Scratching behind the ear – isn’t that usually how we interact with our dog? Or maybe it’s time to look inside and check if everything is okay in the dog’s ear?
Dog ear hygiene is an important matter and should not be forgotten. When we neglect cleanliness, scratching may no longer be pleasant… neither for us nor for our dog.
How often should hygiene procedures be performed?
Not all dogs require their ears to be cleaned daily or even once a week.
However, it’s worth checking the dog’s ears at least once a week to see what’s going on. If we find that the skin inside the ear is pink, and the ear itself is clean and without an unpleasant smell, then no procedures are necessary.
We just need to regularly check the condition of the ears. To make this easier, you can set one day a week for this and set a reminder, for example, on your smartphone.
However, if you notice dark discharge inside the ear or detect an unpleasant odor coming from the ear, you should visit a veterinarian as soon as possible for ear cleaning. The specialist will instruct the owner on how to perform this procedure at home and suggest appropriate products. After such instruction, the owner will be able to clean the ears independently at home.
What do we need to know about dog ears?
The dog’s ear canal is shaped like the letter L, which means it bends at a ninety-degree angle inside the ear. This structure causes foreign bodies that get inside the dog’s ear to easily get stuck. Being aware of this is very important when you plan to bathe your dog. Water that gets into the dog’s ear does not always flow out easily. Be careful during bathing and protect the dog’s ears from getting flooded with water.
When is it especially important to care for ear hygiene?
The dog’s ear should be checked regularly, regardless of whether the dog has floppy ears or erect ears.
After every walk, it’s worth looking inside the dog’s ear to check if any foreign bodies have accumulated. Also, during the holiday season, you need to be careful with dog ears. After every visit to the beach, check if sand has gotten into the dog’s ears.
Look inside the dog’s ear also after every bath. This is especially important if the dog has been swimming in a lake. In that case, the ear should be cleaned because water is difficult to get out of the ear.
Dogs that love to bathe in bodies of water and do so often may be particularly prone to moisture retention inside the ear.
How to properly clean dog ears? What will we need?
For cleaning dog ears, we should use gauze or hygiene pads.
Absolutely do not use cotton swabs or cotton wool, because a piece may remain in the ear canal. In such a case, a visit to the veterinarian would be necessary to perform the procedure. And that is not always pleasant.
Should we use specialized ear cleaning products?
There are many specialized products available on the market that we can use. Such a product is dropped into the ear, you wait a moment, and then wipe with gauze or a hygiene pad.
If you don’t have such a product, you can use boiled water or saline solution.
As a last resort, you can use baby oil.
When the dog has ear problems
If the dog is healthy and nothing is wrong with the ears, prevention and checking the dog’s ears are often unfortunately forgotten. The accumulation of discharge does not show any external signs that would make us suspect something is wrong with the ears.
However, if inflammation develops in the ear, we definitely won’t miss it because the dog will behave differently. The owner may observe behaviors such as:
- shaking the head from side to side
- rubbing ears against objects (e.g., furniture, carpet)
- scratching the ears
- whining when scratching the ears
Inflammation can affect both ears at once, but it most often occurs in one ear. Then the area around the ear is warmer than the rest of the dog’s body.
When you notice such symptoms in your dog, you should visit a veterinarian as soon as possible.
How to prepare the dog for ear cleaning?
Every dog owner should prepare their pet for any procedures that will be performed on them. Such preparation should start from the very first moments of the relationship, whether it’s a puppy or an adult dog. For the dog to calmly undergo grooming procedures, you need to invest some time and effort.
Medical training – calm ear cleaning
Usually, the procedures we perform on our dog involve restraining the animal, which is essentially coercion. It would be much better for our relationship to conduct medical training.
How to conduct medical training with ear cleaning?
Whenever you plan to work with your dog, you should choose a moment when you are relaxed and happy. You must not be nervous or in a hurry. Also, make sure your dog feels good and all its needs are met. You can tire it out beforehand with a longer walk.
For medical training, prepare lots of tasty treats, gauze/pad, ear cleaning solution, and a clicker (you can do without it, but if you have worked with a clicker before, use it for medical training). Take the gauze in your hand and start. You should repeat each stage several times – make sure the dog feels comfortable with it before moving to the next stage. If you ever notice the dog feels discomfort, go back to the previous stage.
1. Start by calmly bringing your hand close to the dog’s ear. If the dog remains calm and does not pull away, click and give a treat. Repeat several times.
2. Gently touch the dog’s ear. If the dog remains calm and does not pull away, click and give a treat. Repeat several times.
3. Touch the inside of the dog’s ear. If the dog remains calm and does not pull away, click and give a treat. Repeat several times.
4. Gently wipe the inside of the ear with gauze. If the dog remains calm and does not pull away, click and give a treat. Repeat several times.
Repeat similar steps with the ear cleaning solution.
It would be good to undergo such medical training with your dog under the supervision of a specialist in dog emotions. A behaviorist will help you prepare your pet for various procedures it may encounter in life, both at home and in the clinic. This is extremely important to reduce stress in the animal. Don’t leave this responsibility to the veterinarian, especially if you visit due to the dog’s ailments – then there is no time for desensitization work. To help your dog like the vet, schedule adaptation visits.
In summary
Regularly check the condition of your dog’s ears. Always look inside the dog’s ear after beach visits, baths, and walks in the bushes. Prepare your dog early enough for procedures.
Remember! It’s always better if you scratch your dog behind the ear than if the dog scratches itself!
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