Floppy, pointy, long or short… dog ears are soft, cute, and totally lovable!
They’re also a great place for mites, bacteria, and infections. If you notice your dog scratching at her ears constantly, or shaking her head… she may have trouble brewing. Don’t feel like a bad parent if your dog starts to have ear problems; these things do happen from time to time.
My Lally Beeber and her cute ears. Short haired and upright = easy to clean.
Cleaning your dog’s ears regularly can help cut down on problems. And they’re not easy to clean. Let’s be honest… a lot of dogs just don’t like having their ears touched. So they’re going squiggle, squirm, and do everything possible to NOT have their ears cleaned. Just a warning. If you start with a puppy at a young age, you have a good chance of getting them used to the idea of ear torture… an adult dog may have more trouble warming up to the idea.
There are lots of options for ear cleaning. The quickest and easiest is a damp cloth or tissue. Just swipe the parts you can see, don’t go jamming your fingers down there, trying to find Fluffy’s brains. If your dog is shorthaired and/or has upright ears, this is a nice easy option. Floppy ears or lots of hair make ear cleaning a little more challenging.
There are liquid ear cleaners that you squirt down into the ear canal. After you squeeze the directed amount in, you have the extra fun challenge of trying to massage the base of the ear to ease the liquid in. Your dog may go nuts shaking her head, and that’s okay – it will help loosen any wax or debris in the ear. After a few minutes, wipe away the excess liquid with a cotton ball.
Last but not least, ear powders help keep the ear clean and dry between washings. Application is relatively simple: just puff the powder into your dog’s ear. I’m sure after all the other ear torture, she’ll love it.