Animals – Ear cleaning basics

Tis the season for pet ear infections, particularly in dogs. Why is that, and what can we do to prevent it? Prime suspect number one is humidity. Heat plus lingering damp (due to swimming, washing or just the weather) equals humidity, which sparks up an itchy yeasty overgrowth in the long ear canal of our furry friends.

Signs of yeast infections are brown sticky substance (exudate) visible within the ear, redness and behavioural changes. Yeast overgrowth in the external ear canal can be quite irritating or itchy, then a dirty great foot and set of claws goes in the ear to scratch it! Sometimes the ear is rubbed along the ground, introducing dirt and/or grass seeds, and even your pet’s own fur can be pushed down deep into the ear canal making the situation much worse. And so the “itch-scratch cycle” begins, which can lead to more serious problems if the ear canal isn’t cleaned. Some dogs, especially those with food allergies and thyroid issues, need their ears cleaned weekly just to prevent ear problems.

Prevention is always better than cure, and it’s fairly simple when explained with a diagram of the dog’s ear canal (which is similar to cats). In the accompanying diagram, we see a schematic cross-section of a dog’s ear. We are concentrating on the “external ear” structures:

1. the pinna (ear flap)
2. the vertical ear canal
3. the ear drum.

Between 2 and 3 is the horizontal ear canal.

To clean your pet’s ear canals, use a veterinary “ear cleaner” liquid (no script required) to loosen sticky build-up, while helping to control yeast overgrowth. A good method is to have treats ready and use them as required. Secure your pet, grasp the ear flap (1) with one hand and hold the open bottle of ear cleaner with the other. Invert and pour the ear cleaner deep into the vertical ear canal (2) while still holding the ear flap. Then put the cleaner bottle down, and use that hand to massage the vertical ear canal (felt as a tube on the side of the head) for one to two minutes. Then let go and let them shake their head, which helps get out debris loosened by the massage with ear cleaner. If the ears are particularly grubby and smelly, cleaning can be repeated twice daily for seven days, because then even the deepest of debris can be loosened by the cleaner and shaken out.

Signs of infection that require a vet visit are when your dog shows pain, either when ear cleaner is applied as explained, or when the ear is rubbed below the pinna (the ear flap). You don’t need a consult to collect ear cleaner for prevention, though. Looking for videos ‘how to use ear cleaner in dogs’ online can also be helpful.