Pet, Dog Ear Grooming Tips and Cleaning

Most pets do not like this, but the excess hair that forms in the ears must be clipped. Excess hair can build moisture that will trap bacteria and cause ear infections or be a breeding ground for ear mites. These types of afflictions can cause your pet a great deal of discomfort. Infections cause the animal to scratch and shake their head. Mites can actually cause the animal to do damage to their inner canal as they stick their nails inside trying to scratch. Large eared dogs already have a predisposition for ear problems and the shaking of their ears back in forth can rupture blood vessels. Professional pet groomers have specialized equipment to remove ear hair, but the novice may use nose hair trimmers to get the same effect.

You will need the following tools for the ear cleaning procedure. Carefully read and follow instructions supplied with all products before using them.

· Hemostat or for the novice nose hair trimmers(sterilized before and after each procedure).
· Pet/Dog medicated ear powder (deodorizer too).
· Pet/Dog ear cleaning solution.
· Cotton (sterile medical grade preferred).

Do not use Q-Tips or alcohol.

Below are some basic ear cleaning steps for dogs. We do not provide these steps as complete, professional ear cleaning. We encourage pet owners to use the services of a professional groomer and veterinarian for ear cleaning.

Ear Grooming Steps

Pet owners should practice preventative ear health maintenance and check their dog's ears at least once a week.

1. Lift the dog's ear flap and expose the inside flap the ear facing you. Using your thumb and index finger, quickly remove hair as needed around the external ear opening. Pull in the direction of hair growth and only small amounts of hair at one time. If there is hair in the ear canal it should be removed when there are no signs of ear health problems. However, never clean or remove hair more than one-half inch down into the ear opening. The ear area further down in the ear canal is best left to veterinary care. Spray a light amount of medicated ear powder in ears with excess wax and hair to dry the wax, and make the hair easier to pull and provides better traction.

2. Using hemostats, grasp small amounts of pet hair and pull outward toward you slowly. Careful, don't pinch the sensitive ear skin. You must exercise this extreme caution in order not to disturb or damage the ear drum. Clean the hemostats after drawing out hair and wax, and continue removing hair until done.

3. If you see foreign matter, a discharge, heavy wax buildup or even a melanoma (tumor). Discontinue further cleaning when you uncover any serious ear problem and call your veterinary for medical treatment.

4. Look for additional ear wax and matter to clean from the ear. Moisten cotton ball very lightly (absolutely no dripping) with a small amount of pet ear cleaning solution, and swab and clean the ear canal area outward to the ear flap. Repeat as needed. Ensure you have removed all ear powder from ears.

Do not use water in the cleaning process. Do not syringe pet ears; it is a veterinary procedure only. If you are uncertain how to proceed, don't. Seek professional veterinary care. When you bathe any dog you should also place cotton in their ears to prevent water from entering the ear canal, and the ear area (especially on those dogs with ear flaps) must be completely dry so as not to provide a damp environment favored by bacteria and fungus.