Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

It is important to keep your dog's ears clean of dirt, build up and parasites, and is easy to do at home. This is a guide about cleaning your dog's ears.

Videos

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Dog Care - Cleaning Ears

Dr. Candy Olson from Greenbriar Animal Hospital teaches how to properly clean your dog's ears. Check out the related videos for more helpful home pet care tips.

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Solutions: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

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Mineral Oil For Dog's Ears

Tri-colored dog sitting on a deck looking up at camera.

Take some mineral oil and put a few drops in your dog's ear with a baby's ear dropper or ask a pharmacist for one. Gently rub your dog's ear to get the oil inside the ear and let the oil stay in the ear for about 3-5 minutes.

Next, with some cotton balls, clean out the oil and the dirt. You may want to get a baby's washcloth to do this also. The mineral oil will loosen any crust that has developed inside the ear and ear opening. This will also works to clean out the ear if your dog has ear mites, so that you may then put in the ear mite medicine to get rid of them.

By Alison from Warren, MI

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Questions

Here are questions related to Cleaning Your Dog's Ears.

Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

Dog with big ears. My Lavender keeps shaking her head, as though she has something inside her ears. How safely can I clean her ears, and with what?
We thank you!

By Lavender Mommie from Sunny CA

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Most Recent Answer

By rachellejones10/10/2010

My vet told me a little alcohol on a cotton ball. I've been doing this awhile now on my chawinnie and I have not had any problems.

Cleaning a Dog's Itchy Dirty Ears

I have a Pom Yorkie she is my love and pride. I have spent hundreds on her ears and am tired of having to spend more. I am looking for a natural way to clean her ears. I see the apple cider, rubbing alcohol, and water wash. I would like a better breakdown on the mixture. Can someone help? I am sure she would like something that actually works and so would I.

By Florine E.

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Most Recent Answer

By jane3242510/26/2011

My sister has a Porkie with the same problem. The vet prescribed Diflucan as it is a yeast infection. She was washing his ears with plain warm water,(when he would let her), and after several rounds it has finally cleared up. He also chews his feet. Especially after going outside. Vet says he has allergies.

Cleaning a Dog's Ears

How do you clean your dogs ears ?

By pj

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Most Recent Answer

By YORKIEPOO02/12/2012

Wal-mart an Kmart carry a ear cleaner/drying liquid, use a damp cloth and softly clean inner ear, do mot stick q tips in ears, place recommended drops in ears and take your fingers around back of ears and rub to make sure liquid covers all of the inner ear. If head shaking occurs take to vet, more than likely the dog has a yeast infection in ears and doctor should also pull out inner ear hairs.

Cleaning a Dog's Smelly Ears

What can I use in my dog's ears to take away the odor? She doesn't have an ear infection, and my groomer can't get the smell out either.

By Katie

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Most Recent Answer

By marmitenot01/30/2013

I had the same problem with my cocker spaniel. First, problem ears are many times the result of food allergies. Try a grain free food. Here is a recipe for home-made ear wash. I asked my vet if it was safe and she said YES. This works better than anything I've ever gotten from the vet.

16oz isopropyl alcohol or witch hazel (witch hazel stings less if the ears are very irritated.
4tb boric acid
16 drops gentian violet solution.

These items are inexpensive and this ear wash works. If you can't find boric acid in your local stores, try online.

Previous: Home Remedies for Ear Mites

Next: Is Broccoli Good Or Bad For Dogs?

Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

Does anyone know of an effective, safe, and inexpensive ear cleaner that can be used for dog's and cat's ears to clean them? Someone told me to use white vinegar, but I'm afraid that would burn.

Brenda from Knoxville, TN

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

I use a cotton ball or swab dipped in peroxide. This works well on my dog's and cat's ears. (04/17/2006)

By St. Pete Ken

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

My vet says the only thing you should use in your pets ears to clean them is plain old baby oil. Put a few drops in the ear and squeeze his ear to mush it around. Then clean with a Q-tip. (04/18/2006)

By kimmcg

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

I agree about the oil, but I also use a cooking oil, such as olive, corn, vegetable, etc. Oil smothers the ear mites and helps loosen the gunk the mites leave behind. (04/18/2006)

By AzDana

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

I agree with the peroxide. If you don't feel safe using peroxide water it down a little bit. (04/18/2006)

By JILLSAVES

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

My breeder told me the best thing to use is warm mouthwash (dollar store) and a makeup removal pad. My dog just loves to have his ears cleaned. The little bit of alcohol helps dry the ear quickly and he smells wonderful. (04/18/2006)

By Annie

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

Vet feedback: This is to keep ears from becoming irritated and bright pink. The color indicates yeast overgrowth and can get out of hand, creating further irritation, bad smells, etc. Use 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water several times a week. Skin balance will return if it has not gone on too long. If it does irritate your dog, you can also use liquid aloe vera when there is little or no irritation/pinkness apparent. (04/18/2006)

By MR

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

A Q-tip should be used only very carefully in a dogs ear. A cotton ball, with either peroxide, baby oil, or anything none abrasive would be better. If you wouldn't put it in your ear, don't put it in a dog's ear. They are very sensitive just as a human ear. (04/19/2006)

By Sue.

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

I have been a certified groomer for over 26 years. If your dog's ear's aren't infected and just need cleaning, my special recipe should do the trick nicely. I have used it with my vet's approval all the time I have groomed. I mix 1 bottle of white vinegar with 1 bottle of alcohol and add about 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil. Shake well and add liberally to clean the ear. The vinegar will kill any fungus, the alcohol will dry the ear and the eucalyptus will make it smell nice and clean. Don't use in any ear that is infected. It's for cleaning purposes only. (04/19/2006)

By ragteller

RE: Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

I just copied this tip from About.com: "Mix 1/3 rubbing alcohol and 1/3 white vinegar and 1/3 water. Store it in any old clean dropper bottle (like Visine eye drops) and use it to clean out your ears. It also works fine on dogs and cats."

As a matter of fact my vet gave me this tip years ago when I had a Cocker Spaniel that got frequent ear infections. Just squirt 8-10 drops in ear holding head to side; let it stand in ear for a minute then drain. With my three dogs, while I'm holding their head tilted I massage the ear around in a circle then tilt and wipe out with Kleenex; usually apply once a month or if they are ear scratching. My current vet laughed and said, "Well, I've got animal ear cleaning drops here and it only costs 8 dollars a bottle, but what you are using seems to be working. Your dogs ears are certainly clean". Warning: If applied daily for 3 days and dogs are still scratching or rubbing ears see a vet; they have mites or bacterial infection. (04/19/2006)

By cjdnnm