Doggie ear care is very important to the health of your dog.
Checking your dog's ears only takes a few minutes, so make it a part of your dog grooming routine.
Regular cleanings can prevent many common ear problems and infections.
Since dogs' ears are so sensitive, routinely cleaning them will keep them pain free and happy.
Here are some helpful tips on checking your dog's ears: Use your eyes and your nose: If you need help seeing inside your dog's ears, you may want to invest in a pet scope.
It's a tool very similar to the kind your doctor uses to check your ears.
If you see a dark waxy discharge, this may be a sign of ear mites.
Your dog's ear canal can be the perfect breeding ground for mites, yeast or bacterial infection.
Dogs with floppy ears, like spaniels and bloodhounds, are very prone to ear infections because very little air flows into their ear canals.
Sniffing your dog's ears is another way to detect problems early.
Normally, a dog's ears shouldn't smell foul in any way.
If you see puss-like discharge along with a foul smell this may be a sign of a bacterial infection.
Allergies are also known to cause some dogs to have smelly ears.
If you're new to this and are unsure, have your vet check your dog's ears.
An infection, if left untreated, can be very painful for your dog and could even damage your dog's hearing.
Some signs that your dog might have an ear problem: • Constant scratching • Rubbing their ears against objects • Excessive wax • Redness • Foul odor • Matting of hair in the external ear • Head shaking When encountering an ear that needs cleaning, follow these 4 steps: 1.
Use a gauze to wipe away discharge that is on the surface 2.
Gently pull up on the ear and partially fill the ear with the cleaning solution.
By straightening out the ear you allow the cleaning solution to flow down the ear canal to where the infection and debris are located.
3.
After the canal had been partially filled, massage the base of the ear canal very gently.
Most pets find this part soothing.
4.
Let your pet shake its head if it wants to.
Then use gauze to soak up the fluid that comes out of the ear.
Just remember: No matter which species you are cleaning, pick a room that is quiet and free of small children.
Do not put Q-tips into your pet's ears unless you have been shown the proper technique, and your pet is adequately restrained.
Q-tips can damage the sensitive tissue that lines the ear canal.
Also, an ear drum can easily be ruptured by placing objects in the ear canal, especially if the ear has an infection.
They can actually push dirt and foreign matter deeper into the ear if not handled properly.
You can even lose the cotton tip in the ear canal.
A great non-prescription medication is PAN-OTIC, which is used for routine ear cleaning.
It enables removal of debris from the external ear to eliminate sources of irritation and infection and to facilitate otic examination.
It is safe and suitable for dispensable use.