Ear cleaning is a great routine to get into and only requires a little preparation.

Firstly, let’s talk about your pet’s ears. Dogs have ear canals that are longer than ours, usually about 5-10cm long. There is also a right angle bend in their canal, meaning things can get in easier than they can get out.

A swimming dog is more likely to have infections because the water that pools at the base of their ear canal can cause the perfect moist, dark and warm environment for bacteria. Therefore, we recommend that you always clean your dog’s ears out after they have a swim and also if your dog is more prone to infections in general.

How to clean your pet’s ears

Tools

• Ear Cleaner of choice
• Cotton wool
• Treats

A few tips…

Quality is important when it comes to ear cleaner. We recommend that you never use oil, vinegar, shampoo or any other substance in your dog’s ear. We have a number of ear cleaners that are safe for use here at Pet Doctors Palm Beach so ask us for the best one suitable for your pet.

Never use a cotton bud, as the shape of your pet’s ear canal will mean that you are only pushing the wax and debris further into the ear and can do more harm than good.

We recommending using a fair amount of ear cleaner as the ear canal is quite deep. While wiping just the opening of the ear will leave the cleaner further in, the idea is that this solution will soften any debris in the canal and your dog will then be able to shake it out by themselves.

Step-By-Step Process

1. Check your dogs ears first. Any redness, itchiness, inflammation, pain or foul odour should be seen by us first as these are signs of an infection and ear cleaning could further irritate the problem and be painful for your pet.
2. Pick a good place where it doesn’t matter if you make some mess.
3. Give your dog a treat and let him/her check out the ear cleaner.
4. Hold the flap of the ear upright and fill the canal with cleaner by holding the bottle vertically.
5. Still holding the flap move your hand down to where the ear joins with the head and massage the base of the ear gently for 20 seconds.
6. Once done you can let go of your dogs ear. We warn you to stand back as they will instinctually shake their head at this point.
7. Use some cotton wool to gently wipe out the folds at the opening of the ear until it looks clean.
8. Treat your dog and repeat steps 1-7 with the other ear.

If you are worried about your dog’s ears please contact for more information on 5576 0400. Dr Peter can recommend the right amount of times to clean your pet’s ears. Typically, we recommend no more than once a week and no less than once a month.

This article features in our July 2018 Newsletter – Click here to SIGN UP for our monthly eNews!