Clean your dog's ears on a regular basis to prevent ear infections.
1. Start With a Nice Belly Rub
Rub your dog’s belly and throw in some soothing words - the more relaxed she is, the easier it will be to do a proper ear cleaning. It is imperative to make this process as fun as possible for the pet. Otherwise, in the future, it will be hard to even get your dog to stay still.2. Check That an Ear Cleaning Is Due
After your pet is comfortable, start by examining the ears. There is no need to do a cleaning if your dog’s ears are not dirty, so look out for small debris of wax and other forms of dirt like dust. If you find these, get your tools setup. You will need:- Clean towel
- Cotton balls or gauze
- Q-tips
- A safe cleaning solution, such as EcoEars
"I love it when the human cleans my ears, mostly because I get treats and a belly rub!"
3. Use a Cleaning Solution
Place a small amount of the preferred cleaning solution in the ears then proceed to massage the base of the dog’s ears. EcoEars is an excellent solution for ear cleaning and because it uses all-natural ingredients it is completely safe for your pet. Once this is done, your dog might want to shake his head. Let him. This helps to loosen some of the debris in the ears.4. Opt for Cotton Balls
While your first instinct may be to use cotton swabs, they are actually known to damage the eardrum. We highly recommend that you use cotton balls or gauze for a safe and thorough cleaning both on the inside and outside of your dog’s ear.5. Start Inside, Work Your Way Outside
When cleaning, always start inside the ear working your way outside, including every time you use a new cotton ball. This guarantees that you aren’t just pushing the dirt around, but getting rid of it. Be careful not to push too far inside the ear to the point where the dog is uncomfortable. The general rule of thumb is only clean as far as you can see, steering clear of the internal organs of the ear which tend to be quite delicate.6. Don’t Overdo It
It’s easy to get obsessed with dog ear cleaning, especially when you’re trying to prevent an ear infection that could hurt your pet. However, cleaning the ears too many times can upset the natural flora balance making the pet more susceptible to infection. So, it is okay to see some slight wax in there once in awhile. When it does start looking murky, you might want to get in there to do some clean-up.7. Finish Off With Some Words of Encouragement
Your dog might feel some discomfort while you clean his ears, so it's nice to say some nice and encouraging words. This helps to get her morale back up and with some luck, she might look forward to the next cleaning.
Make ear cleaning - bonding time! Build trust with words of encouragement and gentle movements.