How to Clean Your Dog’s Ears: An Essential Guide

It doesn’t matter to which breed they belong; dogs’ ears have always been a sensitive part of dogs’ bodies. Dogs are prone to get infected if anything bad happens to their ears. If a dog’s ears are not taken care of or cleaned up regularly, they can develop an infection. Uncured, infected ears have a tendency to affect other parts of the dog’s body as well.

The process of cleaning a dog’s ears may seem simple, but in all actuality, it is not. A regular ear cleaning may not be as tricky, but dealing with clogged up ears requires much more care.

Why clean your dog’s ears

It is very common for owners to neglect the ears of their dogs during the bathing and grooming process. Consequently, a dog’s ears become dirty and ready to become a favorable habitat of microbes. Dogs can develop an infection, thus become sick, which if left uncured can lead to other issues. Do a regular cleaning of your dog’s ears to avoid build-up and severe results.

Checking for signs of infection

Before starting to clean your dog’s ears, one should check for the signs of any possible infection. For example, if the ears smell bad or they make your dog feel pain upon touch, then they are likely to be infected. It is better to show your pet to a vet before you start the cleaning process. Further, cleaning an infected ear can be dangerous as it can carry more microbes inside. In severe cases, dogs with ear infections can also cause certain diseases to their owners as well.

Briefly, every time you move ahead to clean your dog’s ears, make sure you are dealing with dirt and not with some other clogged-up material.

Now, coming to the cleaning process, follow these steps when you start.

Be prepared

Cleaning your dog’s ears is not such an easy task. Most of the time, you need to deal with a stubborn pet who doesn’t like the idea of someone touching his ears for extended periods of time. So, make sure you are all set to endure the resistance with all your tools ready.

The best way is to get assistance from a friend. Your buddy may keep your pet clenched while you move on to the cleaning process. In case your dog is too difficult to keep still, try to complete the cleaning in a smaller room.

Now, make sure you have all the equipment. The most important items required to clean your dog’s ears include the cotton balls and a cleansing solution which contains a mild amount of alcohol. A better approach is to keep these tools on a small side table.

Start cleaning

First of all, soak the cotton balls in solution and start the process. It is better to first remove the dirt with dry cotton balls. Start from flaps. First, move cotton balls on the broader lamina of the ear and then move further. Carefully move your hand, so that it doesn’t hurt.

Try to move your hand deep down the ear canal as much as possible. Drag your hand back as soon as it touches the ear drum. Make sure you don’t hit the membrane or cause any damage to it.

The best approach is to change cotton balls often. Also deeply analyze the level of dirt every cotton ball catches. In cases where the content is excessively dirty, then it is time to contact your vet. Repeatedly wash your hands while changing the cotton.

Solutions for wiping off the dirt

Usually, water is perfect to wipe the dirt off ear flaps and ear canal. It can be harmful. If used in too much quantity, water can cause disruption in the cavity. One should use oil or a commercial solution to make the cleaning process more efficient.

Keep these tips in mind

Don’t use cotton swabs that humans use to clean their ear’s. The reason is that dogs have huge ears. They can easily take damage to their ears from these cotton swabs. Further, controlled use of these swabs is also not possible because a single jerk is enough to make ear canals engulf them.

Large cotton balls remain more efficient. They not only wipe out flaps and inner portions in the best way, but also don’t pose any danger for the ear. Cotton balls are also softer and don’t stick easily in the ear cavity of dogs.