It is extremely important to keep your dogs ears clean and checked often. There are many problems that can arise from untreated ears. A dog's ears have several parts. The ear flap or pinna, and the fleshy and hairy grooves that enter the ear canal. The ear canal is "L" shaped and leads to the eardrum. Now you can see how easily your dogs ears can get infected, with all those ridges and grooves for bacteria to grow. And of course if not kept clean, the bacteria leads to serious infections.

Signs of an ear infection or Otitis:

Does he shake his head alot? Is there any redness or swelling? Any unfamiliar smell or discharge? If you answered yes to these questions, then most likely your dog has Otitis. His ears may also be more sensitive than usual and is in a lot of pain. Please do not clean his ears, but take him to the vet as soon as possible. If an ear infection is left untreated and appropriate care from a vet does not happen, permanent damage and hearing loss can occur.

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So, how do you clean your dogs ears? Well, I recommend getting your pooch used to the idea of his ears being touched, by massaging them. During play time or any other time is good. Once he is relaxed with it, then you can look and rub the inside of his ears; Never go further than you can see! Soon, your dog will enjoy this time and will not dread it during grooming time. While, you are taking the occasional peek, check for any sign of infection. Yo do not want to attempt cleaning if there is an infection. If you check your dogs ears once a week for ear mites, dirt or debris, then you can usually prevent any future infections. A healthy dogs ears are a fleshy-pink color, free of wax build-up and smelly discharge.

Finally, how to clean your dogs " healthy, but dirty ears." First, you will need some sort of commercial dog ear wash, cotton swabs or pads and a rag may be handy as well. Find a comfortable atmosphere and position for the both of you. Gently, put a generous amount of the cleaner in each ear and massage the base of the ear for about thirty seconds. Be sure to give the dog some space during this time, so that he cane shake his head.Next, take your cotton swab or pad and wipe the visible parts of his inner ear. Just to note, do not use a q-tip because it may damage his ear. If you still have excess dirt and cleaner left, just use a dry swab or pad and wipe it out. Be sure not to enter the ear with the cotton to far as it might get stuck inside the ear canal. As I said before, only go as far as you can see.

If you have a dog with long ears, or one that is in the water often you will need to clean their ears once a week or infection can occur. Otherwise, most dogs only need an ear cleaning once a month. As I stated before, you will need to also look closely at your dogs ears once a week to make sure there is no signs of bacteria or infection. If you are unsure about the signs or appearance of the ears, your veterinarian can give you specific instructions.

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