How to Take Care of your Pet’s Ears

credits to leospetcare.com

How many times should a pet's ears be cleaned?

Cleaning your pet’s ears all depends on your pet and how many factors predispose the buildup of their earwax. You can tell if a dog’s ears needs cleaning because you can see the ear wax building up. If your dog has lots of outdoor activity, especially the ones that includes swimming, then its ears should be cleaned on a weekly basis or more often if they get water inside their ear. The recommended ear cleaning for dogs though is at least once every two weeks or whatever your veterinarian suggests. Regular cleaning should be done to reduce any ear infections or any infections associated with the buildup of too much earwax.

Do long-eared dogs require special care or attention?

Long-eared breeds like poodles and cocker spaniels are more prone to have ear infections because their ear is closed over; no air can circulate and it is conducive for bacteria to faster. Long-eared dogs might need to have their ears cleaned weekly or as often as needed.



What are the signs that indicate your pet has an ear infection?

Common signs of an ear infection include:

Head tilt

Foul odor

Shaking head

Scratching at ears

Debris or redness in ears

Holding ears at a funny angle 

Top factors that predispose pets to ear infections:

Dogs that swim

Hypothyroidism

Hair in ear canal

Dogs and cats with allergies

Pets that make excessive wax

Tumors, polyps, or foreign bodies in the ear

Breeds with long, heavy, floppy ears, like poodles, retrievers, basset hounds and spaniels

So take note of all these signs and symptoms because the earlier a problem is spotted, the more chances you have for solving it as soon as possible. Please don’t forget to bring your dog to the vet once you observe the signs indicated above. As they say, prevention is better than cure. Take care of your dog’s ears and you might save him from serious infections.