Anyone who thinks that cleaning their dog’s ears is no big deal has probably never tried it. My advice to you is this: never underestimate the power of a Labrador determined to live with dirty ears.
Ear cleaning, especially for dogs that like to swim, those with very heavy ear flaps, and those prone to ear infections as a result of allergies, is an important part of their healthcare. Many dogs don’t have issues with their ears, but those that do can suffer serious consequences if heavy debris is allowed to continue to build up in the ear canal unchecked. If infection develops, the eardrum can weaken and rupture, causing pain, hearing loss, and potentially serious middle ear complications.
Read on for step by step instructions that will make you an ear-cleaning pro in no time.
Step 1: Change your clothes
No, seriously. Whatever you’re wearing is likely too nice to wear while you’re cleaning your dog’s ears. I’ve seen them splatter walls with stinky brown debris from 5 yards away.
So go ahead. Change. We’ll wait for you.
Step 2: Assemble your tools
If your vet has prescribed an ear cleanser, use it. These products are formulated to dry the moisture in the ear canal (creating an environment that’s less hospitable to infection) and clean without irritating. If you don’t have something like this, ask your vet for a recommendation. I like products from Epi-Otic, but there are many good ones on the market. For routine maintenance cleaning (not for ears that are currently infected) a solution of 1 part white vinegar mixed with 9 parts water works fine.
You will also need some cotton balls to wipe away the stuff that comes out of the ear when you’re cleaning.
To Q-tip or not to Q-tip? Most of the time you can safely use regular Q-tips in a dog’s ear. They have ear canals that are much longer than ours, and the ear drum is pretty far away – farther than you can reach with a regular Q-tip most of the time, unless you’re jamming in in there (don’t do that, please). Plus, their canals don’t go straight in like ours – they’re L-shaped, so there’s very little chance of you contacting the ear drum with a Q-tip.
And finally, get a helper. This is not a one-person job, and you’re going to need some help holding your dog while you do this.
Step 3: Fill the ear canal with the cleaning solution
Once you and your helper have your dog sufficiently corralled (backing him into a corner works well), tilt his head to one side and fill the canal of the “up” ear with the cleaning solution.
He’s going to think this feels weird, so he’s going to resist, but hold his head steady and put enough solution into the ear canal so that you can see it welling up.
Step 4: Close the ear flap and “squish”
The medical term for the floppy part of the ear is “pinna” (note to self for future Scrabble battles). Once you’ve got the canal full of solution, quickly close the pinna over the canal and massage. Think about the anatomy while you do this – the canal travels first inwards, then deviates down, so massage the head under the ear as well. This will help to break up any debris that’s deep in the canal.
Most of the time dogs don’t mind this step, as it feels soothing, but with a severe infection it can be painful. Ask your veterinarian about pain relievers or anti-inflammatories to make your dog more comfortable if he seems painful while you massage.
Step 5: Run for your life
After you’ve massaged for 30-60 seconds, you’re going to want to get the heck out of Dodge, because once you let go of your dog’s ear his natural response is going to be to violently shake his head, in order to get the solution out of his ear canal.
This is great, because along with the solution comes (hopefully) most of the debris that was lodged down in the canal. So stand back and let him shake, and once he’s done, go back in.
Step 6: Wipe away the debris
Use the cotton balls and Q-tips to clear the debris away that you can see on the inside of the pinna (and possibly your walls). It may take quite a bit of cotton, depending on how dirty the ear canal was.
Step 7: Repeat on the other side
Unless your dog only has one ear, your job is only half done at this point. So get back in there, and get the other ear clean.