How do I take care of my dogs ears?

A. It is essential to check and clean your dog’s ears on a regular basis

1.  Inspection

If you have a breed such as a Husky, French Bulldog or Westie,  their ears stand up so its easy          to look at them.

With a breed such as a Cockapoo, Springer Spaniel or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, it’s more tricky. First reassure your dog by telling him what you are about to do.  Take hold of the dogs ear, lift it up and lay it flat over the dogs head so you can see clearly the inside.  What colour is it? What does it smell like? A bit doggy? Are there any grass seeds? Can you see any black waxy bits? That might be ear mites. If everything is normal, you will notice straight away  if your dog ever has an ear infection because you will see or smell a change.

This time of year be on the lookout for grass seeds in the ear. You need to remove them before they get a chance to burrow into your pet’s skin. Check your dog’s ears daily.

2.  Cleaning

After inspection you might see a little dirt on the leather which is the pinkish skin on the inside of your dog’s ear. A gentle cleaning is needed. Please do not use water as dogs find it difficult to get rid of water from their ears and it can  cause them much discomfort. I like to use baby wipes because they are gently effective. Gently wipe around the leather without poking around the inside of the ear.
Definitely never use cotton buds!!!
If there is more debris or ear mites an  ear cleaner from the vet is safer and more effective than something cheaper from the pet shop.

3.  Take your dog or puppy to the vet if you see any of these signs:

Shaking head
Head held to one side
Dog rubbing heads on the ground
Black waxy substance in the ear

Tailwags till next time
Chris Seddon