Cleaning Your Dog’s Ears

.Many dogs enjoy having their ears rubbed and played with so cleaning your dog’s ears shouldn’t be too difficult.  When you first bring your puppy home, start getting him used to having his ears touched, massaged and examined.  It is important that you keep regular checks on the inside of the ear, especially as infection and mite or bacteria problems can occur.  Some breeds, such as the Cocker Spaniels, Labradors and dogs with either long floppy ears or designer dogs with a lot of ear fluff, are more susceptible to ear infections and wax build up.  Cleaning your dog’s ears on a regular basis will alert you to any ear infections or problems before they get too serious.  The sign that your dog’s ears are clean and healthy is apparent by the mild pink or skin-toned color of the inside ear with no apparent inflammation.  There may be a little reddish color wax in the grooves which will easily wipe out with some cleaning solution on a cotton ball.  It is generally fairly obvious if your dog has an ear problem, eg. wax build-up, red and inflamed skin, which may or may not come with a nasty smell.  If this is the case, it is recommended that you take your dog to the vet for a check-up.  The vet will be able to advise what is causing the problem.

A herbal solution for cleaning your dog’s ears! Ear Mist from Natural-Wonder-Pets.com
Our herbal dog ear cleaner works three times harder than most drug or chemical solutions.
This makes your job of cleaning dog ears and cat ears quick, easy, accurate, and perfectly safe with our 100% natural triple-action formula.
EarMist 1.  Quickly DISSOLVES earwax and rinses away oily buildup with no harmful alcohol.
Wax and oil melt away with our U.S. Pharmacopeia grade, Kosher, no-GMO, Vegan Vegetable Glycerin.
EarMist 2.  Is a potent herbal formula that TARGETS three infectious organisms.
Bacteria, fungi (yeast) and parasites (mites) decontaminated without drugs or pesticides.
Our own herbal blend of USDA Certified Organic Echinacea, Rosemary Leaf, Grapefruit Seed Extract, and Apple Cider Vinegar is effective against a broad range of cat and dog ear infections whether bacterial, fungal or parasitic. Yet the formula is safe and gentle for all breeds of cats and dogs.
EarMist 3.  Contains a natural botanical medicine that SOOTHES your dog or cat’s itchy, irritated ears and helps promote rapid healing.
Our own extract of USDA Certified Organic Calendula Flowers takes away dog ear itch and promotes rapid healing of tissue.
Simply point the fine-mist sprayer inside your dog or cat’s ears and spray according to label directions. Rub in thoroughly at the base of each ear. Wipe clean with a dry cloth or cotton ball. Your pet will shake its head to dislodge earwax and debris.

The best way to clean your dog’s ears is to tilt your dog’s head to the side a little.  Hold the ear flap upwards in order to straighten the ear canal.  If you are using a solution follow the instructions on their recommendations as to how to clean the dog’s ear.  Generally, though, you insert the recommended number of drops into the ear and then gently massage the outer ear with your thumb and forefinger to enable the solution to go deeper into the ear.  Be mindful to avoid touching the dropper to any discharge from the ear.  The dog will probably want to shake his head at this point.  Allow him to shake and then wipe the ear out with a dry cotton ball or pad.  Be careful not to go too deeply – the dog will generally let you know if you are hurting.  You might need to have some cotton buds or q-tips on hand to get in the grooves, just don’t poke them in too far into the actual canal itself.  Use them only in the outer ear canal area and the grooves that you can see.  Also, make sure you don’t leave any remnants of wool in the ear.  You may need to tie the ears back for a few minutes to allow them to dry out.

To simply clean dirt build-up in the dog’s outer ear specially prepared ear cleaning wipes which are pre-moistened would be a good alternative.  You may need to repeat a couple of times to get all the dirt out.

Earthbath Specialty Ear Wipes 25 Count Package
from: CherryBrook
make it easy to keep your pet’s ears wax and discharge free. Utilizing the cleanser and astringent properties of witchhazel, earthbath ear wipes help to prevent infections and odors.
Features:-  A soothing mix of natural plant extracts; Gentle and therapeutic; Deodorizing; Safe for cats and dogs over six weeks old; Naturally fragrance free; Twenty-five 7″ x 3.5″ wipes; Made in the USA

Petkin Jumbo Ear Wipes
Petkin Jumbo Ear Wipes from Chewy.com are great for keeping your pet in optimum health and is a handy accessory to keep around the home.
Both an ear cleanser and deodorizer in one, they also help to soothe itching and are great for throwing in the back of the car ahead of days out, holidays or general outdoorsy activities with your dog.  Veterinary approved, this is an excellent all-round helper and suitable for dogs and cats.

Plucking Dog’s Ear Hair

Dog ear hair is hair that grows inside the ear canal.  This is predominantly found in the small designer dogs.  This ear hair can create problems as it prevents air flowing into the ear canal to dry out any moisture or wax build-up  which can develop into yeast infections.  We have created a special page, Plucking Dog Ear Hair, to explain how to keep your dog’s ears clean from ear hair growth. Regularly keeping the dog’s ear free from this ear hair can help prevent ear infections.

Fly Bitten Ears

Some breeds of dogs are susceptible to having their ears bitten on the tips by flies and other insects.  This causes the ear to bleed and you will notice a hard crusty surface on the edge of the outer ear.

The best remedy for this is to get an antiseptic and repellent solution specifically designed to keep flies and biting insects away and put this on the dog according to the instructions.