How to clean your dog’s ears: tips

It is known that the shape of the ears is formed based on the breed of the dog. In some animals they are long and hanging, in others they are cropped. No matter what features the breed sets, the ear canal needs to be processed regularly. Inspection is carried out by the owner 5-6 times a week, cleaning less frequently. To perform the procedure correctly, you must have basic knowledge. Consider the important aspects in order.

General recommendations

1. Carefully inspect the passage for abundant purulent discharge, dirt, redness, swelling, or an unpleasant odor. Inspect your pet’s ears daily to determine if they are infected or spread.
2. If we talk about cleaning the dog’s ears, the procedure is less frequent than examination. It all depends on the size of the auricle, the breed of the pet and the structure of the ear. As a rule, hygiene is performed several times a week as it becomes soiled.
3. The inner part of the animal’s ear is covered with “fluff” - small hairs that prevent dirt and sulfur from entering the ear canal. Sulfur should not be cleaned once again, it performs a protective function. As mentioned earlier, ears are cleaned as they become soiled. Some dog breeds have enough hygiene once every 15 days.
4. In addition to short hairs, a long coat often grows in the auricle. After a certain period of time, it falls out (dies) and penetrates the channel, forming stagnation. For this reason, it is recommended to pluck out long hair with tweezers as it grows. The procedure is not particularly difficult, it is painless. The pet will only be a little tickled.
5. Water can leak into the dog’s ears while swimming. To prevent this, pre-treat the sink with a special powder that prevents the penetration of moisture. If desired, it can be replaced with baby talcum powder without fragrances or with chamomile.

Dog Ear Cleaning Tips

In cases where the dog shakes his head intensely, scratches his ears on different surfaces (carpet, sofa lining, etc.), then something went wrong. Try to touch the ears of the animal, if the pet begins to squeal, try to inspect the passage. There are basic tips on how to conduct hygiene without harm to the pet. Let's consider them in order.

1. If after inspection you did not notice foreign inclusions, that is, the sink is clean, pink and warm, do not resort to any manipulations.
2. When ear wax has a dense structure and has a light brown color (not red), try wiping the dog’s ear with a dry cotton towel.
3. In the summertime, an examination of the ears often reveals the presence of ticks or a spikelet / blade of grass that has fallen. In this case, it is recommended to remove the foreign body with tweezers.
4. Dogs whose ears are contaminated often shake their heads after waking up from sleep. In this case, purchase a cleaning lotion, fill it into the aisle and massage the ear from the outside. Then allow the animal to shake its head to remove sulfur and dust more easily.
5. If the animal often scratches its ears with its paw, walks with its head bowed, rubs against the surface, evaluate the shade of sulfur. If the clusters are reddish brown, the ear mites may have appeared. Do not start treatment yourself; consult your veterinarian.
6. If you find a “sticking” tick in the dog’s auricle, do not try to remove it with oil or petroleum jelly. The parasite cannot be removed, and the animal will be unpleasant. Grab tweezers by the head of the tick, slowly rotate the brush and pull the parasite to the surface. Then disinfect the bite site with peroxide or Chlorhexidine.

Choosing an Ear Cleaner

1. If you need to clean the ears of a large breed dog, use sanitary napkins. As a rule, the fabric is saturated with a disinfecting lotion and copes with pollution of varying complexity. The composition does not irritate the skin, it dissolves dirt and has a bactericidal effect.
2. As mentioned earlier, a special lotion for cleaning your ears is sold at the pet store. The bottle is equipped with a pipette, with its help the composition is poured into the channel. It is imperative to massage the ear from the back. The product penetrates deeper, dissolves the dirt and brings it to the surface. Most importantly, do not forbid the dog to shake its head after the procedure.
3. Many owners of small breeds prefer to clean their ears with cotton swabs dipped in lotion. Such a move will not allow damage to the eardrum, since it is behind the inversion of the ear canal. Most importantly, do not push the dirt deeper, try to hook it on a stick and pull it out.
4. If the dog belongs to long-eared breeds, cleaning is carried out using a special absorbent powder. It prevents the development of bacteria that appear as a result of the debate of sulfur. It is enough to treat the shell with the composition and rub it into the surface of the skin. As a supplement, do not use cleansing lotions.
5. Be responsible for choosing a product responsibly. In most cases, veterinary pharmacy workers try to sell medicinal drops instead of hygienic ones. Although the former are used only to combat complications, and not for preventive purposes. “Bars” refers to such drugs, discard it immediately or read the indications for use in the instructions.
6. The most common cleansing drops / lotions are “Clinney” and “Dewdrop”. They consist of plant extracts (0.3%), such as St. John's wort, sage, chamomile, calendula, etc. The product includes distilled water and does not harm, the price policy is loyal (about 160 rubles).
7. Take a look at the products of the Biofar company, it belongs to the premium segment. Active components such as citrimide have antiseptic properties. The tool is also buried in the ear canal, after which massage is done. The cost starts from 300 rubles, it all depends on the volume of the bottle.

Dog Ear Cleaning Rules

In order for the procedure to be successful and painless, you must follow simple rules. Follow the step-by-step instructions, act carefully.

1. First of all, you need to fix the animal. Do not train the dog by force, you do not need to catch it specifically for cleaning. If possible, combine the procedure with stroking or regular inspection. Fixation is carried out in a supine position, place the pet on its side and bend the ear up. Such manipulations will help to better consider the existing pollution.
2. Then you can start cleaning. Throughout it is necessary to talk with the pet in an affectionate voice, to praise it. If there is no inflammation in the ear canal, but only dirt has accumulated, it must be dissolved and brought to the surface. Use a special lotion, soak cotton swabs or napkins in it, and optionally pour the composition directly into the ear canal.
3. If you have instilled the lotion, massage the dog’s ear from the outside. A similar step will help the composition to penetrate deeper and dissolve sulfur, then remove it from the aisle. In most cases, the procedure is carried out with pleasure for the dog, the pet does not experience pain.
4. When the dirt softens, it needs to be removed from the auricle. Do not stop the animal from shaking its head, it will do you good. The pet will remove the neoplasm on its own, you just have to wipe the shell with ear sticks or cotton pads.
5. If you need to remove sulfur and dirt from the auricle of a large dog, ear sticks will not help.In this case, fold the gauze cloth with a tube, moisten it in lotion and wring it out. Then carefully remove the sulfur, changing the dirty cloth to a clean one.

How to train your dog to clean your ears

Not all dogs are comfortable with ear cleaning. As a rule, such behavior is characteristic of animals that rarely have hygiene. The pet can not perceive the actions as necessary, therefore, in every possible way resists.

1. The ideal option is to teach the puppy to a different list of procedures at the same time. Every day several times “by chance” examine the claws, teeth, ears and hair of the animal. At the same time, talk to the dog affectionately, do not raise your voice. Give a treat after each inspection.
2. Even an adult dog can be accustomed to cleaning. The main thing is to let your pet understand that your actions are not harmful. After each cleaning, treat the dog with a delicious stick or pad filled with filler. Also give the animal the opportunity to leave if the pet breaks loose.
3. If the dog begins to snarl while brushing its ears, avoid eye contact. When a person looks into the eyes of an animal, the latter is even more annoyed. If you do not pay attention to the dog, it will instantly calm down.
4. Do not try to look directly into the ears of the animal. To get started, call him and stroke his neck, back, gently raise his ears for a few seconds. Gradually increase the time. As practice shows, service dogs get used to faster than capricious miniature breeds.

The condition of the dog’s ears must be monitored in order to eliminate possible inflammation in time. The shelves of pet stores are full of ear cleaning products. There are both universal formulations and preparations designed specifically for dogs. The composition helps in a few minutes to disinfect the ear canal and remove sulfur.

Video: how to brush a dog’s ears