do you clean your dogs ears??

[tikeyas_mom]

how often should a dogs ear be cleaned? How do you know if they are dirty? My dogs ears (tikeya) is verys hairy inside and I cant see the skin .

What do you use to clean a dogs ears? cutip???

thanks

Tikeya and jynnelle*

[wolf_Q]

I clean Nebo's whenever I take him to work.....which is at least once a month. How often they should be cleaned kind of depends on the dog. If the dog is prone to ear infections, or has heavy ears that hang down (like cockers, hounds, etc.) they should be cleaned more often. You can look at the ear and see if it's dirty usually...there will be a buildup of brownish earwax and sometimes an odor.

When I clean the ears I use an Ear Cleaner (available at pet stores)....just pour a bit on a cotton ball and swab it in ear. If the ear is very dirty sometimes you have to use 2-3 cotton balls.

[CathyBogart]

Star's ears I check weekly and clean as needed, usually once a month. Wilbur's, I'm noticing, need to be cleaned bi-weekly or so.

[Kater]

Some links on the topic:

http://webcenter.petplace.aol.com/ar...asp?artID=3215

"Do Not use Q-tips or any other objects in the ear canal. This can push the dirt further into the ear canal leading to more serious problems for your dog. It is safest to only clean the part of the ear that you can visually see."
http://www.indulgeyourpet.com/cleaningears.shtml

http://www.cybercanine.com/earcare.htm

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/sniffbut...rcleaning.html

[kingrattus]

I asked my vet (years & years ago) the same questions about ear care. She told me to only clean what I can see (all the bumpy stuff) with a Q-tip & showed me how. She put in a Q-tip & dragged the wax UP out of the ear, she said not to go downwards. & because Max is highly pron to ear infections (as we learned) We have a huge bottle of special ear ceaner/drying stuff. Everytime I clean Max's ears I have to pour some of the stuff into his ears. When ever Max sees the bottle he'll cry abit, but he knows it has to be done.

I lay him down, clean with a Q-tip, roll him over clean the other one with a Q-tip & the I tell him not to move & pour the stuff in one ear & rub the outside of his ear & roll him over again & pour the stuff in that ear & rub it... Then I tell him to stay & not to move until I can run away from him.

He'll shake his head & the extra cleaner will flyout & go everywhere & getting that stuff in ur mouth is the worst taste ever!! & the thought of where it just was doesn't help.

[slleipnir]

Urg..I should be an expert on cleaning ears by now. Josie seems to be pron to ear infections and gets them a lot. I just look to see if her ears are red (doesn't have to be right in the ear, even the outter part) Now Zeke seems like he might be pron as well -sigh- He had a REALLY bad infection a while ago..I didn't even know till he started shaking his head a lot and yulped if you touched it..he has a lot of fur too in his ears...

[kingrattus]

slleipnir go to ur vet & ask for some ear cleaner/drier stuff, it should be in a white plastic bottle with blue on it. If the ears seem a tad red put some in, if the dogs get wet, put some in, when u clean their ears put some in. Max had to have an operation cause of an ear infection & we were told to give him lots of the stuff. & Max hasn't had problems since & when little ones start up, we give him some once a day untill the red is gone & poof he's ok.

[tikeyas_mom]

thanks guys, I will get a cotton ball fluff and get it a lil damp and I will swipe in Tikeyas ears like wolf_Q suggested, I dont have any ear cleaner stuff though, and my parents are camping and I cant drive lol "failed my test", but thanks for the advise everyone

[wolfsoul]

I'd suggest getting an actual cleaner. Qtips shouldn't be used because they push dirt and wax buildup farther into the ear canal, making it more likely that a dog will get an infection.
I really need to get some more cleaner...

[tikeyas_mom]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
I'd suggest getting an actual cleaner. Qtips shouldn't be used because they push dirt and wax buildup farther into the ear canal, making it more likely that a dog will get an infection.
I really need to get some more cleaner...

I dont really want to walk all the way to the nearest pet store to get cleaner, since I have 0$ because I spent it on food for me for the two weeks that I am home alone. My mom didnt leave me any food . so now I have no moola and no transportation. and ya it sux.

I am not going to use a cutip, I am going to use a cotton ball .

[binka_nugget]

Maybe...if the person who has you for the petswap will see this thread and buy you some ear cleaner...Lol

I use a bit of ear cleaner on a cotton ball. I clean at our big weekly grooming session.

[tikeyas_mom]

big weekly cleaning session. nver jerd of it hahahaha

I just brush Tikeya once a month, and I just brushed her teeth the other day.

[binka_nugget]

LOL! i wish I could just do once a month. But weekly isn't too bad. I have to make sure I brush everyday to keep it tidy until our big weekly grooming. If I miss a couple days, his hair is a mess (kind of like mine when I wake up).

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by tikeyas_mom
thanks guys, I will get a cotton ball fluff and get it a lil damp and I will swipe in Tikeyas ears like wolf_Q suggested, I dont have any ear cleaner stuff though, and my parents are camping and I cant drive lol "failed my test", but thanks for the advise everyone

Your parents went camping without you?!?

[tikeyas_mom]

popcornbird my parents always do stuff without me, Because I dont feel like leaving my rats with a friend, I cant go anywhere fun. . They went on a 2 week camping trip 6 hours away, without me .

*sigh*

and binka I can understand why you have to brush Kai everyday I mean he is a sheltie right? lol he must get stangles . Tikeya doesnt get tangles since she has a short coat.