No One Likes Stinky Dog Ears

I don’t know about you, but I admit it; every once in a while I like digging in my ears to clean them.  Yes it’s good hygiene, but more so it’s the self-satisfaction of maybe getting lucky and pulling that big blob of ear wax out, you know, the one that you can almost feel detaching from your brain that screams success on the end of your Q-tip. Yeah, that one!

What about cleaning someone else’s ears?  Would you?… Have you?

If you’re a caring and loving dog owner, then yes you have; or at least you should have.  Let’s face it, cleaning dog ears doesn’t rank high, with most owners it may rank second to squeezing anal glands but cleaning your dog’s ears is part of a necessary and proper dog grooming schedule.  We’ll show you a quick easy way that will cost you no more than about 5 minutes and that you can do at home.

Tenn-Hut! – Inspection Time

Inspecting your dog’s ears should not be a once in a while event.  Rather it should be something you do on a regular basis maybe once a week while petting your precious pooch.  It can be as simple as lift the ear flap and inspecting the inside.  When done on a regular basis it’s the simple comparative knowledge that tells you if there is something wrong.  If one week your dog’s ears are a healthy pink tone and clean and the next week inflamed or a discharge is present, something is wrong and your vet should be consulted as ear infections on dogs are not something that should be dealt with at home.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Some signs that Fido may have an ear infection are:

• Inflammation or swelling inside the ear
• Dirty looking discharge present under ear flap
• Foul, “yeasty” odor
• Ears are sensitive to touch
• Dog shakes head often and violently
• Excessive ear scratching
• Dog rubs their ears on the ground
• Not coming when called may just be a sign that you didn’t look frustrated enough for your dog’s liking, but it has nothing to do with ear infections on dogs.

It’s recommended that cleaning your dog’s ears should be done roughly once a month. If you use a professional groomer, this service is probably already done for you.  If you wash your dog at home, use a natural dog shampoo and consider that ear cleaning during bathing may be a better timed approach, just be careful not to get water inside your dog’s ears.

Ear Anatomy 101

One must realize the anatomy of a dog’s ear both when cleaning and and inspecting.  The human ear canal goes from the outer ear straight to the ear drum whereas the canine ear canal goes straight from the outer ear and then down to the ear drum, in the shape of an “L”.  Although not clinically proven, dogs with floppy or long ears seem to be more prone to dirty or infected ears opposed to dog with cropped or short ear flaps.  Ear infections in dogs are the result of growing bacteria and it makes sense when we think about it.  Bacteria thrives in warm, moist and dark environments with poor circulation which essentially explains what it would be like either inside a dogs ear or in the boot of a sauna mechanic.

The easiest and best way to clean your dogs ears when there is no sign of infection is with a homemade remedy of white vinegar and water in a 1 to 1 ratio or 50/50 solution.  If your four-legged friend has excessively dirty ears, you can substitute rubbing alcohol for the water in the same ratios.

Even Cats Like Clean Dog Ears

Cotton balls are recommended because their easy to use and maneuverable.  Don’t soak the cotton ball, but saturate it and clean what you can see.  That means don’t shove it down the “L” shape of the ear canal.  There are over the counter solution for cleaning the inner ear, or you can have it done by your vet or professional groomer, but it is not advised that the novice dog ear cleaner do it themselves.  There is simply too much risk involved in damaging the inner ear. Repetitive wiping in an outward motion (inside the ear to the outer edge) and encouraging words to your dog is really all that’s needed with a healthy ear.  Remember, this is maintenance, not a make over so don’t over do and trust your eyes.  If it looks like an infection, it most likely is and your vet should be consulted.