When to clean his ears?
The cleanliness of the inside of your dog's ears should be closely monitored, but their cleaning should not be systematic if the ear seems clean to you. Indeed, too frequent cleanings, if they are not necessary, could well unbalance the commensal flora of the ear and promote the occurrence of infections!
On the other hand, if the entrance to the ear canal is dirty, it shows some slight traces of earwax, careful inspections and cleaning are required.
Some dog breeds are more prone to ear problems and diseases than others.These are generally dogs with drooping and hairy ears such as cocker spaniels, or Cavaliers King Charles. In these dogs, it is often necessary to cut the hair that obstructs the entrance to the auditory canal to prevent any phenomenon of maceration.
If, on the other hand, your dog's ears give off an unpleasant odor, are clogged with chocolate-brown earwax and your dog is shaking or scratching his ears, consult a veterinarian without delay. Your dog may then be suffering from an ear infection, an ear mite or any other problem that a simple ear cleaning will not be enough to solve.
What to clean them with?
Cleaning your pet's ears should be done using an appropriate ear solution (available from your veterinarian) and a clean tissue or sterile compress.
Warning!
Once opened, ear solutions have a short expiry date. Do not use a product whose expiry date has passed because it can be the site of a significant development of germs!
A natural alternative to conventional ear solutions is to instill a few drops of a colloidal silver solution into your dog's ear canal. Its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal power will prevent the occurrence of infections.
Never use cotton swabs to clean the inside of the ear canal because they have the effect of pushing earwax inwards. Also, they are not effective because the dog's ear canal is "L" shaped and therefore it will be impossible to completely clean it without damaging the canal.
How to clean your dog's ears?
1- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water then prepare your equipment.
2- Start by straining your dog's ear to “unfold” the ear canal as much as possible.
3- Instill a few drops of dog ear solution or colloidal silver into the canal. Warning: the dog will reflexively want to shake his head to get rid of the product, so hold his muzzle firmly to prevent him from moving.
4- Close the canal with the ear then massage the base of the ear canal to dissolve earwax and loosen dirt from the ear.
5- Then let your dog shake his head in a place that is not afraid of splashes: he will squeeze out the solution and all the earwax debris at the same time.
6- Wipe the pavilion of the ear as well as the entrance to the canal using the compress or the handkerchief.
7- Repeat the operation for the other ear.
Don't forget to reward your pet after this treatment with a small treat or by playing with it, depending on its preference.