03/05/2026
Twice weekly ear cleaning is a great idea, particular for pets with allergies, floppy ears, or chronic ear infections. Some ear cleaners are medicated to try to reduce the pathogens that commonly cause issues. When cleaning ears, we recommend that you FILL the ear ca**l so that both the horizontal and vertical parts of the ear ca**l get the cleaner in them. Massage the base of the ear (you might hear a "squishing" noise) to help agitate the ear cleaner and break loose any debris. After your pet shakes their head, you can use a cotton ball to wipe out the gunk that comes up. Some pets don't appreciate the cooler temperature of the cleaner, so you might need to warm it up a little. Some cleaners can be more irritating on inflammed tissue, so if your pet usually is good for ear cleaning but is acting painful, that might be why. If your pet doesn't tolerate their ear getting filled with the liquid ear cleaner, you can try to super-saturate a cotton ball to where it is dripping wet, put it in the top of the ear ca**l, and massage the ear to "squish" the liquid into the ear ca**l. You may need to use multiple cotton balls if you have to do it this way. Dog with hairy ear ca**ls can benefit from the ears being plucked- this helps to open the ears and allow air to circulate, reducing retained moisture and preventing excess debris from being stuck into the hair.
