Everything you need to know about cleaning the ears of dogs

Everything you need to know about cleaning the ears of dogs

Responsibility for the hygiene procedures of Pets lies entirely on the shoulders of the owners. But not everyone knows how to conduct them properly and with what regularity. This article will tell you how to properly clean your dog’s ears at home.

Read an important article on the topic: “what to do if a dog’s ears hurt: symptoms and treatment of otitis media”.

Time to clean your ears, how to understand that it is time

to inspect the Inner part of the pet’s ear regularly-2-3 times a week, this rule is especially important for lop-eared breeds. In a normal state, the auricle has a pale pink color (in animals of black color it may be darker).

A natural thin film of skin fat and earwax is acceptable, which has a grayish-yellowish tint – in this state of the ear, cleaning can be postponed for several days. You can gently touch a child’s cotton swab to the entrance to the dog’s ear canal, if the dirt on the cotton is barely discernible – there is no point in carrying out the procedure right now.

But if the ear is clearly visible dirt, the ear canal is also very dirty-you must immediately start cleaning. To avoid problems with the dog’s hearing.

How often can I clean my dog’s ears

There is no clear answer to the question of how often you need to clean the dog’s ears, it all depends on the conditions of detention, breed. Animals that live in typical buildings, walk exclusively in clean parks or paved paths need the procedure much less often than their working counterparts.

The ears of dogs of lop-eared species, poorly ventilated, have the need to clean the auricles more often than Pets with standing senses. Inspection of the ears should be weekly for all breeds, but cleaning is approximate:

The data is approximate and is provided for familiarization with the norm. Hygiene procedures vary depending on the age and conditions of detention:

Sulfur is released more slowly in young Pets than in older ones.
Animals that are often outdoors need to be cleaned more often than apartment animals.

Dog’s ear

Diagram: structure of the dog’s ear
Deviation from the norm, how to recognize ear diseases

Short information about ear diseases in dogs that should alert the alert owner:

A sharp smell from the ear canal-most often indicates otitis media.
The presence of flakes and scabs of a dark brown color, very rapid contamination of the ear – a sign of otodektoza.
Redness, rash, itching-reason to assume allergies or even eczema.

Any of these symptoms is a direct indication to take the animal to the doctor. Before visiting the veterinarian, it is better to postpone ear cleaning so that the specialist can see the full picture of the disease.

We teach the dog to the procedure

It is best to teach all hygienic manipulations from the puppy age. Young animals adapt to any type of procedure faster, and ear cleaning is no exception.

Training a pet to clean its ears only takes place through positive reinforcement – it is unacceptable that the dog is intimidated or feels pain.

The first steps to training:

Call the puppy, Pat on the head, massage the ears, treat a treat, let go.
At the next call, hold your hands a little longer on the pet’s ear, look inside, praise and let go for a walk.

Each subsequent training session adds time to the examination of the ear, gradually you can try to wipe the visible part of the ear with a bandage, without touching the ear canal. In this way, you can train not only puppies,but also dogs that are fully formed, only it will take more time than the young.

it is Important to let the dog know that cleaning the ears is not scary, and after the manipulations, a treat is sure to follow.

Also, you can not keep a dog by force – this causes alarm, in this case, no reward will help to instill a calm attitude to the event.

How to properly clean your dog’s ears

To ensure proper and safe cleaning of the ears, you need to purchase the appropriate equipment:

  1. a Bandage, cotton pads or balls;
  2. Children’s ear cotton swabs;
  3. Ear cleaning liquid;
  4. Veterinary clip (hemostatic).

The main options for cleaning the ears at home:

Wrap a bandage around your finger, soak it in ear cleaning liquid, and wipe the inside of your ear and ear canal as far as possible. Or drop (the number of drops according to the instructions for the product, based on the weight of the animal) hygiene lotion in the ear, massage and let the dog shake out the liquid that got into the ear canal, wipe the ear with a napkin or bandage. When processing the ear canal with your finger, you need to be extremely careful not to hurt your pet.
Wet a cotton ball or disk in ear cleaning liquid, squeeze out the excess, put it in the ear and massage a little. Remove the dirty cotton pad and wipe it dry.

Such manipulations dogs, as a rule, do not resist, but the cleansing is not deep enough.

how and how to clean your dog’s ears

Cleaning the ear canal, how to do it correctly:

Dip a baby’s cotton swab in a hygienic lotion, wring out the excess liquid with your hands. Very carefully, so as not to injure the pet, insert the wand into the ear canal (almost perpendicular to the horizon), turn it around its axis and also carefully get it out. Repeat the manipulation, changing the wand, until the cotton wool is almost clean (sterile cleanliness in the ear is not required).
Moisten a piece of cotton or bandage in the liquid to clean the ears, squeeze in a veterinary hemostatic, squeeze. Insert the clip into the ear canal, rotate it around its axis, and carefully remove it. Change the bandage and repeat until it is clean.

Deep cleaning of the dog’s ears at home is quite possible, even for small breeds, especially if there is a veterinary clip.

Some owners are afraid to clean the ear canal themselves, as there is an opinion that you can damage the eardrum – this is a myth. The dog’s auditory canal has the shape of the letter “L”, it is impossible to damage it with an even cotton swab.
Safety rules: what you can and can’t do

Memo-how to clean your dog’s ears

Basic safety rules for cleaning the dog’s ears:

Breeds with a very narrow ear canal (sharpey) are not recommended to carry out deep cleaning on their own, it is better to contact a professional.
You can not use shampoos, soap and other household chemicals, as well as vinegar or alcohol-containing substances for the procedure.
If the animal whines, shakes its head or constantly scratches its ears, most likely it’s not because of the sulfur plug – you need to show the dog to the veterinarian.
Aggressive dogs during manipulation should wear a muzzle or tie the muzzle with a piece of bandage, tourniquet.
Before you start cleaning the ear canals, you need to train your dog to respond calmly to the surface cleaning of the ear.
All manipulations should be carried out as carefully as possible, without hurting the animal.

Also, it is not recommended to use ordinary cotton swabs, only for children, so that the cotton wool does not remain inside the ear canal (in children it is more tightly attached to the base). If the incident has already occurred, you should immediately contact the veterinary clinic for advice.
Can I clean with hydrogen peroxide

The network often flashes articles that if there are no special hygiene lotions, you can use hydrogen peroxide to clean your ears – this is not the case. The dog’s ear should not be sterile, in addition, if there are any wounds or cuts, the pet will simply be hurt. After this procedure, the dog will never let you safely carry out hygienic treatment, as it will be afraid that it will be tortured again.

In extreme cases, instead of a special lotion, you can use green tea. The leaves or sachet are brewed to the condition “for drinking”, cooled to room temperature, and without adding sugar, used instead of a cleaning liquid. Green tea has a light decontaminating and softening effects and is a worthy competitor to products from the pharmacy.
How to clean your ears with chlorhexidine

the Scheme for cleaning the auricle and ear canal with chlorhexidine is identical with specialized products. With only one “but” – chlorhexidine is diluted with water, in a ratio of 1: 1.

Cleaning with an undiluted antiseptic leads to over – drying of the skin of the ear, subsequently to wounds, cracks-painful sensations.

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