Cleaning a dog's ears is a task that owners unnecessarily leave up to their groomer or vet. Its an extremely easy process that should be done often. Doing it yourself makes for a healthier pet and a thicker wallet. What equipment is required? First, gather your supplies. You will need an ear cleaning solution and a handful of cotton balls (DO NOT USE Q-TIPS!). You can find your standard cotton balls at your local pharmacy. I recommend using a basic ear solutions for routine cleaning and odor control around the ear canal. If your dog experiences pain or redness while treating the ears, please consult your veternarian. How do I clean my dog's ears? Next, get your dog into position. If you have a small dog, try swaddling your dog in a towel or blanket. This will insure that both you and your dog do not get hurt. If you have a larger dog, get your dog to lie down between your legs with it's head towards you. Place one arm around the head and gently hold it towards your body. Your grip should allow your dog some movement while preventing the dog from breaking free. Start with the discharge on the surface of the ear. Squirt some cleaning solution onto a cotton ball. Flip your dog's ear over and gently wash the discharge from your dog's ear. Discard the used cotton ball. Gently pull up on your dog's ear (enough to straighten the ear canal) and fill the ear about half way with the cleaning solution. This will allow the solution to travel down the ear canal and attack the source of the discharge. Gently massage the base on the dog's ears. Unless the ear is infected, the dog will probably enjoy this part of the cleaning. If you dog attempts to move around the ear may be infected or you may be massaging the ear too hard. Remember, it doesn't take that much effort to free the discharge so be very gentle. Discomfort make be a sign of a problem and may require a visit to the verternarian. If your dog shakes it's head after the massage, don't worry. This is ok. Next take you cotton ball to remove the fluid and discharge that comes out of the ear. Do not go digging around for the discharge. Cramming a cotton ball down a dog's ear can damage the ear canal tissue or rupture the dog's ear drum. NEVER USE A Q-TIP TO REMOVE DISCHARGE UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN PROPERLY INSTRUCTED. If you can still see discharge, start the process over again. If your dog's ears are dirty it may take 2 or 3 iterations to get them clean. If your dog's ears are still dirty after 2 or 3 cleanings, you may want to consider getting medicated ear drops that will help break up the discharge between cleanings. If the discharge is smelly, you dog might have an ear infection and should be taken to the vet for medication. Once you are done, make sure that you praise your dog for being good and give them a special treat. |