How to clean your dog's ears

You’ve probably heard a bunch of different advice on cleaning your dog’s ears, so how do you know which advice to follow? 

Cleaning your dog’s ears should be part of your normal grooming routine with your pooch, along with brushing, clipping, washing, and so on. And just like the aforementioned activities, the regularity and specifics are entirely dependent upon the age and breed of the dog.

Those of you with Cocker Spaniels, Cavalier King Charles, or any floppy or droopy-eared dog breed may have suspected that these breeds were predisposed to ear disease. And if you thought this, you would be absolutely right!

Certain dog breeds are pre-disposed to ear infections due to the long convoluted ear canals they are born with. Their anatomy prevents the ear from being regularly ventilated, allowing for moisture to become trapped and develop nidus’ for infection.

Throw in an allergy or two, and a predilection to water, and you are well on your way to having a pooch that requires regular ear maintenance and cleaning.

Ear problems aren’t only confined to those breeds with longer floppy ears. You may have a geriatric pet, with ever-increasing requirements relating to the aging process. Or on the other hand a young kelpie that just won’t stay out of the water.

So as you can see, the requirements vary substantially depending on your dog’s breed, age, behavior, and health status.

With that being said, there are a few general guidelines you can follow to keep your pooch’s ears clean and healthy:

• Regularly check your dog’s ears for exudate (fluid), offensive smells, pain, swelling and so on. These can all be indications of an ear infection or disease, and the sooner you detect the problem, the quicker you can get it under control.
• Use an enzymatic ear cleaner like PAW Gentle Ear Cleaner and some cotton wool balls on a semi-regular basis, and after swimming to keep the ear canals clean and dry. Try to avoid excessive ear cleaning, as it can become irritating, particularly if using an ear cleaning solution.
• When your dog goes to their local groomer, always ask that they carefully examine the ear canal for signs of ear disease
• When bathing your dog, try to avoid getting water in their ear canal, as this can quickly lead to infections
• If you notice your dog irritated or seemingly in pain, or you detect an offensive odour or an exudative appearance to the ear canal, go to your veterinary clinic immediately

 Hopefully this answers some of your questions relating to looking after the health of your pooch’s ears. And if you need any more advice, don’t hesitate to discuss this with your vet at your pet’s next check-up.