Dealing With Doggy Ear Infections

Got a dog with floppy ears? Or one that loves to go swimming? Then you are probably familiar with canine ear infections.

Bacteria love warm, moist environments, and the inside of a dog’s ear—especially one that hangs down and prevents air circulation—is a bacterial dream home. (There’s no hard evidence that droopy ears are more infection-prone than upright ears, but anecdotally, veterinarians say they see more infections in dogs whose ears hang down.)

Ears can become infected when dogs get baths or go swimming and don’t have their ears thoroughly dried afterward. Infections also occur when air inside the ears can’t circulate well because the dog has too much hair or wax inside the ear, or because the dog’s ear canals are too narrow (stenotic, in vet speak).

No matter what kind of ears your dog has, you can keep them clean and infection-free with an ear-care routine. Start by looking at the ears. If they are healthy, the skin lining the ear canal should look pinkish-gray, like the skin on the dog’s belly or beneath his fur. A light coating of golden-colored wax is normal and helps to stop dirt or foreign objects from going farther inside the ear. There shouldn’t be any grass seeds or other little foreign objects.

Sniff the ears. They shouldn’t smell yeasty or otherwise unpleasant.

If your dog’s ears are normal, that’s all you need to do. There’s no need to routinely clean a dog’s ears unless they are dirty or have more wax than normal.

When it looks as if the inside of the ear has a heavy coating of wax colored more gray than light brown, clean the ears with a mild product for dogs, such as Oti-Clens, available from veterinarians and pet supply stores. Don’t use alcohol. Ear tissue is delicate, and alcohol dries it out and causes irritation.

The best way to clean the ears is to hold the dog’s head so the nose is pointing downward. That way, when you squirt in the ear cleaner, it will flow deep into the ear canal.

Use enough cleaner to fill the ear, then gently massage the outside of the ear. A squishing sound means the cleaner is making its way into the ear canal. Let your dog shake, then wipe out the ear using a tissue wrapped around your finger. The cleaner softens the gunk inside the ear and the shaking brings it out, so there’s no need to use a cotton swab, which just packs debris deeper into the ear.

What if you check your dog’s ears and find that they look red, smell bad or have a black, brown or yellowish discharge? Those are classic signs of an ear infection, which means it’s time for a trip to the veterinarian, especially if your dog has been shaking his head a lot or scratching at his ears.

If you catch an infection in time, most are cleared up pretty easily after a thorough veterinary cleaning and treatment with ear drops or ointment for five to seven days.

The easiest way to prevent ear infections is to keep the ears dry and clean. When you bathe your dog, place a cotton ball inside its ears to prevent water and shampoo from entering. If your dog enjoys swimming, dry the ears thoroughly when the animal is through splashing around. A little drop of white vinegar inside each ear after swimming or a bath can also help.

If your dog has been out hiking with you, check for grass seeds and remove them so they don’t irritate the ear and lead to an infection. Your dog and your wallet will thank you.

Tip: Never put any medications in your dog’s ears without first checking with your veterinarian. Certain drugs can cause problems if they are applied when there is damage to the eardrum, and there’s no way of knowing if such damage exists without a veterinary exam. So don’t borrow canine ear medication from a friend thinking you will just treat the problem yourself. Your dog could lose its hearing.