Pet Ear Care

To have a better understanding of your dog or cat's ear problems, you should know that a dog and cat ear is different from that of the human ear. The ears of the dog or cat have two compartments; the first compartment begins at the opening of the ear canal, with the canal traveling down toward the jaws, and makes forty five degrees turn traveling horizontally to the ear drum (second compartment). That makes it very hard to make treatments when it comes to a dog or cat's ears. We offer some selected dog and cat ear cleaners below:

Check your dog's ears on a weekly basis. This is especially important with droop-eared dogs or dogs with excessive hair in their ears. Regular ear checks are also important for dogs that swim or that are bathed frequently. Ear infections can be prevented if you only know how to take care of your dog. If your dog has had ear infections before, the ear canals should be cleaned on a routine basis. Indications of ear problems are sensitivity to touch, heavy wax buildup, debris, inflammation, strong odor, shaking or scratching the ears or tilting the head to the side. These are conditions that require a visit to your veterinarian. Dirty ears or ears filled with a waxy, dark substance may be an indication of ear mites. Use cotton balls (never Q-tips which can impact or push material even further into the ear!) dampened with ear cleaner for dogs. Holding the earflap in one hand, wipe the inner surface of the ear as far down as you can reach. Be gentle but thorough, changing the cotton when it is soiled. Before cleaning extremely dirty ears, make sure that you have ear cleaner and lots of cotton balls close at hand. Either hold the dog still on a grooming table, grip him between your knees, back him up against a corner or hold him on your lap with his head facing away from you. Follow the directions on the bottle and fill the ear with ear cleaner (make sure it is not too cold!). Massage the base of the ear for a few minutes and then swab out the ear with the cotton balls, using clean cotton for each ear. Your dog will want to shake out the excess ear cleaner, so get out of the way before he does, or you will be sprayed! Droop-eared dogs are susceptible to bacterial and fungus infections. Your veterinarian may provide you with a drying agent to use in your dog's ears after swimming. At any rate, after a swim, be sure to pat your dog's ears dry with a towel or tissue. Dogs with heavy, feathered ears, such as Springer and Cocker Spaniels need to have hair clipped from their ears to allow air circulation. Owners can also tape earflaps up over the heads of these dogs for several hours, once or twice a week, to promote good aeration of the ear canal. Non-shedding dogs with excessive hair in and around the ear canal, such as terriers, Schnauzers, Poodles, Lhasa Apsos, Bouviers and Old English Sheepdogs, should also have the hair removed to allow air to circulate.

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