Grooming : Basic Ear Care For Your Dog
I absolutely love rubbing my dog’s ears! Regardless of the shape and size, dog ears are adorable and most dogs melt with ecstasy when they get their ears rubbed. However, ear massages alone will not be enough to keep your dog or puppy’s ears healthy.
Ears are one of the central breeding areas for yeast infections, mites, fleas, etc. and it is your responsibility to take good care of that area to prevent the buildup of microscopic dangers. You will need to keep your dog’s ears free of moisture and build-up of wax because parasites grow best in that type of environment.
Different Ears Mean Different Cleaning Needs
Not all dog ears are created equal, therefore there are different cleaning regimens for different breeds. Some dogs need their ears cleaned every day, while others only need a touch-up every few weeks or so.
A good rule of thumb is knowing that dogs that have larger ear flaps will need some personal ear grooming attended to more often due to lack of circulation. You may also be faced with a dog that has too much hair growing from the inside of its ears. If so then you may want to trim away the excess air.
For all-around general dog ear-care advice, follow the tips below:
1. As we spoke of earlier, moisture inside the ear can be very attractive to parasites and fungus. Mixed with ear wax and dirt, this creates a breeding ground of health problems for your dog. One way to combat this is to avoid water from going into your dog’s ears. When bathing your pet, get him used to have thick balls of cotton placed inside the ears so that no water enters inside.
2. Pay extra attention to cleaning your dog’s outer ear flap. You’ll want to use some sort of ear solution that will help in preventing infections. You simply use a very soft cloth or a cotton ball, soak it in the solution, and gently rub the flaps clean. However, be careful not to clean too deep inside because the ear is extremely tender, and going too far inside can cause pain. And be sure not to use a Q-tip or any other sharp cleaning object because you can easily damage your dog’s ear canal if poked too hard. This kind of damage to the ears cannot be repaired.
