How to help prevent ear infections in dogs ears.
Ear infections in dogs or ear disease are one of the most common conditions seen by veterinarians.
Ear infections can be a very serious problem for dogs. As many dogs spend their entire lives indoors, they are more prone to ear infections than are dogs who live outdoors.
A wide variety of causes can cause ear disease in a dog; including parasites, foreign material, trauma, nerve damage and central nervous system (brain) disease, but the most common causes of ear disease are bacterial or yeast infections.
Prevention is better than treatment, so I wrote this blog post to help you reduce the chance that your dog will develop an ear infection in the first place.
How to Prevent Ear Infections in Dogs
Bringing a dog into your life can be a fun and rewarding experience. However, it comes with the responsibilities of taking care of your dog’s.
One of the greatest responsibilities of owning a dog is to watch out for their ears. Ear infections are common and can come on quickly in dogs. Having an ear infection will often cause pain.
To prevent ear infections in dogs, there are several steps you can take to protect your dog from infection.
1. Clean Your Dog's Ears Once a Month
A dog's ears should be looked at once a week and cleaned at least once a month.
If your dog is a breed or a crossbreed that has a tendency to your disease, clean his ears more often, at least once a week.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links (Amazon Associate or other programs we take part in). As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
How To Clean A Dog's Ears
- Place a few drops of a natural ear cleaner into the ear canal.
- Then gently massage the base of the ear for 20 to 30 seconds to soften and loosen any wax or debris.
- Wipe out loose debris and excess cleaner with a cotton ball. Repeat this procedure until there’s no more debris or wax on the cotton ball.
- Let your dog shake its head to remove any excess from your dog's ear.
- Note: do not put anything like a Q-Tip inside your dog's ears canal.
Natural Ear Cleaners to consider include:
- Animal Apawthecary
- Herbal Ear Rinse
- Ark Naturals Ears All Right
- Mad About Organics Ear Cleaner
2. Removing Excess Hair
If your dog has a lot of hair inside its ears (some breeds do, some don’t) remove or trimming your dog's ear hair will reduce the chance of developing an ear infection.
By removing excess hair, it will improve airflow within the ear and reducing the surface area for bacteria and yeast to grow on.
Your veterinarian or groomer can remove this hair for you or you can do it yourself.
How to Remove Ear Hair Yourself
- To do it yourself or sprinkle your powder into the ear canal, this helps you grab onto the hair.
- Then grasp a few pieces of hair with your fingers and pluck them out.
- Repeat until the hair inside both ears is removed.
- After removing hair, clean your dog's ears, as suggested above.
3. Additional Steps to Prevent Ear Infections in Dogs
Always clean your dog's ears after exposure to water - besides a monthly (or weekly) ear cleaning, follow the same ear cleaning steps outline above after your dog's ears get really wet, for example after swimming, bathing or a soaking rain.
Note: True blue ear wipes are good for drying here’s after soaking.
Examine your dogs years after he plays in deep forest or tall grass - Look for pieces of grass, ticks, small twigs or other things that don’t belong in your dog's ears.
- If the foreign matter is in the outer part of the year and you can safely remove it, do so.
- If it is inside here or you can’t safely remove it for any other reason, see your veterinarian.
Additional Ear Infections in Dogs Information
If your dog does not like to have his or her ears clean, make sure that you are being gentle and massaging and wiping your dog's ears.
Here are several tricks that dogs find ear cleaning a happier experience:
- Talk to your dog during the process.
- Stop periodically and give your dog a treat if he or she is doing well.
- Do something fun after ear cleanings so that a dog associates happy activities with your cleaning.
Breeds Prone to Ear Infections
Breeds that are likely to develop ear infections or ear disease include but are not limited to a:
| Beagle | Shar-Pei |
| Retriever | Setter |
| Terrier | Lhasa Apso |
| Maltese | Pekingese |
| Poodle | Schnauzer |
| Basset Hound | Bischon Frise |
| Spaniel | Puli |
| Shih Tzu | Doodles |
Went to Contact your Veterinarian
If your dog is showing severe discomfort, it may be time to contact your veterinarian.
In addition, there are other signs to watch out for in an ear infection in dogs:
- Does your dog's ear have an unpleasant smell?
- Do your dog's ear canals look abnormal?
- If your dog tilts his head constantly, circles, or is uncoordinated in walking?
Any of the above signs means your dog could have a middle ear infection or may possibly have a ruptured or weekend eardrum; if this is the case, contact your veterinarian before putting anything in your dog's ear.
Final Thoughts on Ear Infections in Dogs
You can expect your dogs years to become healthier with your first ear cleaning.
Regular preventative care will both reduce the chance of your disease and enable you to detect and address any problems that arise early.
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