Some Tricks For Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

We have found that Pyrs can be prone to ear infections.  In general, dogs with floppy ears are; their little, cute flops make for a great breeding ground for bacteria in their ears.  Most owners are apprehensive to clean their dog's ears, fearful they will clean too deep and injure them.  A dog's ears are much deeper than ours, and if you avoid Q-tips and use cotton squares you will not do harm.

If you suspect your dog has an ear infection, always see a veterinarian before cleaning and attempting to treat their ears.  If their eardrum is damaged, some cleaning solutions may not be advisable.  Ultimately, they will need anti-biotics also.

Cleaning their ears can be a pain.  I know one of my dogs, Ana, is a living nightmare when it comes to her nails or ears.  I swear she can read my mind.  I try to "pretend" I have other intentions, but she always knows.  If you live alone, it becomes extra challenging, as you have no friends to help you corral your pup.

Never let these daunting aspects keep you from routine cleaning.  If you have a floppy, furry-eared dog, you should be cleaning their ears proactively.  Do not wait for an infection.

So...my tips.  If you have a nutty 'squirmier', find a corner in your house.  Have them sit into the corner, so they cannot back up and escape you.  This is the biggest helpful point.  If you have other dogs, ask them to go out back while you do this.  Dogs all stick together, and my other dogs make it a hugely entertaining game to thwart my attempts at treating my dog.

For me, I try to associate ear cleaning with a positive experience.  I offer treats before I do it, and offer treats right after.  If she freaks and makes it impossible, then no treats.  Never offer "good girl" merely because you were able to catch the rabid beast.  Praise needs to be awarded only when they are acting completely ideal.

Once I have my girl in a corner where she can go nowhere, I pause.  I wait for her to calm down.  When she has, I offer affection.  She almost thinks it's all over, but then the ears must be cleaned.  I clutch her collar with one hand, and use the same hand to pull her ear back.  That allows me to hold her and use my other hand to squirt the fluid in.  A tip, is to warm the fluid in your hands before administering it.  Often the coldness of it can be shocking.  Have your cotton ready!  Once you squirt into their ear, massage the base of their ear deeply, ensuring you hear a 'swishing' sound.  That ensures the fluid is moving around deeply enough.  Sometimes it's the 'squirting' into their ears that your dog doesn't like.  If they don't tolerate their ears being cleaned well, lay your cotton square down and saturate it with your solution.  Then, you can squeeze the cotton and drip the cleaning solution into their ears.  I find this actually works the best.

Avoid using Q-tips.  You may see your vet do it, but you also see your dentist poke your teeth with sharp objects!  While a dog's ear is deeper than ours, it's advisable to avoid using Q-tips in case your dog squirms.  It's safer to use cotton balls/squares so we don't risk injuring their ears if they jerk.

Get your ear cleaning solution from your vet.  Our dogs don't need fragrance and fancy ingredients, which make it pleasurable for the owner but have no benefit to the dog. 

If this process is still too challenging, make the effort to take them to your vet and have the techs do it.  Ear health is important, and can lead to disease conditions if infections are left untreated.

Click Here for a good picture tutorial--as well as some additional information!