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April 12th, 2010 by Mary Tai

Since a dog’s ears are warm and moist, it is prone to bacteria, ear mites, and yeast. So, regularly cleaning your dog’s ears is very important for the health of your dog.

But before you clean it, you need to know how to inspect it. A healthy outer ear of the dog should look light pink in color, should be clean and should not emit any foul odor.

Look for any excess of dark wax buildup in the ear. A little bit of dirt and wax is fine. But if there is excess amount of wax buildup, it could indicate the presence of ear mites.

Chronic ear-scratching is a definite and clear sign that something isn’t right, so check it out and look for any cuts, mites, infections, or signs of skin peeling.

If the above signs show the presence of an infection or ear mites, then the right thing to do is to take your pet to an veterinarian who will normally prescribe the right treatment for it.

However, if you think that there is no infection and no mites, it is time to clean the ears. Most vets recommend cleaning the visible part of the ear only. That is, just clean the dirt and wax there. This can be done using a soft cloth or a cotton ball. Just dip them in an ear cleaning solution and clean your dog’s ears. Avoid cleaning the ear canal.

However, if you do want to clean deeper into the ear, ask your vet. The vet may give you solutions that can be dropped or squirted into the ears. But if the dog has no history of any ear-related problems, then deeper cleaning may only result in causing problems.

Make sure to allow your dog’s ears to dry out completely. If your dog breed is one with those long ears, then just pin the ears together over the head for sometime. This will help in drying the ear canal and preventing any infections.

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