Cleaning Your Dog’s Ears- How Much Is Too Much?

When it comes to dog grooming, one thing we all have probably wondered is how much is too much. We are almost tempted to give them a good bath daily to get rid of their smell- but excess showers could very well lead to dry and flaky skin and other skin infections. The same goes for dog’s ears as well. Here, we are going to tell you how often you should really clean your dog’s ears.

When to clean your dog’s ears

It is vital to take some time off your busy schedule every week to check your dog’s ears for hints of pain, infection, irritation and parasites. These ear assessments carried at home don’t take long, and will aid you in recognizing slight issues before they turn out to be bigger, more painful problems. Just look in both the ears for signs of discharge, redness, grime, or waxy buildup. If you observe any of the mentioned signs, your dog probably has an ear infection and ought to be seen by a veterinarian:

1. Stinking odor
2. Clear signs that it is in pain when you touch its ears
3. Discharge
4. Some sort of swelling or tenderness.

You should never, and we repeat it, never try to clean your dog’s ear by yourself if it’s infected. Doing it yourself might aggravate the situation. It is the work of a specialized person to look into things.  Ear infections which are not handled with proper care can turn to permanent harm and also cause hearing loss. However, if your dog does not seem to be having an ear infection, it is not dangerous to clean its ears.

Dog breeds which generally have long ears, like the hounds and spaniels, or dogs which do swim a lot, will require getting their ears cleaned at least once a week. Or else, as long as your pooch’s ears appear to be healthy, you must only have to clean them once a month. Inquire with your veterinarian for detailed instructions and what’s preeminent for your dog.

How to clean your dog’s ears

When it comes to cleaning the ears of your dog, you should be primarily focused at the outer ear canal. Ear wax and fragments can with no trouble build up in the edges of the outer canal. If irritation is caused, either from the allergies or the buildup, the canal can turn to be infected. When there is short of sufficient air flow to the canal, it can accelerate an ear infection. This is why most of the dogs you see with long, droopy ears have more chances of ear infections. Nevertheless, some dogs as well have too much quantity of glands in their ear canals and generate too many secretions.

Let’s take a step by step approach to clean your dog’s ears:

• Dogs do not have any interest in getting their ears cleaned. You will need to have all your supplies near you so that you can dedicate your complete concentration to the dog and not get diverted looking for the missing cotton balls. Your vet’s office can supply you with a secure ear cleaner, and you will need more than a few cotton balls close at hand. Your hands should not be dirty or use gloves to be safe.

       You require:

1. Ear cleansing solution: You should actually buy a premium quality ear cleaner suggested by veterinarians. You might make a homemade ear cleaner as well (for dogs not having any ear issues) by adding one part of table vinegar with two parts of water. Stay away from ear cleaners which comprise alcohol or hydrogen peroxide because these can create annoyance.

1. Cotton balls and cotton pads.
2. A towel or two
3. Treats for your dogs as a reward

• Give your dog a treat at the beginning of the ear cleaning session and make him sit down.
• Ear cleaning can turn to be a chaotic work, hence, find a place somewhere in the house which is easy to clean and evade wearing your finest Prada for an ear clean.
• If your dog does not lay steady, try laying it on its side. Go over to its neck and tightly clutch the elbow of the leg which is nearest to the table. At all times clutch the leg which is close to the elbow, and not close to the toes. You should also keep your elbow on its neck to stop it from picking up its head.

• Place a liberal amount of cleaner in both the ears and rub the bottom of the ears for at least thirty seconds. While you are Massaging the ear, you should try to mix the ear cleanser around inside the ear canal. You are supposed to get a big squelchy noise if you are doing it properly. When you are done massaging the ear for 30 seconds, take a step back and let go of the ear.
• Let your dog shake his head vigorously. Clean the noticeable portion of the inner ears with a cotton ball or pad to get rid of any surplus cleaner. Don’t ever use a Q-tip inside your dog’s ear; as it can easily damage his ear drum.

• Provide your dog a treat and go over the same with the other ear.

Conclusion:

While cleaning the ears of your dog, you should always use a significant amount of ear cleaner. If the cotton balls or cotton pads that you are using gets really dirty, you may need to think about getting an appointment with your dog’s vet to be certain that everything is fine, and your dog is not suffering in any way.

Dogs are lovable creatures, and more often than not, they cannot express that they are uncomfortable or in pain. By taking few steps into consideration, we can ensure better quality of life for our dogs because we owe it to them.

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