How to Clean the Ears of a Dog

Cleaning Your Dog's Ears Promotes Healthy, Disease-Free Ears

Apr 25, 2009

Cleaning a dog's ears is a fairly simple procedure once you know how. Read on for step-by-step instructions which will make cleaning your dog's ears fast and easy.

Cleaning a dog's ears need not be a frightening prospect. Learning how to clean your dog's ears can be a rewarding task and is easily learned.

Basic Structure of the Dog's Ear

The ears of a dog are shaped a bit differently than the human ear. In dogs, the ear consists of several different parts:

In the dog, the ear canal runs down the side of the head (the vertical ear canal) and then turns at a right angle and runs toward the center of the head (the horizontal ear canal). The vertical ear canal starts at the level of the opening of the ear canal just below the pinna. The vertical ear canal continues on to become the horizontal ear canal, which ends at the level of the tympanum.

Why Should a Dog's Ears Need to be Cleaned?

In the event that your dog develops an infection in the ears, cleaning the ears will become a necessary part of treating the ear infection. However, even in dogs with healthy ears, the ears should be cleaned periodically.

As in people, many dogs have ears which secrete a waxy debris. This debris can accumulate within the ear canal and can start to cause irritation for the dog if not removed. Proper ear cleaning should be part of your dog's regular grooming procedure.

Some dogs also have a large amount of hair which accumulates in the ear canal. If the hair is causing no problem and you are able to clean the ears properly with the hair still in the canals, it can be left. However, if the ears are irritated or inflamed, or if you are unable to properly clean your dog's ears with the hair inside of the ear canal, the hair will need to be plucked from the ear canal.

How to Clean a Dog's Ears

Cleaning the ears of a dog will require a cleaning solution which is instilled into the ear canal and then swabbed out again. Ear cleaning solutions can be purchased at any pet store or you can visit your veterinarian for a recommendation.

Start by filling the ear canal to the top with the ear cleaning solution. Then massage the ear cleaning solution into the ear canal by gently massaging the outside of the vertical ear canal.

After you are finished massaging the ear canal, you may release your dog for a moment or two if you prefer. Your dog will likely shake his head to remove a portion of the ear cleaning solution and debris. If you prefer not to allow your dog to shake his head at this stage, it is not necessary to do so.

Once you have filled the vertical ear canal with the ear cleaning solution and massaged the ear canal, you will have mechanically broken up a large part of the wax and debris which resides inside of your dog's ear canal. At this point, you can use a cotton ball together with your pointer finger to enter the ear canal and swab out as much of the wax and debris as you can.

Do Not Use Cotton Swabs or Q-Tips to Clean a Dog's Ears!

As long as you are using only cotton balls and your fingers, you can swab as far down inside of the ear canal as you are able and will not be able to do any damage. However, if you substitute a cotton swab or Q-tip for the cotton ball, it is possible to injure or even rupture your dog's ear drum with the tip of the swab.

Repeat the procedure described above in your dog's ear until you have removed all excess wax and debris from the ear canal and then move on to the second ear.

The copyright of the article How to Clean the Ears of a Dog in Pet Care is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish How to Clean the Ears of a Dog in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.