Your pup’s lugholes are one of the most sensitive parts of its little body. In fact, they’re so sensitive, they’ve been known to hear termites scuttling in the walls.
And superhero skills like that require fine upkeep.
But how do you even know when your dog's ears need cleaning? It’s not like they can shine the ear wax symbol up into the night sky for you.
Don’t worry, we have you covered. In this blog, we’ll tell you how often you should be dejunking your pup’s lugholes and just how you know when they need doing.
How Often Should You Clean Your Dog’s Ears?
Experts say you should aim to give your pooches’ receiver’s a once-over every month. However, this number can shorten to once every couple of weeks if you own a floppy-eared breed.
There’s no denying that droopy dog ears are especially cute. But those loveable flaps can become a breeding ground for dirt, grime, and nasty bacteria.
Although, keeping up to date with their maintenance doesn’t need to be an all-consuming challenge. Our ear cleaning wipes are perfect for giving them a spritz on the move or when they need a top-up. But how do you know when that is?
How Do You Know When Your Dog’s Ears Need Cleaning?
If you own one of those floppy-eared cuties we mentioned or regularly indulge in wet or dirty walks with your hound, then you will want to be reaching for the wipes a little more regularly.
Away from visible grime, there are some behavioural signals to watch out for when your pooch has some muck in their lugholes.
- Aggressive head shaking
- Excessive head and ear scratching
- Holding their head to the side
- Redness on the inner ear
- Discharge from the ears
There are some subtle signs to knowing when to clean your dog’s ears.
Photo by Mitchell Orr on Unsplash
Why Do Dogs Need Their Ears Cleaning?
As we said at the start, your dogs’ ears are vitally important to their perception and enjoyment of the world around them.
Dirt or wax build-ups in their ears can cause soreness and irritation which can have some pretty nasty knock-on issues like bacterial infection and ear mites.
But prolonged irritation from uncomfortable, itchy, or sore ears could start to have detrimental effects on your best friend’s mental health. Depression in dogs is real and this kind of discomfort could help exacerbate those issues.
What Is The Best Way To Clean Your Dog’s Ears?
Luckily, cleaning your dog’s ears couldn’t be simpler. Whether you’re using wipes or a solution and cotton balls.
Squeeze your cleaning solution into the ear. Then massage the base of the ear to move the liquid down. Let them shake their head as this will also encourage the solution to penetrate the ear canal. Next, use the cotton balls to move the dislodged debris - but never go too deep.
Don’t use cotton buds to clean your dog’s ears. They’re too delicate and shoving a Q-tip down their can cause lasting damage.
Final Thoughts
Your dog’s ears are one of the most sensitive parts of its body. So when they get full of dirt and debris it can affect their demeanour.
Watch out for the telltale signs of clogs and regularly treat your pup's lugholes with a good wipe.
Find out more about our complete dog cleaning wipes range. Here’s how they can help wipe away all health risks.