2 Simple Steps For Dog Ear Cleaning at Home

Dog ear cleaning at home is a skill set you can learn to keep your dog healthy. Keeping your dog’s skin and coat healthy is an important part of dog care maintenance. Did you know that the lining of the ear canal is an extension of your dog’s skin?  Any condition that affects your dog’s skin, such as food allergies or inhalant allergies (atopy), can also affect the lining of their ear canals. Certain breeds are known to have more sensitive skin or be prone to allergies. One example is the West Highland White Terriers, they have a higher incidence of ear infections, but this is because they have sensitive skin. Bacteria and fungus are much more likely to grow on irritated skin. In these situations, the infections are said to be “secondary” because they are likely there only because of skin irritation. This also means that the infection is likely to keep coming back until the skin condition is resolved. 

An important thing to remember about dog ear cleaning at home is that most dogs do not require any kind of regular deep ear cleaning. Most dogs only require a surface cleaning that you would give during normal grooming. More extensive ear cleanings are typically only necessary if your dog has some type of active ear condition. 

Any dog can develop an ear condition at some point in their life, however, some breeds are more prone to ear conditions because of

1) the structure of their ear canal

2) their lifestyle

3) the presence of hair in the ear canals

Things to watch for:  

• Discomfort when lifting the earflap.
• Dark or malodorous discharge.
• Swelling and redness at the ear opening. 
• Behaviors such as scratching at the ear and shaking of the head.

There are many potential causes of ear infections in dogs, so partnering with your veterinarian when you see any of these signs will help in diagnosing the problem and providing relief to your pet. There are also many new products that have become available in the last few years for treating both infections and the underlying causes, like allergies. If your dog has chronic or recurring ear problems, you may want to consult a veterinary dermatologist to see if there are any tests or treatments they recommend to help diagnose and resolve your dog’s condition. 

If you suspect your dog may have an ear infection, particularly if you see discharge in your dog’s ear, you can also utilize an at-home testing kit from FetchDx to help arm your vet with the information they will need to make a diagnosis. 

The FetchDx test checks for various bacteria, because not all antibiotics are effective against specific bacterial species. It’s important that the veterinarian has these test results available before they put your dog on medications, as certain bacteria require special targeted antibiotics and treatments to be effective. Your veterinarian may also recommend follow-up visits and testing to ensure that the infection is eliminated since partial resolution can lead to chronic and escalating issues.

When you sign up for Dog Spotted, you also will have access to an exclusive discount code to get your FetchDX kit for your pup.