Caring for Your Dogʼs Ears

It is important to groom your dog from head to tail. The ears are often overlooked but remain a vital part of grooming. Regular ear checks and keeping your dogʼs ears clean will help reduce odour, remove debris, and potentially prevent painful ear infections from occurring.

Ear Problems

Common causes of ear infections in dogs are bacteria, yeast, and external parasites such as ear mites and demodex mites. Other more serious causes of ear infections in dogs are foreign bodies, masses or tumours. Signs that your dog may have an ear infection may include: smelly ears, scratching, head shaking, red or inflamed ears, painful to touch, discharge from ears, face rubbing and a head tilt. If you think your dog may have an ear infection, seek veterinary care.

Dog Ears are Unique

While people have a horizontal shaped ear canal, dogs have an L-shaped ear canal. Having an L-shaped ear canal means that moisture and debris can easily become trapped inside the ear canal. Dog ears also come in all shapes and sizes (long and floppy, tall and upright, short and hairy.) Some dogs may be more prone to developing ear infections such as those with underlying allergies, poor ear conformation (e.g. floppy hairy ears), excessively waxy ears and dogs who spend a lot of time swimming in fresh water. It is therefore important to be diligent about checking and cleaning your dogʼs ears especially in predisposed breeds such as Labrador retrievers, cocker spaniels, poodles and hound
dogs.

Cleaning the Ears

It is best to start cleaning your dogʼs ears from an early age so it can get used to having its ears touched and cleaned as part of a regular grooming routine. To get started, you will need cotton balls or cotton wool. Never use cotton buds or swabs as these have the potential to cause damage to the ear. Moisten several cotton balls with an ear cleaning solution formulated for dogs. Ear cleaning products made for dogs are gentle and pH balanced to meet your dogʼs ear care needs. To clean your dogʼs ear, gently grasp the ear flap and clean the inside of the ear flap and ear opening with a pre-moistened cotton ball. Gently remove any excess wax, dirt, debris or discharge. There is no need to rinse your dogʼs ears afterwards. Your dog may shake its head after having its ears cleaned. Dogs generally need to have their ears cleaned once a month or less depending how dirty their ears get. It is important however not to be overzealous with ear cleaning as over cleaning as the potential to cause further problems. Some ear wax should remain as it helps to protect and lubricate the ear canal. A good rule of thumb is to clean only if you notice dirt, debris, excess wax build up or discharge in the ear. Be sure to reward your dog with a tasty treat following an ear cleaning.
In summary, keeping your dogʼs ears healthy and smelling good involves frequent ear checks, cleaning as needed, observing for signs of ear disease and seeking veterinary care if needed.