How to Clean a Puppy's Ears
Medium
10 - 15 Minutes
4 Weeks
Need regular grooming services?
Introduction
Your puppy will need to be groomed a lot in his lifetime. Cleaning his ears early on will help him get used to this type of handling and help with your puppy’s ear health as well. Clean ears will keep bacteria and yeast from causing painful earaches and ear infections. When you are able to keep these conditions at bay, your pup will have healthy ears, better hearing, and his overall health will be improved. Your puppy’s ears are sensitive. You may have to work with your pup a bit to help him tolerate and get used to a good ear cleaning.Â
Dog's Perspective
Your puppy is energetic and learning all about his new world. There are things he won’t like, such as touching his ears. You will need to help him get used to this touch by doing it a lot and rewarding him with a treat when you do. This reward-based training works for grooming as well as training.Â
The Warm Wipe Method
Effective
0 Votes
Step
1
Prep supplies
Have gauze pads or wet dog ear cleaning wipes and a bowl of warm water on hand ready to clean your puppy’s ears. You may also want a handful of treats to reward your little guy.
Step
2
Wipes
Use a gauze pad or a wet ear wipe to wipe the inside of your puppy’s ear. The wet wipe might be cold to touch and can be warmed by dipping into the bowl of warm water or held in your hand for a bit. If you are using gauze, dip it into the warm water and squeeze out any excess.
Step
3
Wrap
Wrap the wipe or the gauze around your finger and place it into the ear. Wipe in a circular motion to remove any dirt or debris.
Step
4
Clean wipe
Repeat this with a clean wipe or gauze square until the ear is clean. Avoid sticking your finger too far into the ear canal.
Step
5
Hair
If you need to, you can trim or pluck the inner ear hairs. This will assist in keeping the inside of your pup’s ear clean.
Step
6
Repeat
Repeat this process for both ears and end each ear cleaning with a tasty treat and verbal praise for your little guy. Try to get in the habit of doing this frequently enough so your pup is used to being handled in this way. That will make ear checks with the veterinarian easier as well.
Recommend grooming method?
The Solution Cleaning Method
Effective
0 Votes
Step
1
Solutions
You can purchase an ear cleaning solution from your veterinarian or your local pet store. You can also make your own ear cleaning solution with warm water and white or apple cider vinegar. Be sure to dilute the vinegar at a 3:1 ratio. Commerical solutions will come in a bottle with a long nozzle. You can reuse this bottle with your vinegar solution as well.
Step
2
Puppy
Get your puppy ready for ear cleaning by setting him in a place where it will be safe to shake the solution out, such as outdoors, and where you can hold him in place comfortably while placing the solution in his ears. Play with him for a moment, touching his ears, and give him a treat.
Step
3
Pour solution
If you are using a bottle to squirt the solution into the ears, do so quickly but with a gentle motion. Be liberal with the solution and squirt it right into the ear canal.
Step
4
Wipe solution
If you do not have a solution bottle to squirt the solution into the ear, you can soak a small soft cloth or paper towel in your vinegar solution and gently squeeze it into the ear.
Step
5
Hold and massage
Hold the ear and gently massage it into the ear canal. Your puppy will be uncomfortable and will want to shake. Try to let it sit in the ears for a few minutes before allowing him to shake it out. If your puppy has an ear infection, the massage might be painful. Remain gentle but try to let the solution sit in the ear long enough to work.
Step
6
Shake
When you are ready, let your puppy go. He will shake his head vigorously. With this shake, some of the solution will come back out. This is okay as long as it’s not all over your furniture!
Step
7
Wipe
Use a wipe or a gauze pad to dry wipe any solution and gunk off.
Step
8
Treat
Always give your little guy a treat for each ear cleaning. This will reward him for tolerating an uncomfortable task.
Recommend grooming method?
Caution & Considerations
- Avoid using cotton swabs in the ear canal.
- Your puppy’s ear canal is long and turns at an angle, unlike a human’s ear canal.
- Wipe the outer part of the inner ear often to keep dirt out of the ear canal.
- You can make an ear rinse at home using water and white or apple cider vinegar.
- An ear rinse will rid your puppy’s ear of yeast or bacteria, which cause pain and discomfort.
- Do not use alcohol in your puppy’s ear. It is drying and can burn inside the ear.
- Don’t hesitate to give your puppy treats throughout the ear cleaning. These rewards go a long way in getting your puppy used to this task.
- Puppies with ears that stick upright like a wolf might not need ear cleanings as often as dogs with ears that hang down.
- An ear inspection on a regular basis will tell you how often you need to clean your pup’s ears.
- Pay attention to signs of infection such as swelling, redness, or a strong odor.
- If your puppy has an ear infection, call your veterinarian for treatment, which might include medicine.
- Cotton balls, cotton pads, or gauze pads wrapped around your finger are perfect  for a dry cleaning.Â
Conclusion
Do your puppy's ears hang low? If so, they might need to be cleaned more often than those buddies who have perky ears. Get your little guy used to ear cleaning at this young age so this is not a frustrating task in the years to come.Â
Hear this now: treating your pup for cleaning his ears is the way to go, especially if his ears hang low.
