Benson being diagnosed with seasonal allergies has led us down a whole rabbit hole of ear infections and ear cleaning in our household! Grace loving to swim in the lake at every opportunity doesn’t help much either…Ear care is an important part of pet ownership and prevention is KEY when it comes to ear infections. I regularly clean and check my pet’s ears for any sign of something out of the ordinary which can go a long way to keeping ear infections at bay and discovering any problems before they become too serious.
Even with regular cleaning and attention, my dogs just seem prone to ear infections! This makes it even more important to stay on top of their ear health, as ear infections are an extremely unpleasant and painful experience for our pets. Both Grace and Benson are on medication for infection right now, and it just about breaks my heart to see them so uncomfortable.
My dogs are also quite large, and I have learned some tips when it comes time to clean their ears! Most dogs don’t like it, and mine are no exception…early days had me running after them and trying to corner and pin them with the big bottle of ear cleaner in hand! But I have learned some tips since then!
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Step 1 – A Calm Dog
I try to clean my dog’s ears 1-2x a week. Your vet can help you determine an appropriate schedule for your dog. As I mentioned above, it used to be a cacophony of dogs running frantic with me on the chase! It really stressed them out though, and I thought there MUST be a better way to do this! What I do now is take them for a big walk to tire them out and then when we get home and they fall asleep I get ready for it…
Step 2 – Prepare
When they are slumbering I get out the bottle so they don’t see it and go into flight mode! I have two smaller ear droppers and I measure out the dosage of cleaner ahead of time and set it in a spot where I can easily grab it when the opportunity arises! My dogs have learned to recognize the ear cleaning bottle and it stresses them out pretty much immediately, so by having everything ready to go and set aside it becomes more of a sneak attack…And the droppers are small enough that I can hide them in my palm so they don’t see them…And be sure to have cotton balls or tissues on hand as well.
Step 3 – Wait
Typically I now wait until they are very sleepy! And when they are slumbering I will grab the droppers and get down on the floor with them and give them a big head and ear rub so that I am already handling their ears and they don’t freak out.
Step 4 – Lift Ears and Administer Drops
Waiting until they are fully relaxed and letting you handle their ears is when I strike! I rub their head and ears so that they are used to me being around that area already. I palm the droppers and administer their drops with little fuss at this point. They seem to realize that it isn’t that big of a deal and will generally let me do the other side relatively easily.
Step 5 – Massage
This is important when cleaning your dog’s ears or administering medication! A dog’s ear canal is long and narrow, L-shaped. You need to make sure that the drops are getting into the horizontal part of the ear canal, which is where the massage comes in. I massage my dog’s ears for 20-30 seconds, rubbing in front and behind the ears at the base to make sure it really gets in there. This also helps to soften and remove any wax and debris that might be in their ears. It also helps to ensure that any medication has a chance to coat all parts of the ear. Grace in particular LOVES this part! What dog wouldn’t love a good head and ear massage and rub?!? Well, maybe Benson at times…
Step 6 – Shake!!
Now that the medication and cleaner has been able to get into the deeper part of the ear and do it’s work, let your dog give their head a good vigorous shake! This helps to clear the wax and debris from the ears. You may want to get out of the way for this step…
Step 7 – Dry
Using a cotton ball or tissue, gently dry any excess liquid or material that may still be on the dog’s ears. Wipe away from the ear canal to keep any materials from going back inside.
What Not To Do
Cleaning my dog’s ears used to be a bit of a nightmare in our house! And with two dogs, once one got a whiff of what was going on with the other one, they would make themselves scarce! Waiting until your dog is calm helps the whole process go smoother and your dog will soon realize that it doesn’t need to be a stressful experience! Of course, lots of treats during and after help as well…Mine know they are in for the good stuff after their ears are done!
DO NOT use cotton swabs! This can damage or rupture their eardrums and can also push a foreign object or wax buildup further into the ear canal, causing further problems. Instead, use a cotton swab or wipe.
Also, if you suspect that your dog has an ear infection do not clean their ears before their vet appointment! Allow your vet to diagnose, clean (or flush if necessary) and treat your dog’s ears and they will provide you with further instructions on their care for when they return home.
If your dog has hairy ears, consult with your vet on whether hair removal is an option for you BEFORE removing any! It can be a very uncomfortable experience for your pet and may need to be done under sedation so it is important to find out if it should be considered for your pet first.
Most importantly, if you notice anything out of the ordinary when cleaning and checking your dog’s ears (odor, discharge, redness, etc. Find out more on ear infections here) do not wait before consulting with your vet! The last thing you want is for any infection or object moving further into the ear canal as it can result in deafness or facial paralysis.
Materials To Have On Hand
Some of the essentials to have on hand for ear care can be found at Chewy and include:
- Medicated ear cleaner
- Ear Droppers
- Wipes
- Cotton balls
- Tissues
Canadian Options:
Don’t forget to give your dog plenty of treats and praise during ear cleaning! A stressful experience makes it that much more difficult the next time around…
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