Dog ears can get dirty periodically, especially during walks when dust and dirt may settle on the inner side of the ear flap, posing a risk of impaired hearing and inflammatory processes. Dogs cannot clean their ears on their own, so this task falls on the owner. Regular inspection and cleaning of the ears are essential components of canine hygiene.

How often does a dog need ear cleaning? Inspecting the ears to assess the degree of dirt and detect symptoms of potential illnesses is recommended at least once a week, preferably 2-3 times. The frequency of cleanings depends on several factors:

- Ear type: Hanging ears with poor ventilation tend to accumulate more dirt, requiring cleaning approximately once a week, while erect ears may need cleaning every two weeks.
- Living conditions and outdoor activity: Dogs kept outdoors or frequently walked on unpaved surfaces are more prone to ear dirt buildup compared to indoor dogs or those walked predominantly on asphalt.
- Age: Older dogs may produce more earwax, necessitating more frequent cleanings.
- Breed purpose: Working dogs that rely heavily on acute hearing may require more frequent ear inspections and cleanings.
- Health status: Illnesses accompanied by ear discharges may require cleaning several times a day, with a different technique than standard cleaning.

It's best to gauge the need for cleaning based on ear inspection results. If the ear flap is pale or dark pink, and there's no or very thin gray-yellow deposit, cleaning can be postponed. If there's a thick layer of buildup mixed with dirt and dust, visible dirt in the ear canal, immediate cleaning is necessary. You can gently wipe around the ear canal with a cotton swab and check for any residue, how noticeable it is. If the ears get dirtier than usual, have an unpleasant odor, show signs of rashes, crusts, swelling, hematomas, it's essential to consult a veterinarian. It's better not to clean the ears before a vet visit; the character of the discharge will help the vet make a more accurate diagnosis.

How to accustom a dog to ear cleaning?
It's best to start training a dog for any hygiene procedures, including ear cleaning, from an early age and gradually to avoid stress. It's possible to train older dogs, but it will take more time.

- Initially, simply call and pet the puppy, accompany the caress with gentle ear massages.
- Then gradually increase the duration of ear touches, look inside the ear flap.
- When the dog calmly reacts to prolonged ear contact, try running your finger along the edge of the ear flap, away from the ear canal, using a finger wrapped in gauze.
- Gradually expand the area of treatment, move deeper into the ear flap. Simultaneously, accustom the dog to the appearance and smell of the cleaning tools and solutions.
- You can only start cleaning the ear canals after the dog fully adapts to ear cleaning.

Each successful action should be accompanied by positive reinforcement; the dog should be rewarded with treats. It's essential not to force the dog during the training, refrain from scolding or punishing for disobedience to avoid forming a negative attitude towards the procedure.

Tools and supplies for dog ear cleaning. For cleaning a dog's ears, you can use:

- Cotton pads, cotton balls, cotton swabs.
- Veterinary moist wipes with hypoallergenic impregnation.
- Special lotions, gels for ear cleaning, which effectively dissolve sulfur deposits and usually have disinfecting, anti-inflammatory effects.
- Chlorhexidine solution diluted half with water or saline. The drug ensures effective disinfection, promotes wound healing, but can dry the skin significantly, so it's not recommended for regular use.
- A hemostat with a curved end.

If there's hair growing inside the dog's ear flap (typical for poodles, Yorkshire terriers, Maltese, and some other breeds), you'll also need:

- Powder to facilitate hair removal.
- Cosmetic tweezers with blunt ends.

You shouldn't use hygiene products (shampoo, soap, wet wipes) for humans, including baby cosmetics, household chemicals, alcohol-containing liquids, vinegar. It's not recommended to use hydrogen peroxide; it reacts with earwax, hisses, and heats up, which can scare the dog. It's impossible to damage a dog's eardrum, no matter what tool is used, since their ear canal is shaped like the letter G. However, when using cotton swabs, there's a risk of the swab detaching from the stick and getting stuck in the ear canal. If it's not removed in time, an inflammatory process may start. Therefore, it's acceptable to use cotton swabs for deep cleaning, but it's better to wrap a piece of cotton around the ends, clasp them, and wrap the cotton tightly around them. Such a tool can be used not only for cleaning ear canals but also for surface cleaning of the ear flaps of small dogs.

If an instrument (hemostat, tweezers) is used for multiple dogs, it should be disinfected with a disinfecting agent after each use and placed in a sterilizer (quartz lamp).

How to Properly Clean a Dog's Ears? It's essential to choose a moment when the dog is calm, relaxed, call it over, cuddle it, and inspect its ears. If you need to clean the ear flap from dirt, for larger animals, it's better to use a veterinary moist wipe or ordinary gauze, a cotton pad, and for smaller ones, you can use a hemostat with cotton. The material is moistened with lotion, chlorhexidine solution, squeezed, and the entire inner surface of the ear flap is wiped with a finger or a hemostat until the dirt disappears.

If there's a need to clean the ear canal, lotion is dripped into it, gel is squeezed to soften the earwax. Professional groomers prefer gel because it's more convenient to use and more economical. Veterinary product bottles usually come with a dispenser; the number of presses corresponds to the size of the animal. After filling the ear canal with liquid or gel, the base of the ear is lightly massaged for even distribution. The dog is allowed to shake its head to remove excess product, the skin of the ear canal is wiped with a cotton pad, and then all the folds are gently treated with a cotton swab on a hemostat or stick.

Breeds with hair growing inside the ear flap around the ear canal require special care. There's an opinion that the hair in the ears should not be touched at all or that it should be shaved off, but most groomers insist on the need to remove it by plucking. If the hair is not removed, it will completely block the ear canal, disrupt air exchange, leading to otitis. Trimming stimulates the growth of coarser hair, but if the hair in the ears is regularly plucked, it becomes thin, fluffy, and easy to remove. The plucking procedure should precede cleaning.

First, the ear canal is sprinkled with a special powder that improves the grip of hair with the tool or fingers and allows you to see where it grows. Then small strands of hair are grasped with tweezers closer to the base, but so as not to pinch the skin, cartilaginous tissue, and pulled out. Hairs that grow not in-depth but around the ear canal can be plucked with fingers. It's necessary to inspect all the folds, make sure there's no hair left, after which you can start cleaning using lotion, gel. The liquid product will help remove the remaining powder along with dirt.

Ear cleanliness is the key to their health
Ear cleaning is a mandatory hygiene procedure for dogs that needs to be performed as needed. For a healthy dog without wounds, skin irritation, ear inflammation, it's painless, although it may be accompanied by mild discomfort like tickling. Regular inspection and cleaning reduce the risk of developing various ear diseases and allow the early detection of their first signs to prevent complications.