Regular ear check-ups and cleaning contributes to healthy ears, free of painful infections. Between bathing or grooming appointments pet owners should practice ear health maintenance and check their dog's ears at least once a week. Many pet owners do not realize that dogs can grow hair in the ear canal, in some cases such as some Poodles and Terriers, a lot of hair! For this reason, many owners never check their dog ears unless the dog is shaking or scratching its ear(s). By that time there is usually an ear health problem requiring veterinary medical inspection.

Ear infections "Otitis Externa" may arise from water trapped in the ear canal. The damp environment creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and fungus, often leading to painful sensitivity, redness, swelling and infection. Dogs with ear flaps are the most affected since the flaps cut air circulation and trap moisture.

Ear mites may also be present in ear wax. Dogs with this problem often shake their heads and scratch ears. You may be able to locate ear mites by looking at ear wax removed from the affected dog. Under a bright light, spread a sample of ear wax on a piece of white paper, and look for tiny white specks. They are very contagious and will require the owner to treat their pet for ear mites for over 3 weeks. Insecticides kill the adult mites only, so repeat applications are in order. Based on the life cycle of mites, treatment usually consists of applying insecticide for 7 days, then waiting 10 days for baby mites to mature. Accumulations of wax and a lack of air circulation can lead to ear canker. Canker infection often causes a dark-coloured discharge and foul odour. The pet requires veterinary inspection of the condition.

Some dogs scratch their ears as a result of allergies; they should be inspected and treated by veterinarians.

Sometimes you will discover weeds and other organic matter in ears. In fact, some weeds can work their way down into the ear canal and cause serious, even life-threatening conditions.

Procedures Before Ear Cleaning

Inspect every dog's ears for potential problems before proceeding with ear cleaning procedures. If you discover something that appears to be a serious ear problem stop all ear cleaning and visit your vet..

Realize that some dogs may have very little or no hair to remove from their ears. However, almost all dogs will require some excess wax and dirt removal from their ears and ear flaps. If you do not feel confident about cleaning your dog's ears, either talk to your professional groomer or take you dog to a vet.

Basic Ear Cleaning

1. Lift the dog's ear flap and expose the inside flap the ear facing you. Using your thumb and index finger, quickly remove hair as needed around the external ear opening. Pull in the direction of hair growth and only small amounts of hair at one time. You can spray a light amount of medicated ear powder in ears with excess wax and hair to dry the wax, and make the hair easier to pull.
2. Although you do not clean ears more than 10-13mm into the ear canal, observe the condition of the pet's ear beyond the cleaning limit. You may see foreign matter, a discharge, heavy wax build-up or even a melanoma (tumour). If these conditions are present he animal will need to be looked at by a vet. A torch can be handy to help you see into the canal.
3. Look for additional ear wax and matter to clean from the ear. Moisten cotton ball (do not use cotton buds) very lightly (absolutely no dripping) with a small amount of commercial ear cleaning solution, and swab and clean the ear canal area outward to the ear flap. Repeat as needed. This procedure may soothe irritated skin from the hair removal process depending upon the ear cleaning solution you use.