Let's Talk... About Cleaning Dogs Ears

Cleaning dogs ears consistently is an important part of keeping your Rottie as healthy as possible.

Now I know your dog hates having his ears cleaned, which makes it no fun for you either, but it really is important.

Depending on the breed, a dog can be susceptible to ear problems.

Rottweilers aren't really known for having problems, but my girl Savannah developed a pretty bad infection in her ears caused by an allergy to pollen.

Monthly cleaning will help keep dirt, pollen and debris from building up. Even if your dog doesn't develop an infection from dirty ears, you'll find that they don't smell very good.

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What products to use for dog ear cleaning

You could purchase an ear cleaning product from your veterinarian or local pet store that would do a find job, but it's not necessary.

The best product for cleaning dogs ears isn't actually store bought, it's a mixture of vinegar and water. It's easy to mix up, it's all natural, it's very cheap and it works great!

This solution was suggested to my folks by a friend who's a veterinarian. They tried it and it worked so good, we've all been using it ever since.

Mixture:  The mixture is equal parts of water to vinegar, so depending on the amount of liquid you need, just change the amount needed evenly. For most dogs ears the below ratio will give you what you need.

• 1/4 cup of water (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• Mix the two liquids together with a spoon

You can use any kind of suction mechanism to get the liquid in your dogs ears, like a large syringe with no needle. But I suggest using a "ball syringe" which is what people use to clean a child's nose (see picture).

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How to clean dogs ears

Squirt a fair amount of liquid into your dogs ear, and then massage the bottom of the ear for 30 seconds to a minute -- you should be able to hear the liquid squishing around.

You'll want to have a paper towel handy and wipe the liquid and debris from the upper portion of the inner ear. Be careful not to go too deep into your dogs ear, it's best to turn the paper towel in one direction several time.

You'll want to then stand back and let your dog shake his head a couple times, then wipe away any liquid from his ears, neck and face.

Speaking from experience, it's best to do this outside and have someone help you if possible.

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