How To Clean Your Dog’s Ears?

One of the most overlooked parts of the dog’s body is the ears. It is quite imperative that you check and clean your dog’s ears on a regular basis. You will be amazed to learn that one of the leading reasons for taking a dog to a vet is an ear infection.

Dog’s ears are highly sensitive that can get easily damaged, so you should take good care of their ears and clean them on a regular basis. If you suspect a problem while cleaning a dog’s ears, don’t try to poke with a cotton bud because the consequences of damaging the eardrum can lead to serious problems.

Mostly the long-haired dog breeds suffer from ear infections as fur grows inside the ear, and traps moisture. It becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus.

Symptoms of ear infection in dogs

If your dog’s ears smell bad, or you see them scratching their ears or shaking their head quite frequently, they might be suffering from an ear infection. If you see such symptoms in your dog then take them to your veterinarian immediately. In the unfortunate event that you can’t access your vet, don’t panic. You can as well deal with your dog’s ear infection at home by using a homemade solution made by mixing rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, Betadine antiseptic solution, and boric acid powder.

How to clean your dog’s ears safely?

If your dog has red, itchy, or swollen ears then first consider going to the vet as the infection has already spread, and cleaning the ear will not help at this point. But if a dog’s ears are healthy but look a bit dirty to you, clean them up.

You can clean your dog’s ear with a commercial dog ear wash or you can use homemade ear wash. Ear cleaning can be messy, so it’s best to clean your dog’s ears in the bathroom or somewhere in the house that is easy to clean. Take them to the vet or a dog groomer to help you during the first few times.

Here are some easy tips to clean a dog’s ears by yourself:

1. Give a treat to your dog for sitting and let them sniff the ear cleaner.

2. Put a directed dose of ear cleaner in each ear and massage the base of the ear for 30 seconds, stand back, and let your dog shakes his head.

3. Grab some cotton wool and use it to wipe out the folds at the opening of the ear canal until it looks pretty clean.

4. Give your dog a treat and repeat with the other ear.

5. Wipe the visible part of the inner ears with tissue or a cotton ball to remove any excess dirt.

6. Never use a Q- tip in your dog’s ears, it can damage his eardrum.

Here’s a good example of how to clean your dog’s ears

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