subject: How to Clean Dog Ear [print this page] How to Clean Dog Ear How to Clean Dog Ear
Dogs with floppy ears are particularly prone to chronic ear infections since their floppy ears create a warm, dark, moist environment with poor air flow - the perfect place for bacteria to grow and multiply, ultimately leading to a dog with an ear infection.
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If a dog develops an ear infection that is not treated, the infection will move toward the inner ear causing permanent hearing damage. Dogs with severe inner ear infections can also develop serious health problems like vestibular syndrome, a condition affecting the dog's balance center in the inner ear, with symptoms like stumbling, lack of balance and vomiting - very similar to vertigo in humans.
What Happens if You Don't Clean Your Dog's Ears?
Like humans, dogs' ears produce a waxy substance that accumulates in the ear canals. This ear wax will build-up over time, harboring bacteria and inhibiting air flow. This creates an ideal environment for bacteria growth and fungal growth, ultimately causing bacterial ear infections and fungal ear infections, like yeast infections.
Dogs with floppy ears are particularly prone to chronic ear infections since their floppy ears create a warm, dark, moist environment with poor air flow - the perfect place for bacteria to grow and multiply, ultimately leading to a dog with an ear infection.
If a dog develops an ear infection that is not treated, the infection will move toward the inner ear causing permanent hearing damage. Dogs with severe inner ear infections can also develop serious health problems like vestibular syndrome, a condition affecting the dog's balance center in the inner ear, with symptoms like stumbling, lack of balance and vomiting - very similar to vertigo in humans.
How to Clean a Dog's Ears
Cleaning the ears of a dog will require a cleaning solution which is instilled into the ear canal and then swabbed out again. Ear cleaning solutions can be purchased at any pet store or you can visit your veterinarian for a recommendation.
Start by filling the ear canal to the top with the ear cleaning solution. Then massage the ear cleaning solution into the ear canal by gently massaging the outside of the vertical ear canal.
After you are finished massaging the ear canal, you may release your dog for a moment or two if you prefer. Your dog will likely shake his head to remove a portion of the ear cleaning solution and debris. If you prefer not to allow your dog to shake his head at this stage, it is not necessary to do so.
Once you have filled the vertical ear canal with the ear cleaning solution and massaged the ear canal, you will have mechanically broken up a large part of the wax and debris which resides inside of your dog's ear canal. At this point, you can use a cotton ball together with your pointer finger to enter the ear canal and swab out as much of the wax and debris as you can.
