Why dog ear care matters: avoiding pain and infections
Dog owners need to realize that owning a pet brings great joy - and huge responsibility as well. As for the latter, it involves maintaining the hygiene of a pet, which includes cleaning its ears. But how often should this be done?
7:33 PM EST, November 23, 2023
Dog owners take full responsibility for the pet's actions, safety, and health. Regrettably, not everyone understands how crucial proper ear care actually is. What can happen when we overlook this aspect?
The Importance of Cleaning Your Dog's Ears
Most of us tend to remember cleaning our pets' paws, teeth, and grooming their fur. Unfortunately, we often neglect cleaning our dogs' ears, which could expose our faithful companions to severe problems.
Primarily, the dirt trapped in their ear canals can cause serious infections leading to pain. When our pet starts scratching its body near the ears, we should respond promptly as it is likely expressing discomfort.
Moreover, we should never ignore any discharge that might be coming from their ears. A thick foul-smelling discharge is often a sign of an infection, which should be treated by a vet.
The Proper Way to Clean a Dog's Ears
Some dog breeds need their ears cleaned more often than others. This primarily includes breeds with floppy ears such as cocker spaniels, bassets, and Maltese.
On the other hand, dogs with erect ears generally require less ear care. This is because any accumulation in their ears can naturally escape to the surface, meaning there is often not much to clean. However, it remains important to regularly inspect this part of the dog's body.
If you find that your pet's ears are dirty, prepare a sterile swab and some boiled, cooled water or saline. Gently clean the ear with the moistened swab.
If you observe deeper impurities, you should use a specially formulated fluid, which must be directly applied to each ear.
