How to Clean Dog Ears

Checking your dog’s ears on a weekly basis is essential to protect your pet’s health. You may think you don’t have to do this yourself, but it’s important, especially with a lap dog or when your dog has allergies. If you observe their ears regularly, you will find that cleaning is necessary. Cleaning a dog’s ears at home is very simple if its ears are not infected or damaged. Give your loyal friend proper care by regularly checking and cleaning their ears, whether they are lapdogs or other breeds.

Table of Contents

Check Dog Ears

General examination of the dog’s ears. Have the dog sit or stand next to you so you can see the inside of the ear easily. If you only see dirt or earwax, you can start cleaning.

Observe for drainage from the ear canal (colorless, gray or brown), thick, swollen, scaly, or sore earwax. If you see any of the above signs, do not clean your dog’s ears, but contact your veterinarian immediately for advice.
You can’t see deep inside the dog’s ear canal because of the twisted structure of the base of the ear where it comes in contact with the head. Do not clean the inside of their ears too deeply without the guidance of a doctor. Never use earwax to clean the ear canal because if you put a hard, small object deep into the dog’s ear, you can puncture the eardrum.

Observe for parasites or foreign objects in their ears. Dog ears often have some unwanted objects because they often run on lawns or wooded areas, so they often get things like seeds, treetops and grass in their ears. When you see any of these objects, you need to first (gently) remove them and then clean your dog’s ears. If that doesn’t work, you should take your dog to a professional veterinarian.

Mites, ticks, and fleas all prefer to live in relatively hidden locations in and around a dog’s ears. The mites will itch your dog and can cause a thick, brown discharge inside the ear canal. You will need a veterinarian to diagnose and treat dog ear mites. As for ticks and fleas, they can be killed (and prevented) by a variety of chemicals that you can easily buy from your veterinarian’s office.

Check your dog’s ears for infection. ^{[1] X Kirk and Bistner’s Handbook of Veterinary Procedures and Emergency Treatment . Ford and Mazzaferro. Elsevier.} A yeast infection causes their ears to smell, itch, and have a brown discharge. Such fungal diseases require specific antiseptics; Just cleaning without medication not only does not cure the disease, but can also make the situation worse. If you notice any of these symptoms, take your dog to the vet right away.

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Look for signs of infection on the outside of the ear. ^{[2] X Research Source The Merck Veterinary Manual. Overview of Otitis Externa.} Bacterial ear infections can go from a mild infection that is easily treated with medication to a serious infection that can cause discomfort for your dog. Veterinarians need to know to diagnose and treat ear infections early because the potential for serious complications is great.

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Beware of lumps on your dog’s ears, but keep in mind that these symptoms are rare. Occasionally, you will notice strange lumps in and around your dog’s ears, possibly caused by a strong impact. Most bump or bump bumps don’t cause much harm, but they can become serious if they’re a skin cyst, a reaction to an injury, or a bug bite.

Observe carefully at home. After a week, if they do not disappear, but grow larger and make your dog uncomfortable, consult your veterinarian.

Cleaning Dog Ears

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Buy a dog ear cleaner or make your own with familiar items at home. The ear cleaner can also be used near the outer rim, below the dog’s ear flaps. The steps to cleaning your dog’s ears at home are similar to the professional process.

Place a few tablespoons of vinegar and an equal amount of rubbing alcohol in a clean bowl. Make sure the solution is at room temperature before using because no one likes to expose their ears to cold liquids, not even dogs. This mixture is safe to clean on the visible parts of the inside of their ears. DO NOT use this mixture if you suspect an ear infection and do not pour the solution into its ear canal.
There are many good and versatile dog ear cleaners on the market. Consult with your veterinarian about one you can buy locally. You can also ask your local pet store for more advice.

Dip a cotton pad in the rubbing alcohol solution. Squeeze the cotton pad so that it retains moisture without water interference. For small dogs, you can use half a cotton pad.

Alternatively, you can wrap a piece of gauze around your index finger moderately and dip it in the cleaning solution. The gauze should not be too wet. If you accidentally let the solution soak too much, squeeze out the gauze pad and continue cleaning your dog’s ears. This is an alternative to earwax, but it can make your dog a little uncomfortable. Just use your thumb and index finger to hold the swab.

Wipe the inside of the dog’s ear flaps gently. Remove all dirt and debris that you see. If the dog’s ears are very dirty, it may take several cotton pads to clean. Your dog will be docile as long as you gently wipe and clean only the outside of the ear canal.

Do it gently as you can easily scratch their skin. Vinegar and alcohol will also cause pain when the skin is scratched.
Make sure to clean the crevices in the ear canal very carefully as dirt and earwax can collect in these areas.
Clean the inside of both ears.

Thoroughly clean your dog’s ears only when directed to do so by your veterinarian. If you get this advice from your vet, it’s usually because your dog’s ears are full of dirt and wax, which requires a cleaning kit to clean (or wash) his ears. This will remove most of the thick layers of dirt on the ear canal.

To do this, place the tip of the bottle containing the ear cleaning solution right at the tip of the ear canal, below the ear cap. Squeeze the bottle so the liquid flows into the dog’s ear. Gently rub and rub your dog’s ears (thumb on one side, index finger on the other, work very gently!) for 60 seconds.
Use gauze or cotton balls to clean the mucus in your dog’s ears. You’re likely to use a lot of cotton if your dog’s ears are full of dirt.

Let the dog clean his ears after cleaning. Usually your dog will shake its head after having its ears cleaned. Let it shake its ears, but turn your face away so you don’t get liquid or dirty debris in your eyes. This will help remove any remaining cleaning solution.

After your dog shakes off any remaining liquid in his ears, wipe his ears again with gauze or cotton pads. While the dog shakes his head, there will be dirt coming out of the ear canal and this will help remove them.

Advice

Giving your dog something to do after cleaning his ears will help him relax and realize that next time he will continue to be rewarded if we lie still.
A good time to clean your dog’s ears is after he has finished bathing. Sanitizing solutions help to remove water from the dog’s ears. This is recommended because water can infect its ears.
Your veterinarian can show you the right way to clean your pet’s ears. If your dog has had ear problems in the past, you should pay special attention to this.
Be extremely slow and careful, your dog may shiver while being cleaned and you could permanently damage his ears.

Warning

Never insert a cotton swab deep into a dog’s ear canal! This can cause permanent hearing damage to the dog.
Never use water to clean your dog’s ears, as water can get into the ear canal and cause an infection.

Things You Need

Dog ear cleaner
Cotton pads and gauze

Steps

Check Dog Ears

Cleaning Dog Ears

Advice

Warning

Things You Need

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