Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
CLEANING YOUR DOG'S EARS Many dogs enjoy having their ears rubbed and played with so keeping check on how clean your dog’s ears are shouldn’t be too difficult. Get your dog used to having his ears touched, massaged and looked into at an early an age as possible. It is important that you keep regular check on the inside of the ear especially as infection and mite or bacteria problems can occur. Some breeds such as the Cocker Spaniels, Labradors and dogs with either long floppy ears or designer dogs with a lot of ear fluff are more susceptible to ear infections and wax build up. By cleaning your dog’s ears on a regular basis will mean you will be aware of any ear infections or problems before they get too serious. The sign that your dog’s ears are clean and healthy is apparent by the mild pink or skin toned colour of the inside ear with no apparent inflammation. There may be a little reddish colour wax in the grooves and which will easily wipe out with some cleaning solution on a cotton ball. You can generally tell if there is a problem in your dog's ears. You will notice a lot of wax build-up and there will be a nasty smell. If this is the case for your dog it is recommended that you take him/her to the vet for checking. The vet will be able to advise what is causing the problem. How To Clean My Dog’s Ears You will need to tilt your dog’s head to the side a little. Hold the earflap upwards in order to straighten the ear canal. If you are using a solution follow the instructions on how much to squirt in the ear. Massage the base of the ear with your thumb and forefinger to enable the solution to go deeper into the ear. The dog will probably want to shake his head at this point. Allow him to shake and then wipe the ear out with a dry cotton ball or pad. Be careful not to go too deeply – the dog will generally let you know if you are hurting. You might need to have some cotton buds or q-tips on hand to get in the grooves, just don’t poke them in too far. Use them only in the outer ear canal area and the grooves that you can see. Also, make sure you don’t leave any remnants of wool in the ear. You may need to tie the ears back for a few minutes to allow them to dry out. Alternatively, you can pour the solution onto the cotton ball or pad until it is wet through and then wipe inside the ear. You may need to repeat a couple of times to get all the dirt out. Plucking Dog’s Ear Hair Ear hair can be a problem especially in the small designer dogs. Plucking the ears regularly to keep the hair blocking the canal to a minimum can help prevent ear infections and moisture build-up. Fly Bitten Ears Some breeds of dogs are susceptible to having their ears bitten on the tips by flies and other insects. This causes the ear to bleed and you will notice a hard crusty surface on the edge of the outer ear. The best remedy for this is to get an antiseptic and repellent solution specifically designed to keep flies and biting insects away and put this on the dog according to the instructions. Ilium  is an effective repellant ointment for use against flies and other biting insects.Or if you prefer a more natural approach why not try which not only protects against biting insects but also against fleas. Water Or Moisture In The Ears  There may be times when you take your dog swimming, giving him/her a bath or just through living in a humid climate the dog gets moisture in the ear. Wipe the ear out with a clean cloth or cotton ball, being careful not to poke to far down and leave any bits in the canal. If the ears are long and floppy a good idea is to tie them back with a band of some sort for a while so the air can get in there. If the ear does not become dry then the moisture can cause infection to set in. You can find out more information by visiting our following pages: Ear Cleaning Supplies Plucking Dog's Ear Hair Health – Dog Ear Infections Articles - Some Ideas For Treating Dog Ear Infections The Natural Way |
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