Ear Cleaning

[Dobi-Wan Kenobi]

I was looking into my dogs ears the other day and it seems they are a little dirty from being outside playing and what not. I was wondering what is the best way to clean them and how often? Is there a solution that I can make at home? I have a doberman cross with natural ears.

Thanks

[skunkstripe]

If it is just the "flap" part of it, I take a washcloth and some warm water and rub a little, that's it. You can use your finger throught the washcloth to get at the deeper parts. Don't use a q-tip anywhere you can't see the end of it.

There is a solution you can buy at the vet's but that is usually if the dog has a mild infection. You should be able to tell-if there is a lot of dark brown-red wax that smells musty then it is a serious infection and you may need to visit the vet.

[Dobi-Wan Kenobi]

ok i figured i could just wipe them out with a cloth or cotton ball or something, just thought i would ask. It is just a little build up, dirt most likely from being outside and playing with her buddy.

[LesterJ]

Gator has a chronic ear condition, so we always have Epi-Otic on hand. You could use any commercial dog ear cleaner, but we find Epi-Otic to work the best. I like to use those flat cotton pads instead of cotton balls, as they are less messy and don't shred when you use them. I wet the pad first and then clean the ear thoroughly. If you squirt cleaner in, the dog will shake 99% out immediately. :) (That would be Tilly's reaction, Gator doesn't mind.)

You can use this type of cleaner once a week if necessary, or less often if that works for you.

[Mom to Lil Buddy]

My vet recommended, I part vinegar to 4 parts water, put in syringe and drip into ear. I follow this with rubbing at the base of the ear, and then allowing dog to shake. Like Leslie, I use the flat cotton pads, soaked with same solution to wipe the inside of the ear. I also pull the long hair from the ear canal. The following day I use ear powder to be sure ear is dry.

I clean Max's ears about 3 times a week.

[lassie]

I use ear wipes from the pet shop

[Jake2006]

I use cleaning ear drops for Jake - when he's been swimming he has a build up of wax - but most days I wipe his ears out too with a soft wipe.

Don't ever ever use cotton buds - they are very dangerous - you can't tell a pet to stay still or it could hurt itself.

[Jake2006]

Hey look at the size of Jake's ears - he's like Dumbo LOL no wonder he gets Wax with those flaps

[lassie]

thats cruel Jake lol xxxxx

[MxdBreedlvr]

Always try to put some sort of solution in the dogs ears first before cleaning, it softens all wax and dirt and makes it less painful for them, and easier to clean out the ears.
If your dog won't stand for having something dripped into his ears, do what I do. I saturate one of those cotton pads everyone mentions (much better for cleaning a dogs ears, way easier to handle than a cotton ball or q-tip) and gently put the end into Tucker's ear(kind of at the side of the ear but as close to the base as I can get it then squeeze the pad so that the extra liquid flows into his ear and he doesn't know it until its too late. Let the dog shake out the excess then I wait a minute or two then use the pad in his ear. There's still enough solution left on the pad that it doesn't matter if he shook out alot of it, I just want a bit in there to soften things up.
I try to do his ears once a week, more when its been raining because when we're in the park playing catch the mud flies everywhere!

Someone mentioned pulling out the longer ear hairs, but aren't they there to protect dust and such from getting inside? Just curious.

Wendy

[x0veganx0]

My little boy dislikes two things: baths and having his ears cleaned. I talk to him the entire time while I'm doing it and I give him little treats to distract him. I use antibacterial ear wipes for dogs and it seems to do the trick.

[golden&hovawart]

I was told by the vet,to mix:
50% paroxide or white alcool with 50% white vinagar
and use it whenever my dogs swam.I will also use this mixture,once a week,to clean the ears thoroughly with cottons.
Since using this,i haven't had an ear in fection,in 2 yrs, even though my golden likes putting her head in the water.

[Mom to Lil Buddy]

the ear hair probably does keep dirt out, but Max's hair is so thick and wads up if it get wax on it, I feel it is better to pull. When I first got him, his ears hadn't been cleaned and the hair and wax was really blocking the ear canal, and he always wanted the base of his ears rubbed and was always rubbing his ears on the carpet. Since I've gotten the hair out and used the drops and powder he doesn't rub on the carpet any more.

[ritabooker]

ChlorhexiDerm is a rinse that has worked well for us.

And MxdBreedLvr's method of application is the easiest way to get it done.