Cleaning of ears

[akzz]

Can someone explain the procedure, what you use, when you do it and how you do it.

Any tips? Using treats?

[lneill84]

I would have your vet show you the first time. Its fairly easy on my dogs, because they have such huge ears :), but you have to be very careful and it helps to have a helper. I also use ear cleaning solution given to me by my vet. You can start to get your dog accustomed to having his ears done by handling them, moving them around, all done with lots of praise. Im not a big believer in treats, but if it works, it works

[asta7775]

For sure have your vet show you how to do it, as if it is done wrong you can do some serious damage, also the safest ear cleaner's are from your vet, I would be wary of ones sold in pet stores, also don't use q-tips or put the solution directly into the ear unless advised by the vet.

[maryjane238]

get a good ear cleaner. if your dog is prone to ear infections - make sure you get one from your vet. if not, and you are just doing maintenence cleanings, get an all natural cleaner from a pet supply store.
buy some gauze wipes or rolled cotton from a drug store. pick up some q-tips as well but ONLY use them on the ear flap, not in the ear canal. your vet can show you how to use them in the ear canal.
pour the ear cleaner down the ear canal. some dogs will just freak about this because it feels odd to them. it you can't do it this way, try soaking the gauze in the cleaner (less effective so only if necessary).
after your pour in the cleaner, unroll the gauze or tear off a strip of the cotton and use your finger to stuff it down the ear canal. the ear canal bends so your finger will NOT be able to reach the eardrum. after the gauze/cotton is in place, massage the base of the ear for about 15 seconds and pull the gauze out. if there is a lot of debris on the gauze, you may need to repeat the process a few times.
after the last time, dry the canal and ear flap with a piece of dry gauze or cotton.
for maintenence, usually one cleaning every 2 weeks or so will suffice. if the ears are infected or especially dirty, clean every 3-4 days until cleared up. if this is the case, you should also have your vet check to see if any medication is needed and to make sure that the eardrum is still visible. if it is not, the ears will need to be flushed by the vet.

i hope that all made sense to you!