The ears and ears of dogs are one of the most sensitive parts and that most dirt cover so their maintenance and cleaning should be a priority task.

The sense of hearing is one of the most important organs of the dog. By having it much more developed than people, they pick up sounds that for us are often imperceptible. To maintain your hearing acuity in full development for as long as possible, proper hygiene of the dog’s ears is essential to prevent infections and inflammations.

WHEN TO CLEAN YOUR DOG’S EARS

The cleaning of ears of the dogs is necessary for your health and helps to avoid contracting diseases. The indicated thing is to make a toilet of ears every 15 or 20 days, although there are breeds that due to their physical characteristics require a more freceunte hygiene of the area.

All dogs have very similar ears, although they can change throughout their lives. We can check how the ear of a dog is in the following image where its anatomy is shown.

There are breeds more predisposed to suffer ear infections such as water dogs or PDAE and animals that have big ears, even so it is equally important that we cleanse this habit in any dog ​​regardless of their physical characteristics or behavior. Otitis is inflammation of the ear and can be caused by many causes such as the presence of microorganisms such as parasites or fungi in the ear canals and dirt in the area. Most often, there is external otitis caused by inflammation of the auricle and external auditory canals.

SYMPTOMS OF OTITIS IN DOGS

Canine otitis is one of the most frequent diseases in dogs and its symptoms are as follows

• The animal scratches its ear frequently
• It has inflamed the external auditory canal
• He shakes his head very often
• He complains if we caress the area
• The ears give off bad smell
• Generates more cerumen than normal

Sometimes, part of the treatment of otitis is by cleaning the ears.

WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU NEED?

The products with which the ears of dogs are cleaned are called cerumenolytic cleaners. They are always recommended because they help remove dirt and wax from the ear canals of dogs and can be used for a homemade cleaning for sensitive ears. Some can exert treatment effects, but usually they are products that have components that can adapt perfectly to the pH of the ears of the dogs so as not to irritate them and with a cleansing effect. They also have a calming and decongestant effect.

EAR CLEANING STEP BY STEP

The procedure to clean the ears of a dog is simple. Before starting to clean, check the general condition of the ears and ears by inspecting the area well for fungi or other foreign bodies.

• Use a dog ear cleaner. Before use, it is recommended to shake the canister, which consists of a cannula that does not cause pain to the animal due to its flexibility and its rounded tip, so that the owner can use it without thinking that it could harm his pet.
• Apply the drops that come indicated in the package insert of the product introducing the cannula in the external ear canal.
• Massage the area for a few seconds. It is important to rub the outer ear with your fingers to help the product reach the inside. While we are doing it, we are likely to hear a “splash” of the liquid.
• Finally, we let the animal shake its head, something that it will surely do without us asking it!

Then we can look at the area in case part of the liquid had left. In this case, we recommend drying the duct with a little toilet paper.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Cut the hairs from the external auditory canal. This will help the area be clean and ventilated
• Dry your ears well after bathing
• Never use ear swabs for cleaning, as you may damage the eardrum

This is a basic cleaning of ears. For a deeper cleaning or in case the dog shows symptoms of otitis it is advisable to go to the veterinarian. In cases of more severe infections or allergies, sometimes you have to sedate or anesthetize the animal to make a more in-depth assessment of the damaged ear. However, there are animals that need cleaning more frequently and in certain cases it is recommended to perform them daily.