- Start by gently drying the outside of your pup’s ear with a towel.
- Use a vet-recommended ear cleaner. …
- If they don’t have pointed ears, lift your dog’s ear upward to apply the cleaner. …
- Use a clean cotton ball to wipe away excess cleaner and debris from their ears.
Because of the horizontal and vertical arrangement of the canine ear canal, some dogs are more likely to develop ear infections. This is because the debris accumulated in earwax and skin oil must move upward rather than outward. The fungi and bacteria that naturally inhabit the ear canal are fed by this debris, which breeds painful, itchy ear infections.
For canines who enjoy swimming and playing in the water, the extra moisture in the ear can mean chronic ear infections that, if untreated, can cause deafness, balance problems, and ongoing pain.
Learning what causes infection, getting the appropriate veterinary diagnoses and treatments, then preventing any further disease with routine at-home ear cleaning helps keep your dog safe and healthy while still permitting the summertime activities you both love. So what can a responsible pet parent do when their dogs can’t seem to stay out of the water and you don’t want to curtail their fun?
Your dog may have an ear infection for a variety of reasons, including an overabundance of yeast, an invasion of bacteria or mites, trauma, allergies, or hereditary problems.
Due to moisture buildup, dogs with heavy, floppy ears, such as the beagle and cocker spaniel, are more likely to develop infections. Additionally, unless their ear hair is routinely removed during grooming, cockers, poodles, and the Maltese – pretty much any breed with an abundance of hair in the canal – tend to be predisposed to ear infections.
If your dog has an ear infection, you can usually tell pretty quickly. Veterinarian care is advised to treat the issue if you notice any of the following symptoms: excessive head shaking, scratching or rubbing of the ears, red, inflamed ears, black or yellowish discharge, offensive ear odor, constant head tilting, pain when handling the ears, or behavioral changes like depression or irritability.
Depending on the identified cause of your dog’s ear infection, veterinary treatment typically uses antibacterial or antifungal eardrops and may necessitate multiple treatments per day. To treat any persistent skin infections and inflammation, your veterinarian may also recommend systemic antibiotics or corticosteroids. Depending on how persistent your dog’s ear infections are, these medications may take several weeks to start working and eventually lose their effectiveness.
Start a regular, at-home ear cleaning routine for your dog to avoid them developing an infection. You can purchase ear cleaning products from your veterinarian, but they frequently include a variety of chemicals that lose their efficacy over time and can be expensive if used frequently.
Your issue might be solved by an organic, all-natural product with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Every week, a few drops in each ear can dissolve any waxy buildup, which can serve as an infection-breeding ground. You can also reduce any itchiness and discomfort brought on by inflammation and repel any water that gets into the ear while swimming or taking a bath if you look for a solution containing organics and essential oils like comfrey, calendula, and arnica.
Look for an ear cleaner with gentle, drying qualities for the dog that enjoys swimming (or the dog that is frequently bathed). A mixture of aloe and essential oils softens ear wax and sanitizes ear tissue, and a small amount of alcohol aids in drying out any moisture in the ear. The mixture of lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree oils reduces swelling or redness and speeds up the healing of infected skin.
My dogs always respond well to using Ear Clear prior to a bath or swim. It’s a viscous serum that actually repels water. Try using Ear Cleanser to help remove any water that may have gotten into your dog’s ears after swimming (or taking a bath).
Why it’s Important to Remove Water from your Dog’s Ears
Regular grooming should include checking your dog’s ears to make sure they are dry and clean.
From taking a bath to swimming and other recreational activities, being around water is a natural part of life. Most pups love to play in the water. And like you, your pet could develop water clogs in their ears.
Yeast and bacteria (both good and bad) typically coexist in a healthy ecosystem on your dog’s skin and in his ears. Water in your dog’s ears disrupts this equilibrium by producing an ideal moist and warm environment that is ideal for yeast and bacterial overgrowth. This in turn often results in bacterial infections.
While the most frequent result of water in your dog’s ears is bacterial infections, water can also create the ideal conditions for the development of fungus and ear mite colonies.
Ear infections that aren’t treated can be extremely painful, possibly cause balance problems, and even result in deafness.
Cleaning your dog’s ears on a regular basis is essential to lowering the risk of ear infections in them, so do so after walks in the rain, time spent in the pool, and after baths.
Remember that while it’s important to keep your dog’s ears dry at all times, not all dogs require ear cleaning.
How to Use a Homemade Ear Cleaner
The application procedure is usually the same whether the remedy is one that can be purchased or made at home.
To focus on using the solution, enlist assistance if you can to secure your dog. Apply a few drops or completely fill the ear canal, as directed by the instructions for your solution.
Once it has been applied, gently massage your dog’s ear base to aid in working it through the ear canal. Stay away from using Q-tips because doing so could cause pain and harm to their hearing. You don’t want to do anything that presses on their eardrum.
Learn about your dog’s ear anatomy and how to properly use the cleaner in this quick, 4-minute video.
How to Clean a Dogs Ears
For two reasons, you should typically only use these ear cleaners on one ear at a time. First, they’ll probably shake their heads to get it out because of the tickling sensation. Second, and this is crucial for homemade remedies, it’s always a good idea to observe your dog’s behavior for a few minutes following the initial treatment.
If your dog shakes their head after receiving a thorough massage at the base of the ear, go ahead and ignore them.
Any ear wax or other debris that is keeping water in their ears can be loosen up by the solution’s massaging action, and with a good share, it should all come loose and come out. After that, use a few cotton balls to clean their ears. Easy peasy!.
How to Tell if There’s Water in Your Dog’s Ears
It’s fairly simple to tell someone you have water in your ears. Say, “Hey, my ears are full of water,” if necessary.
Sadly, your furry friend cant do the same. You might not comprehend why they are acting in this way, despite the fact that they can bark and express their annoyance in other ways.
You can approach this problem in two ways.
First, you can simply make a habit of checking your pups ears after every time they go playing in the water.
Making an ear check a regular part of grooming routine is a good idea to check for any potential issues. It can be challenging to determine whether there is water deep inside the ear canal, though.
Unfortunately, some dogs have a tendency to be wary of handling their ears or find it unpleasant, so it might be more difficult to deal with them if you want to check for water. This might be the case for dogs that weren’t properly socialized as puppies.
Making your dog comfortable with the handling of their ears and other body parts like their toes is just one of the many things that proper socialization of your dog should focus on. Learn about how to socialize and adult dog here.
Even worse, it may be challenging to determine whether there is water deep inside the ear canal.
Second, you can watch their behavior. If your dog has water in their ears, they’ll likely try to get it out on their own and display some typical behaviors in the process:
A dog’s ear canals are deeper and curvier than ours, so keep that in mind. Because of this, they are much harder to clean out and it is difficult to tell if something is stuck inside deeply, like water.
Observing your dog’s behavior is frequently the only reliable method.