Cleaning Your Dog’s Ears

Cleared for takeoff!

Most dogs’ ears do not require regular cleaning and can mostly be left alone. In fact, it’s better to leave normal, healthy ears alone and not attempt to clean them for the sake of it, because this can disrupt the delicate pH balance and natural environment there. Some dogs require occasional cleaning to remove debris, or a specially designed drying product to help eliminate excess moisture from the ears after swimming.

Why Clean Your Dog’s Ears?

Dogs have very long ear canals that take a right-angled bend, so foreign material often goes in, but is difficult to get out. If dogs get water in their ears during swimming, this water can pool down in the horizontal ear canal and increase the risk of infection. Ear infections are much more likely in a warm, moist, dark environment like an ear canal. If your dog swims, cleaning the ears out after swimming is a great routine to get into.

Dogs that have skin allergies and are prone to frequent ear infections will also benefit from regular ear cleaning. Your Vet can recommend how frequently to clean the ears, but as a general rule, not more than weekly and ideally at least monthly.

Symptoms

·  Head shaking

·  Excessive ear scratching

·  Redness of the ear flaps (otitis)

Subtle Signs of an Underlying Ear Problem

·  Slight tilt of the head

·  One ear being held at a slightly different angle than the other

·  Pungent, yeasty odor emanating from the ears

·  Dark reddish brown buildup of waxy substance around the folds of the ears and deeper within the ear canal itself

The Causes

Anatomy or Breed

Certain breeds with ears that hang down, like setters, spaniels and retrievers, can be pre-disposed to infections and yeast buildup because these longer ear flaps provide an internal ear environment that’s dark, potentially more moist, and perfect for the growth of yeast and bacteria.

While some breeds are routinely subjected to ear-cropping in the United States, this is almost entirely a cosmetic (and in the opinion of most, a cruel) surgical mutilation with its roots in the ancestral jobs of certain working breeds, but which has no relevance in the life of a modern dog – and only very mildly helps to combat ear problems, if at all.

Lifestyle

Dogs who regularly swim in lakes, the ocean or swimming pools (dock-diving or swim therapy for example) can be more prone to ear problems than those who don’t go near the water. Any dog who swims should have his ears gently dried afterwards, using a soft towel to remove the excess moisture. This alone can prevent many ear infections from building up, because yeast and bacteria love to reproduce in dark, moist places.

Foxtails can easily become lodged in your dog’s ear and will cause discomfort and pain.

Dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors and are lucky enough to run in the woods or other grassy open spaces are slightly more at risk of a foxtail or other type of grass seed working its way into the ears. This can cause severe pain and discomfort and often require surgical removal although in some cases, a vet may suggest pouring mineral oil or another substance into the ear to soften the seed and allow it to be shaken out by the dog – however it’s essential that a correct diagnosis is made, so please see your Vet in these situations.

Diet 

Food (or environmental) allergies are especially likely to be the cause of ear problems when both ears are involved. An excess of grain and / or sugar in the diet is one of the most common causes of ear infections in dogs. The sugar actually feeds the yeast which lives naturally in the body and causes a yeast overgrowth, which results in the dark, yeasty-smelling buildup that can occur inside the ears.

·  Diet: A grain-free diet is almost always helpful in combating chronic yeast infections. Grains contain natural sugars which yeasts feed upon and multiply. In most milder cases, eliminating grains and cleaning the ears of any built-up debris will set your dog on a path to long term ear health. If antibiotics are prescribed for a persistent or stubborn ear infection, consider supplementing the diet with a good probiotic supplement containing acidophilus to help maintain the balance of good bacteria in the dog’s system. Live-culture plain yogurt with lactobacillus and acidophilus can also help to offset the side-effects of antibiotic therapy.

·  A raw or natural, minimally processed diet can be very helpful in combating ear problems, because it provides the natural, whole-food nutrition that the dog’s immune system needs in order to regain strength. Removing toxic chemical preservatives and excessive gluten by-products and fillers can have a noticeable effect on most of the body, including the condition of the ears.

Parasites

Parasites such as mites can invade the ear canal, but these are relatively uncommon. Sometimes, allergic ear problems can be mistaken for ear mites. If they do invade, a confirmed case of ear mites can be treated with Neem or plain mineral oil. Chronic and persistent ear ailments that do not clear up using simple measures require veterinary attention. Contact your vet for treatment options.

What You Will Need

·  Ear cleaner

·  Cotton balls

·  Treats

WHAT SORT OF EAR CLEANER?

There are various types of ear cleaners, but the most important thing is that you only use a good quality dog ear cleaner. Never put olive oil, vinegar, shampoo or any other substance in a dog’s ear. Also avoid poking around with cotton buds in the ear, you will only work any wax and debris further in and potentially damage the ear drum.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

** Important!  If your dog has very red, itchy, inflamed and painful ears, see your Vet before you start cleaning. It is likely your dog has an ear infection, so ear cleaning will not do much good at this point. If your dog has an infection severe enough to damage the ear drum, some ear cleaners can damage the ear further.

Ear cleaning can be a messy job, so find somewhere in the house that is easy to clean.

1.  Give your pet a treat for sitting and show him the ear cleaner.

2.  Gently hold the flap of the ear up and gently wipe the outer ear with a cotton ball soaked with the ear cleaner. Clean every fold and crevice that you can see and reach but don’t push down into the ear canal.

3.  While continuing to hold the flap of the ear upright, fill the ear canal with ear cleaner. Direct the tube vertically downwards.

4.  Keep a hold of the ear and move your hand down to where the ear meets the head.

5.  Massage at the base of the ear, aiming to mix the ear cleaner around within the ear canal. You should hear a squishy noise if you are doing this correctly.

6.  After you have massaged the ear for 20 seconds, stand back and let go of the ear.

7   Your dog should now vigorously shake his head.

8.  Grab some cotton balls and use them to wipe out the folds at the opening of the ear canal until it looks clean.

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

The key to effective ear cleaning is to use a large amount of ear cleaner. As the ear canals are quite long, the wiping step does not get all the ear discharge out. The idea is that when you massage, you will be breaking up the discharge lining the inside of the ear canal, so that it forms a solution with the ear cleaner. Your pet can then shake the liquid out.

Remember if you see redness, the ears are particularly smelly, or they are painful to your dog when you touch them, see your Vet. Your pet most likely has an ear infection and ear cleaning may be too painful and damaging to perform.

Most dogs will come to like ear cleaning, so long as they feel comfortable and their ears are healthy. This is the one place that dogs can’t scratch themselves, so most will absolutely love it. With lots of treats and encouragement, ear cleaning can become a part of their regular hygiene routine.