Do dogs clean their own ears?

magentas

I've been told by lots of people that they do but can't find anything online
went ahead and bought ear drops anyway but is there any truth to this or is it just a myth?

homerhop

Any of the long eared dogs such as spanials need to have their ears cleaned. They can develop a lot of infections and ear canker.

Myyra

I asked my vet about this recently, and she said that with long eared dogs you might want to clean them every now and then, if it looks like the dog is scratching them more than normally or something. She also pointed out that you'd generally be better off leaving them be, but I've occasionally cleaned our girls ears with cotton wool, she doesnt seem to mind that No probs with ears so far, no infections or mites or anything

andreac

magentas wrote: »

I've been told by lots of people that they do but can't find anything online
went ahead and bought ear drops anyway but is there any truth to this or is it just a myth?

Can i ask why you bought ear drops? Unless theres a specific reason to be putting drops in their ears i wouldnt.

pokertalk

to answer the question , they can to a certin degree mainly the outside. its best pluck a dogs inner ear hair to increase airflow and thus reduce the risk of infection and as another poster said use a cotton butd but dont do it to often

lorebringer

Dogs do not clean their own ears. Quite like humans, they produce wax which can come out but they don't have any other mechanism to clean their ears.

Dogs with long, heavy ears will need them attended to every so often to prevent infection and discomfort. Vets sell very good cleaning solutions (drops) that can be used to help break down the wax and dirt inside their ears and then taken out with a wipe or something similar. Please don't go poking around inside your dogs ears with a cotton bud - you may do more harm than good. Shaving/plucking the inside leather or the ear and around the ear canal will help air circulate around the ear. Be sure to keep them dry (as possible) but drying thourghly with a towel after a walk in the rain or a bath, and use a hair dryer if your dog will let you (but don't blow it directly into the ear).

Every dog owner should keep an eye on their dogs ears to make sure they are clean and not sore or infected. Cleaning them once in a while is also a good idea (even if your dog is not prone to ear problems of not a breed than often has issues with ears). If they appear red, have black gunk coming out, smelly or generally are uncomfortable for your dog, bring them to see a vet asap - ear infections are one of those things that are better dealt with sooner rather than later.

sionnaic

My (former) vet told me to clean our basset's ears with cotton buds every week, and that the black gunk was just ear wax and as long as we kept cleaning them then not to worry about it....he also told me to use Canaural ear drops after every cleaning.

I have now changed to another vet who quickly set me right!! I feel so guilty cause it turns out my poor pooch's ears are infected and very sore (he's such a stoic little fella he never really let on) and that thanks to the last vet's bad advice he probably now has a resistance to Canaural. I'm really really annoyed. I hate that I was unknowingly hurting him, the poor thing. Damn crappy vet.
He's now on steroid tablets for a few days to bring down the inflammation, anti-mite medication, a course of ear drops...hopefully when we bring for a check up next week he'll be a lot better. Apparently he has allergies too which the other crowd never noticed.

Anyway long story short make sure you shop around for a good vet with a great reputation. Our new vet has come highly recommended and the difference in service, attitude and knowledge is unbelievable.

liquoriceall

Hi my bass also has ear issues but the black with a red tinge wax that comes out is normal for him, he also has major allergies and colitis so I cant seem to get him to put on weight! (unusual basset problem I know) I would recommend the James Wellbeloved food and I also give him 2 cod liver oil capsules broken over his food daily as its good for their joints

carleigh

I get Aurizon ear drops for my Golden Cocker. With the long ears, they are prone to mites and the inside of their ears can get very itchy and hot. My guy absolutely loves getting his ears done! As soon as he sees the box coming out, he hops up on the chair and loves it, it obviously gives him great relief. After letting the drops do their work, I use a baby wipe suitable for sensitive skin and just wipe his ear, and usually it turns a shade of browny black with the wax! Also, when he gets groomed, they pay particular attention to his ears and give them a good trim to keep him cool.

Whispered

I tend to put drops into the dogs ears once a week or so. He swims a fair bit and has long-ish ears so can be prone to infection.

He had a few last year, but since we started this simple cleaning routine he's been fine.

jonnybravo

We've to clean our dogs (Lab and collie x) fairly regularly as they get blocked up. Vet told us to get a fair sized lump of cotton wool (not buds) and put some solution on it (which he gave us) and then clean in as far as your fingure covered with the cotton wool will reach. Dogs love having their ears cleaned.

shinikins

Thumbs up to Lorebringer, excellent post.

For day to day cleaning a lump of cotton wool soaked in warm water should suffice, I personally wouldn't use baby wipes in the dogs ears, even the sensitive wipes can irritate. Be sure to dry the ear after you clean them, especially in long eared dogs, infections thrive in moist atmospheres.

Also trimming/shaving the hair inside the ear will help prevent waxy build up.

olaola

Depending on the dog's ears really. If your dog has problem ears (most floppy ear types) get your vet to show you how to clean them. We've cleaning solution and drops, and we give Holly's ears a clean out every two weeks or so.
TBH their ear canal is rather large, and it goes much further than you'd expect.

AFAIK you can get ear cleaning wipes, but we just use cotton wool & solution.