Homemade Recipe for Dog's Ear Wash

Dogs' ears are highly sensitive not only to sound, but to allergens and common irritants, such as dust and pollen. Acute ear symptoms (constant head shaking or ear scratching, bleeding ears or dizziness with vomiting) warrant a trip to the vet, but general ear health can be maintained at home with a gentle homemade ear wash solution.

  1. Initial Cleaning

    • If you notice black or brown oily or waxy buildup on the inside of your dog̵7;s ears, trickle a small amount (one half teaspoon or less) of almond oil into the ear using a medicine dropper or small squeeze bottle. Close the ear and gently massage the ear canal (the area just below the ear opening), being careful not to let your dog shake her head. The almond oil will loosen the buildup. After a minute or two, use a cotton ball or cotton pad to carefully wipe loosened buildup from the inside of the ear, gently wiping the ear folds and never going farther than one half inch into the ear canal.

    Ear Wash Recipe

    • Herbal washes are gentler on sensitive and inflamed ear tissue than those using alcohol, peroxide or other harsh ingredients. Calendula oil, aloe vera juice, green tea or apple cider vinegar are all gentle ingredients to use as the base for a homemade herbal wash. These ingredients can be found in most health food stores.

      For a thin or watery, smelly ear discharge, make a calendula solution by mixing a cup of pure water with 1 teaspoon of calendula tincture and a quarter teaspoon of sea salt. For ears that are painful and look red or raw inside, use pure aloe vera juice by itself as an ear wash. For ears with very dark buildup that smells, steep two green tea bags in boiling water and flush the ears twice daily with the cooled tea. For an all-purpose ear wash, mix one part organic apple cider vinegar to two parts pure water.

      To use, gently squirt about a teaspoon of the ear wash into each ear with a dropper or small squeeze bottle, and again massage the ear canal for about a minute. Then allow your dog to shake his head, which will help dry out his ears. Fold floppy ears backward if possible to let the ears dry out further, or wipe with a clean cotton ball or pad. These recipes can be used as needed, or every other day for basic ear health maintenance.