to have his ears cleaned, you should try and make the experience quick and positive. By having everything within arm’s reach, you can reduce stress for you and the pup.

Your Supplies. You will need cotton balls (NO Q-Tips) and ear rinse for dogs. You can purchase a rinse or make your own; make sure that you are not using any alcohol at all in your dog’s ears.

Your Dog. You might want to have treats handy to give to your dog to reward him for cooperating. Also, a nice belly rub before you start will help your pet to relax.

Step two: Clean

While you may feel like you want to scrub your dog’s ears, the most important tip we can offer you is: be gentle! The ear canals and flaps are sensitive, and overly aggressive cleanings may cause serious damage to your dog’s inner-ear.

1. Start on the outside and work your way in — but only until you start to feel resistance. If you try to push further in, you can damage your dog’s ear, so err on the side of caution.
2. Wet a cotton ball with ear rinse and wipe the part of the ear that you can easily see, the outer flap.
3. Then wet a new cotton ball to clean the inner ear.
4. Repeat as necessary.

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