There are three important things that you need to know about dogs’ ears:
- They’re sensitive, so they need regular maintenance to prevent infections.
- Dogs don’t want their ears cleaned, so you’re going to have to work with them.
- If you don’t do it the right way, you can cause serious damage.
So how exactly do you go about cleaning your dog’s ears to keep him or her healthy?
Make it Positive – Keep the Dog Happy
Unless you want a squirmy pooch that makes the process a lot more difficult — and take a lot longer — it’s important to bring your dog along slowly and associate ear-cleaning with something positive. One tried-and-true method is to have a bag of treats ready to offer each time that your dog cooperates during the process.
Get the Right Tools for Ear Cleaning
Just like with human ears, you never want to use cotton swabs because they can hurt your dog’s ears. Instead, have a bag of cotton balls ready, or wrap your finger in gauze and use it. You might want to use gloves for the cleaning, but it’s also okay to just wash your hands if no gloves are available. Perhaps the most important tool, though, is the ear rinse. You want one that’s completely safe for your dog but still able to get the job done. Look for a product which contains no antibiotics, steroids, alcohol, or toxic materials of any kind.
Put Everything Within Arms Reach
The last thing you want when trying to clean your dog’s ears is to discover halfway through the process that you forgot something and have to get up to find it. Do this and you’ll likely find yourself needing to wrangle your dog back into position and possibly even having to start the whole process over.
Follow the Rules
To clean your dog’s ears without causing harm, you want to start on the outside and work your way in — but only until you start to feel resistance. If you try to push further in, you can damage your dog’s ear, so err on the side of caution. Wet a cotton ball with ear rinse and wipe the part of the ear that you can easily see, the outer flap. Then wet a new cotton ball to clean the inner ear. Ideally, you want to do this about once a week.
If the cotton balls or gauze are especially dirty, you may want to think about scheduling an appointment with your dog’s vet to make sure everything is okay. And don’t forget to give your pup lots of affection and treats when you’re done!
Do you have any tips or tricks for cleaning your dog’s ears? Share them in the comments!
