If you’ve ever had to deal with an ear infection, then you have an idea of how painful it can get. Aside from the sharp, dull or burning pain, the discomfort can easily affect quality of life, resulting in irritability, trouble sleeping and/or eating. Same as us, dogs can experience ear infections for a variety of reasons.

What Can Cause an Ear Infection in Dogs?

Usually, it’s the outer ear canal that gets infected as it’s most exposed to the outside world. Causes can range from bacteria, yeast, skin allergies (pollen, dust), and ear mites to growths, ear wax buildup, and trapped moisture from either swimming or bathing. 

Some breeds, like Cocker Spaniels, are more prone to ear infections than others, and it’s all to do with the longer ears which creates the perfect moist environment for bacteria to breed. When left untreated, infections can turn into a chronic problem with ongoing pain, odour, or worse, hear loss. 

This points out the importance of including ear checkups and cleaning on the list of necessary dog care. The accent is on stocking up the essential dog ear care products along with the other crucial supplies, like grooming tools, flea treatments, toys, bowls, and of course proper food and vitamins.

Cleaning should be done about every one to two weeks or once a month (frequency depends on breed, lifestyle, and issues). Since Uno, our Golden Retriever, has long hairs and a tendency to run into all kinds of debris, we check his ears more often but it’s basically just routine maintenance. If your dog goes swimming regularly, you bathe him or her regularly, you see wax buildup, or some odour you haven’t noticed before, then checkup and maintenance are mandatory. 

What Supplies Are Needed to Clean Dog Ears?

While you may be tempted to use whatever you have at home, like your own Q tips or chemicals like hydrogen peroxide, it’s important to get the specialised dog ear care products to ensure the cleaning goes well, without any unwanted issues. You’re going to need: 

• Dog ear wipes;
• Cotton balls or gauze;
• Specialised dog ear cleaning solution with the right pH balanced gentle formula; 
• Specialised dog ear cleaning powder.

The ear wipes and cotton balls are good for general cleaning of the outer ear to remove dust and dirt, and also to pick up the wax and debris afterwards once you’ve applied the cleaning solution for deep cleaning. The cleaning solution can be liquid and gel, with formulas that are effective in both cleaning and treating bacteria and microbes, or specific for treatment and prevention of infections like otitis. 

Be sure to keep this in mind when shopping, so you get the suitable option for cleaning or treating infections. The cleaning powder is especially great when there’s moisture in the ears after a bath or swim as it can dry it and clear out the dirt at the same time. Once you have each dog ear care product among your supplies, you can prepare for the cleaning. 

Dog Ear Cleaning Tips

Not every dog is the same, and some may be more cooperative than others. This is why you need to start off by equipping yourself with a lot of patience, and be sure to have someone else give you a helping hand when needed to secure the dog. Another must is to have their favourite treats or toys around to create positive reinforcement around the ear cleaning chore, and distract them when needed. Additionally, it’s essential to keep in mind: 

• If the dog doesn’t get used to the cleaning that soon, give them the needed time to get used to just seeing the products at first. 
• For a few days, have the products around within eyesight to let them accustom to them. You can use the treats and toys as a distraction. 
• When you have someone else helping out with petting and securing the dog, and once you’re sure the dog is calm, open the ear flap and inspect for any signs of redness, odour, or discharge. 
• If there are any of these, you’re going to have to consult the vet first, and then use the adequate product with the suitable formula with medication. 
• If there aren’t any of these signs, but there is wax buildup, use the specialised scissors to remove some of the long hair (if there is) for easy application of the cleaning solutions. 
• Lift the ear flap and apply the solution in the recommended amount as indicated on the product and gently massage the area between the ear and the head until you hear a squelching sound that indicates the solution reached the canals. 
• If the dog is uncomfortable, pet it, give it some treats to reassure it everything is okay. 
• Once the time is up, let the dog shake the head if that’s what they want, and then finish up with gently cleaning the ear flap and opening with the wipes or cotton balls to remove the wax and dirt.