Dogs' ears, like humans', need to be cleaned regularly. Hearing problems and even deafness occur with a lot of earwax and dust deposits. To avoid this, take care of your pet's ears regularly and be extremely cautious.
Why do it
Earwax develops pathogens that cause infection and can damage the hearing system. It can also form dense accumulations called "earwax blockage." This congestion can reduce the ability for dogs to hear.
Ear hygiene violations can cause a bad odor, significant hearing loss, otopyosis, and inflammation of the ear skin and canal. That's why your dog's ears need to be cleaned regularly.
How often
Your dog's hearing system contains healthy and pathogenic microflora. Useful bacteria prevent pathogen development. If the ear canal is cleaned too frequently, there is a risk not only of removing earwax but also destroying useful microflora.
A healthy dog needs their ears to be cleaned no more than once every two weeks, that's twice a month. If they don't get dirty that fast, it's enough to clean them once a month.
How to clean
External Ear
Start from the inside of the external ear. Take a piece of cotton or gauze and soak it in a warm substance that you have chosen for ear cleaning. Squeeze it out so the liquid does not enter the ear canal. After that, gently wipe your dog's external ear in smooth circular motions. Repeat the procedure until it's completely cleaned and has a healthy pink color. Use another gauze or cotton piece to wipe the ear dry.
Ear canal
Use cotton buds. Slightly soak it in a warm ear cleaner for dogs. In gentle circular motions, insert it in the ear canal ever so slightly - 0.4-0.8" (1-2 cm). Repeat the procedure several times until there's no earwax on cotton buds.
Ear cleaners
Local pharmacies offer a wide selection of solutions for cleaning the ears of not only local but foreign manufacturers as well. The most popular brands are below and can be found in almost any pet pharmacy:
- Pet MD (USA)
- ZYMOX (USA)
- Otifree (France);
- Beaphar (Netherlands);
- Virbac (USA)
- EcoEars (USA)
- 8in1 (USA);
Ear cleaning drops are very easy to use. You just put a few drops in your pet's ear. The dosage is indicated on the packaging and you simply massage the dogs' ear with the solution. This is done to make the product more effective in dissolving earwax and dust.
As mentioned above, these solutions have antimicrobial properties but they can also kill useful microflora. Therefore, it should not be used more than once a month and should be used with caution.
Do not use
Do not use pointed sticks, needles, nails, etc. to clean your dog's ears. Sharp objects can damage the ear canal and cause irreparable damage to the dog.
Do not use:
- Alcohol;
- Detergents;
- Acetone;
- Concentrated boric acid solution;
- Iodine;
- Citric acid solution;
- Essential oils.
These substances can cause chemical burns of the inner ear and damage the eardrum.
Hearing is even more important to a dog than to a person. Clean your dog's ears regularly as they get dirty (1-2 a month) or every few months in case they stay clean longer. When using ready-made solutions, always carefully check the instructions first.
Author bio: Roy is a pet enthusiast, a loving father of twins, a program in a custom software company, editor in chief of TheHomeDweller.com greedy reader, and a gardener.
