Cleaning Your Dog’s Ears

Regular ear cleaning is not necessary for most dogs because they have a naturally occurring self-cleaning process. Some dogs have abnormalities in this process, and so they benefit from or require regular ear cleanings. There are three main reasons why a dog may require ear cleanings:

1. Your vet has instructed you to do so, as part of a treatment plan
2. Your dog swims or gets bathed frequently
3. Your dog is prone to ear infections

Learning the correct ear cleaning technique ensures that your pet will benefit from the process, while also preventing accidental trauma to your dog’s ear canal or rupture of their ear drum. Here are the step-by-step instructions for better and easier ear cleaning for your dog:

1. Wet a cotton ball with the ear cleanser until it is soaked.

DO NOT use a cotton tip to clean or dry the ears! These can accidentally push debris down into the ear canal or rupture the ear drum.

2. Place the cotton ball at the base of the ear and squeeze so the liquid runs down into their ear. You want the ear canal to fill with the liquid.

3. Hold the cotton ball in place with one hand and with the other gently massage the base of your dog’s ear for 30-60 seconds.

You should hear a squishing sound from the ear in the deeper parts of the canal when this is done correctly.

4. Release the ear, grab the cotton ball, and stand back… Let your dog shake his head!

Allowing your dog to shake their head during an ear cleaning uses gravity to help dislodge debris and bring it outward from the horizontal ear canal.

5. Take a dry, clean cotton ball and wipe out any debris or excess cleaner solution from the base of the ear and the shallow part of the canal. Repeat until the ear is clean.

6. Allow the ears to dry. Wait at least 10 minutes before applying any medication if necessary

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