Dog Ears: Tips and Tricks for Cleaning and Maintaining Them

Did you know that ear infections are among the most common reasons for a trip to the vet?

Without regular cleaning, wax and oil can build up in your dog’s ear canal. This buildup can eventually lead to ear infection and worse conditions, such as hearing loss. Certain breeds require only minimal cleaning, as they naturally have healthy clean ears, but other dogs may require more frequent cleaning in order to prevent infection. Dogs with big, floppy ears should have their ears cleaned at least once every other week.

We all hate taking our dogs to the vet. It stresses you and the dog out, and it usually ends up costing you a ton of money! Thankfully, it isn’t hard to prevent a vet trip by simply cleaning your dog’s ears at home.

There are a few supplies you’ll need to gather before you begin:

First, get some kind of veterinarian approved dog ear cleaning solution. You’ll want to avoid any cleanser that contains alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, as these harsh chemicals can cause irritation to the sensitive skin inside your dog’s ear. If you are unsure about whether or not something is safe to use, consult your local vet.

Pure and Natural Pet makes awesomely effective ear cleaning products. Their serums and ear washes are all organic and certified by the USDA. This means there is no alcohol in the product, which can cause pain and irritation to your dog’s sensitive ears. They also do not contain any dyes or synthetic chemicals and instead rely on organic olive oil, witch hazel, mullein oil, and chamomile extract to relieve itching, reduce ear odor and clean your dog’s ears.

Next you’ll need some cotton balls, or cotton pads. You can use cotton swabs on the exterior of your dog’s ear but you should never insert the swab into your dog’s ear canal because this could cause permanent hearing loss.

Pure and Natural Pet also makes their own brand of cotton swabs specifically for cleaning your dog’s ears. These reusable ear swabs are adhesive free, double sided, and made of medical grade foam that actually attracts dirt and grime. They also are sturdy enough that they won’t break, bend or splinter which means you can comfortably clean your dog’s ears without being worried about hurting the dog with a broken swab.

Tweezers are a good tool to have around as well. These may come in handy if your dog has very hairy ears.
Have a towel on hand, just in case your dog tries to shake their head when they feel something tickling their ears and they make a mess while you’re trying to clean.
When everything is over, and your dog’s ears are clean, make sure to reward them with a treat for behaving to reinforce good behavior and help your dog associate ear cleaning with something positive.

If the dog’s ears are inflamed, smell bad or seem itchy, contact your vet immediately as these could all be signs of infection, or infestation by ear mites.

If the dog does have a lot of hair in their ears, use the tweezers to clear out excess hair, and proceed with the cleaning after you’ve read the instructions on the bottle. Then hold the ear flap up if their ears are not up already, and fill the ear canal with cleaning solution. Finally, gently massage the bottom of the dog’s ears for about 20 seconds. After that, stand back and let your dog shake their head if they want to, but use a towel over their heads so they don’t fling cleaning solution all over your house.

Gently wipe your dog’s ears of any excess cleaning solution, and remember to give them a treat for sitting still while you clean their ears.

Cleaning your dog’s ears is a simple thing to do, but it can be an even simpler process.

Here are a few things to remember that will make both you and your dog’s lives much simpler when it comes to ear cleaning.

First, so that you do not get water everywhere, it is a good idea to make sure that your dog is in an area like the bathtub where spills and messes can be easily contained. In addition, you probably want to make sure to wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. Ear cleaning solution can mess up clothes if you get any on yourself during the cleaning process.

Also make sure that you use an adequate amount of cleaning solution when attempting to clean your dog’s ears. A dog’s ear canals are much deeper than you might assume, and you want to use a lot of cleaner to make sure the entire ear actually gets clean. Anything that doesn’t get wiped away will be expelled when your dog shakes their head. If their ears don’t seem to be clean after the first attempt, you can repeat the above steps again.

Finally if you see redness or any bleeding of the ear or should you notice your dog in any discomfort, stop immediately and contact your veterinarian right away. As stated earlier, this could be a sign of an ear infection or further damage to the dog’s ear canals.

There you have it, that’s all the basic information you need in order to start an at-home ear cleaning regimen for your dog! Proper ear health is important for the longevity of your dog’s life, so stay home and get cleaning and then you’ll be able to rest comfortably knowing that you won’t have to shell out a bunch of money to a groomer, or worse... to the vet! Keep those ears clean and your dog will thank you, because nobody wants dirty ears.