Ear cleaning is a hygienic procedure that helps to get rid of excess earwax, as well as other dirt that enters the auricle. But many dog owners, especially beginners, don’t believe it to be compulsory. They avoid this procedure because they find it difficult and are afraid that they can hurt the dog during it. But now we will tell you how to clean ears easily and absolutely safely! Read on and find out what tools you can and cannot use for this procedure and how to carry it out in the right way.
How Often to Clean Dog’s Ears
It depends on the breed and individual characteristics of your pet. For dogs with long ears, it is enough to carry out the procedure once a week. Pets with short ears may need cleaning twice a week. Lop-eared breeds require more thorough ear hygiene several times a week. Due to the structure of their ears, they become dirty more quickly and are prone to inflammation.
But always take into account the individual peculiarities of your dog’s body. If you haven’t cleaned the ears for a week, but you open the auricle and see that it is pink and free of dirt and earwax, there is no need to carry out the procedure. Wait for some more time until the ear becomes dirty.
What Do I Need for Ear Cleaning
You need to purchase such materials for this:
- Dog ear cleaner. This is a special liquid for washing the auricle. It is absolutely safe and effective against all types of dirt that may be in the ear. Such a solution helps to soften earwax and get it out easily. All good dog ear cleaners are approved by vets. Therefore, they are perfect for this procedure.
- Cotton rounds. It is better to buy them in pet stores either. But ordinary cosmetic ones are also suitable.
Best Dot Ear Cleaners
Cleaning your dog’s ears should not be stressful – either for your pet or for you. Here we are listing the best dog ear cleaners to facilitate this task.
What Is Forbidden to Use for Cleaning Dog’s Ears
Never use these things for the procedure:
- Oils (like olive and others). They have a thick consistency, so they contaminate the ears even more instead of helping to clean them.
- Hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, chlorhexidine. These aggressive substances dry out the delicate skin inside the auricle and can damage it.
- Cotton buds. Their use has long been discouraged by doctors for either humans or animals. Cotton buds can push earwax plugs deeper into the ear canal. They can also injure the eardrum.
- Paper napkins. If they come into contact with the liquid ear cleaner, they will just go soggy, and the remnants of the material will contaminate the ear even more.
How to Clean Dog’s Ears: a Step-by-step Guide
- Heat up dog ear cleaner. It should be approximately as warm as the pet’s body. Its temperature is (38-39 �?�С or 100-102 °F). If you use the cold liquid it, firstly, will be very unpleasant for a pet, and, secondly, can lead to otitis.
- Pull back your dog’s ear and raise it a little upward. Free up access to the auricle by pushing away the hair that grows around the ear with a comb.
- Drip some dog ear cleaner inside.
- Massage the base of your dog’s ear for 30 seconds to distribute the liquid well. While doing this, you should hear squelching sounds.
- Wait for some more time for the cleaner to soften earwax and absorb other dirt.
- Free the dog so that it is able to shake his head. A pet will shake the ear cleaner with earwax and other dirt out of the auricle by himself.
- Then carefully wipe off the leftovers of ear cleaner with the help of cotton rounds.
The whole procedure together with preparations will take you no more than 10 minutes! As you can see, everything is simple, fast, and not scary!
What signs mean that you need to go to the vet
While cleaning ears, you may find some alarming symptoms, for example:
- A dog behaves restlessly, breaks loose, whines. This is not normal. If the dog is healthy, cleaning will not cause discomfort, and the pet will stand still. Restless behavior may indicate inflammation that makes your dog hurt when you touch his ears.
- Redness, swelling, profuse discharge from the ear canal with an unpleasant odor. If you have noticed at least one symptom from the list, go to the vet immediately. These may be the signs of inflammations or ear mites.
Keep your dog’s ears hygienic and make your pet healthy and happy!