At least once a month I recommend you clean your dogs ears. Just like us they can get wax build up especially dogs with floppy ears that don’t stand up because no air flow gets to the ear canal.
Depending on your dogs coat he may need to have the hair inside the ear removed by plucking. This is dead hair that should come out very easily. Short haired dogs will not grow hair in their ears. It is more the longer coated breeds that grow the ear hair.
Cleaning them once a month will help prevent infection.
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1. Getting Started
First, fold the ear flap back on the dog and determine if he has ear hair INSIDE the ear canal that needs to be removed.
The most popular dog breeds that do need to get their ears cleaned are Poodles, Schnauzers, Lhasa’s, and Shihtzus, as they are more prone to hair and wax buildup in their ears.
2. Plucking the ear hair:
First determine exactly what hair is growing inside the dogs ear and what hair is on the outside of the ear. The hair on the outside of the dogs ear should not be plucked and will be painful to the dog if you try. I usually pull the outside hair away from the ear canal and hold it out of the way with my fingers.
Now with your other hand grab the ear powder and sprinkle some inside the ear. Do not insert the nozzle into the ear because you can damage the ear canal if anything goes too far into their ears.
Start with a small amount of powder…you can always add more if you need it. The powder is used to help make the ear hair easier to grab because the wax on the hair makes it slippery. I just use my finger to grab the hair and pull it out in small sections. If you do not have nails or your finger don’t fit in your dog’s ear then use the hemostats. Again be very careful on how deep you are putting it into the ear. Do not put them down into the ear canal.
3. Cleaning the ear:
Put some ear cleaner on a cotton ball and wipe inside the dogs ear. Make sure to get in between the little crevices. If you dog has a lot of wax build up I recommend placing a few drop of ear cleaner directly into the ear. Now massage it in by rubbing the base of the ear. I let it sit for a minute or two, then grab a cotton ball and wipe it out.
4. Drying the ear:
I always finish by taking a dry clean cotton ball and wiping the ear one more time.
5. Check. Clean. Repeat.
Make sure to check your dog’s ears often and look for sign of infection. If the buildup has an odor to it, it is more goopy then waxy, and/or the ear is red and warm to the touch, there may be an ear infection going on and I suggest taking your dog to the vet.
We hope you use this article to help keep your dog’s ears clean – hair and wax free!
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