6 Steps for How to Clean a Dogs Ears at Home


How to clean a dogs ears

It’s a top priority to know how to clean a dogs ears. Dogs can develop ear infections especially dogs with drop ears or those with hair growing in their ear canal are more likely to develop ear infection than dogs with straight up ears.

The reason is that floppy ears don’t get a lot of air flow so moisture and debris get trapped inside the ear canal where it can transform into a bacteria and yeast infection. So it is important to clean your dog’s ears to prevent ear infections.

How often should you clean dogs ears

Depending on the type of breed, you should clean your dog’s ears from once a week to once a month.

If your dog has an ear infection, your vet might instruct that you clean your dog’s ear every day or every other day while treating your dog with medication.

Consult with your vet for the exact number of times that you should clean your dog’s ears. Your vet can also give you tips and instructions for how you can clean your dog’s ears.

If you are uncomfortable with cleaning your dog’s ears, you could either let your vet or dog groomer do it.

Signs your dog has an ear infection

How to clean a dogs ears
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  • Ear discharge
  • Odor from ears
  • Red and swollen ears
  • Head shaking
  • Scratching of ears
  • Pain around the ears
  • Masses around the ears

Causes of ear infection in dogs

One of the main causes of ear infection of dogs is when bacteria and yeast grow in the dog’s ears causing the ear to become inflamed. This condition is called otitis externa.

  • Some breeds with floppy ears such as Basset hounds and Cocker Spaniels are more susceptible to ear infection than dogs with raised ears.
  • Other dogs have more earwax in their ears. While others have too much hair inside their ears. These conditions increase the chance of having an ear infection in dogs.
  • Dogs with allergies can develop ear infections because their ears become inflamed as a side effect of allergies.
  • Other dogs that swim a lot have excess moisture in their ears leading to the growth of yeast and bacteria inside their ears.

Things you’ll need when you clean dogs ears at home

How to clean a dogs ears
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  • Ear cleaner approved by your vet
  • Cotton balls or gauze
  • Tweezers for dogs with a lot of hair in the ear canal
  • A towel or two
  • Medication depending if your dog has an ear infection or not

6 Steps to on how to clean a dogs ears

1.) Add ear cleaner to the ear

Hold up your dog’s ear flap and begin to squirt a few drops of ear cleaner on the inside of the ear flap near the ear opening. Then put the tip of the bottle into the ear and squeeze a few drops in the ear.

2.) Massage the base of the ear

Begin massaging the base of the ear. It is the part that is at the bottom of the ear and has cartilage in it. You should hear a smacking sound while massaging the ear.

By massaging, you are reaching all the different parts in the ear canal and help loosen the debris. You got to massage for a few minutes. Depending on how dirty your dog’s ear is, you may even massage more than a few minutes.

3.) Allow your dog to shake their ears

After you massage your dog’s ear, your dog is going to involuntary shake their head. Allow them to do so. You could hold up a towel while in the process so that anything that comes out of their ears falls into the towel.

4.) Wipe ear canal

After your dog’s shake their head, get a cotton ball or a gauze and lightly moisten with an ear cleaner. Gently apply pressure using your finger with the cotton ball or gauze to wipe out the ear canal.

Don’t force your finger too much as it can harm your dog’s ear by causing your dog to feel pain or bleed.

If the ear is still dirty, repeat the process again.

5.) Repeat with other ear

Then move on to the next ear and repeat all the above steps. To finish off, wipe again any visible debris and dry your dog’s head using a towel.

How to clean a dogs ears
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If your dog has an ear infection, your vet might prescribe a liquid ear medication to be put directly into the ears. Apply the medication after your dog’s ears are clean. You will need to apply the medication from one to three times a day.

Depending on the severity of the ear infection, your vet may also prescribe oral medications. When your dog has an ear infection, it is best to consult with your vet about medications that your dogs will take.

6.) Give your dog a treat

After you finish cleaning your dog’s ear, offer them a treat or praise. By doing so, you are reinforcing this behavior and rewarding them for doing a good job.

When do you pluck your dog’s ear hair?

If your dog has a lot of hair growing in their ear canal, you should pluck them out before cleaning your dog’s ears. You should pluck them regularly usually every 2 months or depending on how fast the hair grows.

If you are nervous about how to do it, you could ask your vet or groomer to show you how to do it or you can take your dog to a groomer to pluck your dog’s ear hair.

Using tweezers , pluck your dog’s ear hair. It isn’t a very painful process for dogs.

However, if their ears do become red or irritated after plucking, wait a day or two for the skin to calm down and for the ear cleaner to not sting them while you clean their ears.

Preventing problems when cleaning your dog’s ears

It is recommended to not use cotton swabs as it can cause damage to the eardrum if put to deep into the ear and cause debris to be pushed further down.

Do not over clean or under clean your dog’s ears. If you do over clean your dog’s ears, it can cause their ears to become irritated. While under cleaning will cause their ears to be filled with debris and a higher chance for ear infection.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cleaning your dogs is a very important task that should be conducted regularly in order to prevent yeast, bacteria, and ear infection from forming. There are certain causes and signs to watch out if your dog has an ear infection.

Thus, there are certain steps to take on how to clean a dogs ears and prevention methods of problems associated with cleaning dogs ears.

Share your experience with us. How did it go when you first started cleaning up your dog’s ears? Do you clean your dog’s ears at home or let your vet or dog groomer do it?

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Nada

Welcome to my bio everyone, my name is Nada. Ever since I was little, I have loved animals because they are so loving and kind. All they need is you attention, love, and care but I didn't understand them very well because I didn't get the chance to raise them. Well, That changed when my family and I got our first dog Rocky, a German Shepherd. Rocky was fun and loving with funny quirks. Being loyal and protective of us, he made me see the nature of a German Shepherd. Now, we have another German Shepherd named Mia. She is a wonderful dog and a rescue who just needed a second chance in life. Mia has long grown from being a terrified dog to the brave and caring German Shepherd that she is today. P.S: Here is a picture of our beautiful German Shepherd, Mia.

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