How To Clean Dog Ears? 5 Simple Yet Effective Home Remedies

How To Clean Dog Ears?
A dog requires regular cleaning of its ears to avoid ear infections and mites attack. Owners should regularly consult their veterinarian to better their dog’s ear health. To clean their ears effectively at home, you can use coconut oil and warm water.

If you are a pet parent, you probably know that ear cleaning is critical for your dogs. Some canines require more regular ear cleaning than others. It might seem a nasty task, but it’s an essential part of dog grooming. Moreover, regular ear cleaning of dogs saves them from ear infections or illness diseases.

But, do you know the complex structure of the ear canal makes it very hard to clean their ears at home? In this grooming guide, you’re going to learn the proper methods to clean a dog’s ear.

So, let’s quickly dive into the topic without any further ado.

When Does Your Dog Need Ear Cleaning?

Before you make your mind to clean your dog’s ear, examine to make sure your furry friend needs an ear cleaning or not. You must know that over-cleaning of ears can lead to ear infections and irritation in your pets. So, you must understand that a healthy, neat ear appears clean, odorless, and not smells like a yeast.

However, some pups need few ear cleanings, while others, such as those predisposed to ear disorders or canines who spend a lot of time in the water, may require them frequently. For this, we suggest that the ear canals of dogs be kept dry and well aired by using topical astringents in them. 

If you detect a mild smell or watch that your canine is shaking his head more than usual, it is high time for an ear cleaning. Also, if the ears of your canine companion appear red and swollen, or seem to be in pain, it’s advisable to visit your vet. These signs could reveal an ear illness, fleas, ear mites, or some allergies and need medical attention. Clearing an infected ear by yourself without knowing proper methods often results in more harm than good.

Related: How To Know If Your Dog Has Ear Mites?

Why Do My Dog’s Ears Stink?

There are many reasons behind the yeasty or stinky smell coming out of your dog’s ears. This can be due to ear infections caused by mites, bacteria, and parasites. When attacked by foreign bodies, the ears start discharging sticky wax or pus out of them, which produces a stinky odor.

To get rid of stinky ear odor in dogs, it’s essential to clean their ears frequently to free them from any ear infection or illness.

Common Causes of Ear Infection In Dogs

Wondering what induces ear infections and discomforts in your furry companion? If your canine is prone to frequent ear infections, you should clean their ears regularly for deterrence. Here are some common reasons and causes for dog ear problems:

• 50% of canines with allergies develop ear infections, and around 80% of them with food allergies suffer ear troubles
• Moisture and tenderness of the ear duct build a favorable space for bacteria and yeast to grow
• Ear Wax Buildup
• Foreign bodies, such as grass, fur, and wax
• Ear Mites and Parasites attack
• Autoimmune Disorder
• Injury to the ear ducts

Apart from these, allergies from pollen, dusts or foreign bodies can also cause an ear illness in dogs.

Common Symptoms Of Ear Infection In Dogs

To get rid of ear infections in dogs, first, you need to identify the signs and symptoms of this disease. When dogs struggle with ear irritation, they usually shake their head or scrape their ears.

Below are some of the common symptoms of ear problems in dogs:

• Frequent or Unusual Head Shaking
• Scraping or Rubbing at The Ear
• Bowing and Nodding Of Head
• Ear Flickering
• Smelly Ear Or Wax Discharging

The symptoms might seem minor, but they become severe and cause heavy damage to the dog’s ear if untreated. So, it’s more than essential to properly take care of your dog ears to prevent them from a nasty ear infection.

5 Simple Steps To Clean A Dog’s Ear At Home

Before we hop on to the steps to cleaning a dog’s ear, you need to take care of a few things as a precautionary measure. So, below are the 5 things that you need to be aware of before taking charge:

• First, Dog ears are sensitive and soft
• Second, they do not like their ears to be cleaned
• Third, if you don’t clean their ears the right way, it may cause serious harm to their eardrums
• Fourth, cleaning ears with toothpick/earbuds can cause severe damage to their eardrums
• Fifth, never forcefully insert the nozzle of the cleanser bottle straight to their ears

So, with keeping all these things in mind, let’s quickly find out how to clean your dog’s ear in 5 simple steps:

1. Create A Peaceful Environment

By creating a calmer and peaceful environment, you can make them feel relaxed. Start patting gently on their back and offer treats while you touch their ears. This way, they will trust you more and allow you to proceed with their ear cleansing process. If they don’t like your touching their ears, leave them alone and try again after a few minutes.

2. Hold The Ear Flap Up Straight

If you’re using dog ear drops or other cleansing bottles, make sure you hold their ears straight. Gently squeeze the bottle and push the drops into their ear canal. Again, if they do not like it, don’t forcefully insert the bottle nozzle to their ears. Give them some time to calm down, and eventually, they’ll behave correctly.

3. Massage Gently On Their Ears

After putting the drops to their ears, the next step is to massage their ears gently in a circular motion for 50-60 seconds. This will ensure the solution will go straight to their ear duct and reaches all parts of the inner ears. If the solution comes out of their ears, clean that with cotton balls or a towel.

4. Stop Them From Shaking Their Head

As soon as the solution reaches their ear canal, they’ll start shaking off their head rigorously. This won’t help them out as the solution will be thrown out of their ears. So, to prevent this, you have to stop them from shaking their head. You can hold their head gently, and whenever they’re about to shake their head, massage their ears to give them comfort.

5. Clean The Dirt From The Ear Flap

Take a moistened towel or cotton balls and wipe out all the dirt near their ear areas. After all the process, you’ll see the waxy discharge, dirt, and muck coming out of their ears and getting stuck to their ear flaps. Give them treats and plenty of praise for being a nice dog during the whole process and repeat the process every week.

If your dog’s ears are inflamed or swollen, you should visit your vet. Your vet will closely examine their ear and suggest you the proper ear cleaning methods.

Here’s a quick video to understand all the process:

How Frequently Should You Clean Your Dog Ears?

Your vet can aid you on how often dog ears should be clean. Some canines have active, self-regulating ears that do not need much cleaning. However, others need more attention such as canines that have longer fur in and around their ears.

Even yet, cleaning dog ears too often can result in their ears becoming sensitive and even lead to severe ear infections. So, please don’t do it too repeatedly, but try keeping a close look at your dog’s ear health.

5 Home Remedies To Clean Dog Ears

There are so many reasons why a dog’s ears can clog. So coming to simple home remedies, there are several natural ingredients that you can use to clean your furry friend’s ear without any difficulty. So, how to clean dog ears at home naturally?

Here are 5 home remedies to clean your dog’s ears:

1. Salt Water

Saltwater is one of the best dog ear cleaning solutions available at home. It dissolves the dirt amassed inside their ear and makes it effortless to clean. Lukewarm some saltwater, dip cotton balls in the solution, and gently clean your dog ears.

2. Olive Oil

Olive oil is a popular remedy for cleaning ears. It enables line the ear hairs, conserving your ear from water-causing illnesses. Olive oil also helps soften the ear wax and makes it manageable. With its antiseptic properties, it also supports in fighting ear infections in dogs. You can gently warm up and pour the olive oil drops into their ears.

3. Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is one of the most beneficial and natural home remedies to clean your dog’s ears. Coconut is anti-bacterial and has healing properties that can do wonders on inflamed and wounded areas. You can also warm the oil mildly and gently apply it to your dog’s ears.

4. Vinegar and Rubbing Alcohol

Vinegar and rubbing alcohol mixture is an ancient home remedy to clean dog ears. This solution dissolves the ear wax, debris, and impurities in their ears. Also, alcohol works as a drying agent, and the vinegar combats bacteria and fungi, which further aids in curbing ear infections.

5. Warm Water

Warm water also aids in removing impurities from the ears of your dogs. It soothes and calms them from severe ear infections. Make sure to use only sterile and cleaned water into their ears. Use a needle drenched in hot water and spill a few drops into their ears.

Related: How often should you take your dog to the veterinarian?

Common Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Like always, we never leave a single query of our readers. So, here we have listed down some common questions regarding dog ear cleaning procedures. Let’s read on!

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Final Thoughts

It is critical to clean the ears of your dogs when required. Over-cleaning may afflict the ear duct, which can lead to a severe ear infection. However, some of them with clean ears may never need to have their ears cleared. Still, clean their ears if you discover an unusual discharge or an odor when analyzing their ear.

If their ears are pink, swollen, and uncomfortable, discuss it with your vet before cleaning. Your canine may have an ear illness or a ruptured eardrum.

You May Also Like:

• How To Treat Ear Mites Infection In Dogs?
• 7 Ways To Improve Your Dog’s Behavior
• Why Do Dogs Sleeps So Much?

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Disclaimer: This post is completely informational and educational in nature. Its purpose is to enrich one’s knowledge related to dog health issues and diseases. However, in case of any serious emergency or complications, immediately contact a professional, veterinarian, or expert.