How to Clean Canine Ears

Cleaning a dog's ears is a necessary procedure to help prevent painful and expensive infections. Dogs with floppy ears are more likely to develop infections because moisture does not dry as rapidly in their ear canals. Dogs with upright ears are less prone to infection but still need regular cleanings. Keeping your dog's ears healthy is as easy as cleaning them once a week.

Things You'll Need

  • Cotton balls
  • Dog ear cleaner
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Instructions

    • 1

      Hold your dog steady and fold his ear back to expose the canal. Owners with big dogs may find it easier to straddle the dog for additional control.

    • 2

      Squirt a fair amount of ear cleaner into the dog's ear. You need to hold your dog's head and prevent him from shaking the cleaner out, so be ready for a fight when you squirt the cleaner in.

    • 3

      Fold the dog's ear back over and use it to gently massage the cleaner into the ear. Make sure to get as much of the ear as you can.

    • 4

      Release your dog. He will shake out any excess cleaner on his own. If his ears are infected or dirty, he will likely shake out a large quantity of gunk as well, so it is best to do this on the back porch rather than in the house.

    • 5

      Use a small cotton ball to gently remove any leftover gunk.