A dog’s ear if neglected can easily get infected. An ear canal with wax build up or moisture serves as a breeding ground for microorganisms such as ear mites. That’s why proper care is important to be added into your doggie routine. These tend to affect your pet’s health negatively. It is therefore very important to learn how to clean your dog’s ear and do it safely. We delve into this and also discuss natural and home remedies to clean dog ears such as vinegar, coconut oil, and hydrogen peroxide.

How to Clean your Dog’s Ears

Dog ears are very sensitive and require a regular cleaning schedule to prevent infections and attack by parasites. There are some dogs that will not want their ears touched and this could make the task hard. Doing the process wrong can cause damage to your pet’s ears. It is therefore important to learn how to clean your dog’s ear so that they can stay free of infections and also not cause any harm to the dog while on it.

What to Use to Clean Dogs Ears

Any dog grooming process requires adequate preparation is important. it will ensure that the procedure is carried out seamlessly.

Below is a list of what to use for efficient dog ear cleaning and things you need to do prior to the onset of the process.

1. You will need to have your dog settled and make him associate cleaning the ears with something that’s positive. This will help prevent your pup from being squirmy and thus make the cleaning process easy.
2. Get the products ready. This depends on what supplies you pick which could be commercial or homemade. When you have all things ready, it helps keep off any distraction that may result when you realize something essential is missing. Keep treats, cotton balls or ear wipes, hand gloves and ear cleaner close by. If you have no gloves you can wash your hands properly before doing the cleaning. Some gauze to wrap around your finger can also replace the cotton balls.
3. While preparing to get the dog ears clean, it is important to bear in mind that all rules have to be followed. Always start cleaning from the outside and work yourself in. you should know when to stop so as not to harm the dog. Where the ears seem too dirty and no amount of cleaning seems to clear it up, schedule some ear grooming by a professional.

How to Clean Dog Ears

Once you have prepared to undertake the process, the procedure for cleaning is almost the same irrespective of whether you use a homemade cleaning solution or a commercial product. In the example below, we will use a rubbing alcohol and vinegar mixture to represent cleaning solutions. Here is the procedure:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine equal portions of vinegar and rubbing alcohol at room temperature. This ear wash is not to be drained into the ear canal but is safe to use on the outer part of it.
2. Dip some cotton wool or dog ear wipes into this mixture and squeeze out any excess liquid to leave it wet but not dripping.
3. In case you are using gauze, wrap it around your finger and dip it into the wash and wring out excess liquid.
4. Swab inside the dog’s ear flap and get rid of all the dirt present. The process may take more than one change of cotton balls or gauze.
5. Carry out the procedure very gently so as to ensure that you are not hurting the dog and to ensure that the dog tolerates the process. Avoid breaking the skin as this mixture causes stinging.

Dog Ear Irrigation and Syringing to Clear Wax Buildup

At times, your pet’s ears may be too much packed with wax that plain cleaning does not help. When this is the case, it is important to have all the wax out to avoid infections. In most cases, irrigation is done under the recommendation of a veterinarian.

1. Have your ear cleaner and add a reasonable amount into a bottle.
2. Squeeze out the cleaning solution out of the bottle so that the canal gets drenched with the solution.
3. Massage the base of the ear by rubbing the area gently for about a minute.
4. Using a cotton ball or gauze, wipe off the gunk that gets out of the ear. This should help you get rid of most of the gunk dislodged by the process. Start by positioning the tip of your ear cleaner bottle in the opening to the inside of the canal.

In most cases, a dog will also try to clear up its ears after cleaning. This it does by naturally shaking its head. By so doing, it allows for excess fluid in the ears to be drained as well as helps get debris out of the ears.

After the dog has done this, you should give the dog a final wipe and follow up the cleaning with a weekly inspection. From this, you can determine the regular intervals for the cleaning process. This will help in preventing infections which are common with an accumulation of dirt in dogs’ ears especially in dogs with droopy ears.

Natural and Home Remedies to Clean Dog Ears

While the process on how to clean your dog’s ears may not vary too much, there is a wide variety of products you can use. While commercial products may seem easy to use since they are ready, home remedies to clean dog ears make use of readily available products. Below we discuss some

Vinegar, Alcohol and Boric Acid Homemade Dog Ear Cleanser

Vinegar, boric acid and alcohol can be combined for use as a dog ear cleaner. Vinegar helps in regulating the pH of the ear to discourage the growth of micro-organisms and also helps to clean ears that smell. The presence of alcohol makes this solution for cleaning your pet after swimming. Simply follow the instructions given above while using it. The recipe for this is as discussed below:

1. Add two parts of water, one part of white vinegar and one part of rubbing alcohol in a plastic bottle.
2. To this mixture, add some rubbing alcohol drops and mix well.

In case your dog is sensitive and the alcohol may be too strong for it, you can use plain water and vinegar.

Almond Oil, coconut oil and Olive oil to Clean Dog Ears

Almond oil is a great remedy for dog ears with a build-up of wax. This should be used warm as no dog loves cold things in their ears. While heating the oil, take care not to make it too hot.

1. In a glass jar, pour a small amount of almond oil.
2. Immerse this in a bowl containing hot water and allow it sit for five minutes or until the oil is warm but not hot.
3. Lift the tip of the flap upwards to help straighten the ear canal.
4. Drain into the canal half a teaspoon of the oil using a dropper.
5. Leave the oil to run down for five seconds before massaging the ear gently. a squishy sound should be an indication that you are doing it right.
6. Using some cotton wool get rid of any excess oils.

Hydrogen Peroxide for Dog Ear Cleaning

Where a dog is suffering an active ear infection, the use of hydrogen peroxide homemade ear wash is safe especially if it is mild.

1. Mix one part of three percent hydrogen peroxide with one part of water.
2. Flush the dog’s ear with this solution using a bulb syringe.
3. This treatment should help to dislodge any wax that may have thickened around the ear.

Witch Hazel Dog Ear Cleaner Recipe

This is great for ear mites as well as infections. In case the infection remains persistent, visit your vet to have him checked. Witch hazel has the advantage of being a natural dog ear cleanser which can evaporate fast. This ensures that the risk of leaving moisture trapped in the ears is eliminated. There are different ways through which to make use of this remedy:

1. Lift the dog’s ear flaps and use a dropper to put some witch hazel into the ear canal. Use your hand to massage the base of the ear and to also help in loosening the debris.
2. Using a cotton ball, wipe off any loosened debris you can see from the dog’s ear.
3. Get a clean cotton ball and dip it into a witch hazel solution and use it to rub the entire flap. Starting from the base upwards to the tip would be great especially for dogs with erect ears.

Dog ears are very sensitive and can easily catch infections. Thorough proper dog ear cleaning is therefore important to prevent your dog from this.

Hold the ear flap up until the skin is completely dry. Witch hazel evaporates quickly and is a natural cleanser, removing oil and grease from the ear without the risk of leaving moisture in the ear canal.

While cleaning up, never neglect any signs of dog ear infection, such as discharge. Also, ensure that you dry up your pet’s ears after swimming and other forms of water play. Any ears that smell should also be investigated further.