How to Clean a Dog's Ears: Step-by-Step Expert Guide

This expert guide to how to clean dog ears was written by a veterinarian, Dr. Pippa Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS. It was last reviewed on July 10, 2024

If you have questions or concerns, call your vet, who is best equipped to ensure the health and well-being of your pet. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See additional information.

Is Ear Cleaning Good or Bad for Your Dog?

Is ear cleaning good or bad for your dog, and how to clean a dog's ears properly? And if it's good, what’s the right way to do it?

The truth is, that cleaning a dog’s ears incorrectly can cause damage. However, when done correctly, it promotes good health — like any year-round grooming.

• Cleaning a dog’s ears the wrong way can damage the ear, so learning how to clean a dog's ears correctly is crucial.
• Proper ear cleaning promotes good health, and knowing how to clean a dog's ears can help.
• The right technique can reduce the need for vet visits.

This article gives you sound advice on what to use, when to use it, and how to clean a dog's ears to cut down on vet visits.

Do I Need to Clean My Dog's Ears?

One of my favorite sayings is: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So let’s start by determining if your dog actually needs their ears cleaned.

Give the Ear the Sniff Test

Lift your dog’s ear flap and give it a good sniff to check if you need to learn how to clean a dog's ears. How does it smell?

• If the answer is “My dog’s ears stink,” then you'll need to clean those smelly dog ears.
• Other signs that the dog's ears need attention:

However, a healthy ear may not need cleaning. There are dogs who go their whole life without needing their ears cleaned. These pups are best left alone, as nature has blessed them with good ears. Introducing an ear cleaner, especially a "bad" one, can disrupt this delicate balance and cause problems.

What Does a Healthy Ear Look Like?

• A normal dog ear should have nice, pink skin that isn’t inflamed or angry looking. The skin should be supple and soft with a healthy glow to it.
• Conversely, an ear that glows an angry red or has ulcers, feels or looks greasy, or has a discharge or flaky skin is not normal.

The entrance to the ear canal should be a distinct dark hole. A narrow ear canal can indicate long-term, low-grade inflammation.

Now compare one ear with the other: Do they both look the same? If they do, then chances are those ears don’t need cleaning.

What Does Discharge From a Dog's Ears Mean?

What is the brown stuff in my dog’s ears and how to clean a dog's ears to prevent it? Dogs do produce ear wax but not in any great volume. Although a small amount of brown wax can be normal, if there are lumps of it or it’s plugging the ear canal, then this is not normal.

• Lumps of brown wax in your dog's ears indicate a yeast infection or that ear mites have moved in. These ears are likely to be itchy, and the dog may keep you awake at night with the thump-thump of a back leg.
• Cream-colored, yellow, or green discharge from your dog's ears indicates infection. If this is the case, don’t delay — see the veterinarian now. This isn’t going to settle down without treatment, and a delay will allow the infection to become better established.

Should I Clean Smelly Dog Ears?

Sometimes no, but mostly yes. Do not clean your dog's ears if:

• The dog has a head tilt: This can indicate a middle or inner ear problem. If the ear drum is ruptured and you put cleaner in it, this can be toxic to the inner chambers of the ear. For more, see my article "Why Does My Dog Suddenly Have a Head Tilt?"
• The dog is in pain: They may need pain relief from the vet before the ear can be touched.
• There’s a cream, yellow, or green discharge: This needs treatment, and the vet may need to swab the discharge for culture and sensitivity.
• The skin has sores or is inflamed: An ear cleaner in contact with ulcerated skin may be very painful.
• Bleeding or swelling: See your vet.

But otherwise, if your dog has a lot of brown wax or if the ear is generally stinky, you may go ahead and give it a clean with a good ear cleaning solution — which I'll tell you more about below.

How Often Should I Clean Smelly Dog Ears?

The answer to this question is a little long-winded, but bear with me — all dogs are different.

• If your dog’s ears need cleaning to prevent recurrent ear infections, your vet is best placed to guide you about how often and how to clean a dog's ears.
• You’re aiming for the sweet spot, where you remove debris that could play host to bacteria and mites without over-cleaning and damaging the skin’s natural balance. Knowing how to clean a dog's ears properly is essential for this.

For a normal ear cleaning, once every 2–4 weeks is sufficient.

• If a dog gets regular ear infections, I advise cleaning the ears every 1–2 weeks. If the cotton wool comes back clean, then you don’t need to do anything until the next cleaning.
• But if the cotton wool is really mucky, clean the ears again the next day. Repeat. If the cotton wool is still mucky, then clean for a 3rd day. And if on the 3rd day the cotton wool is still mucky, then see the vet.

This helps you spot an ear infection early and seek help before it becomes established. But try to avoid unnecessary visits because the ear just happens to be a bit waxy that day.

What Is the Best Dog Ear Cleaner?

You may be wondering, "What can I use to clean my dog's ears at home?" or "How can I clean my dog’s ears naturally? Understanding how to clean a dog's ears using natural methods is important?" Here's the deal: What you use to clean the ears matters — a lot!

If you use the wrong dog ear cleaner, you can turn a healthy ear into an infected one.

Avoid water-based cleaners as they can weaken the skin and make it vulnerable to infection. Knowing how to clean a dog's ears properly helps avoid these issues.

Wondering how to clean dog ears with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide? Do not attempt either of these as they are too harsh and can cause excessive drying and irritation. The best dog ear cleaner has properties such as:

• It evaporates quickly to avoid "wetting" the ear canal.
• It’s sympathetic to the skin’s natural pH.
• It gently dissolves wax and debris without stripping away oil.
• It doesn’t sting or irritate the ear canal.

Best Dog Ear Cleaner: My Favorites

Here are my top picks for the best dog ear cleaners to use when learning how to clean a dog's ears:

• Virbac Epi-Otic: Though more expensive, it’s highly effective and can help reduce infections.
• Vétoquinol Ear Cleansing Solution

Note on dog ear cleaning wipes: These only clean the outer parts of the ear, which is not very effective. The ear canal is long, and wiping just the top is insufficient.

Watch this quick video on how to clean a dog's ears:

Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Clean Dog Ears

You have the best dog ear cleaner — now what? Here are the steps to clean your dog's ears effectively: Prepare Your Dog Lift the Dog's Ear Flap Apply the Ear Cleaning Solution Use Cotton Wool Massage the Ear Clean Excess Solution Let the Dog Shake Repeat on the Other Side

Here's our handy illustrated guide to cleaning a dog's ears:

Additional Notes on How to Clean Dog Ears

You can use the best cleaner in the world, but if you’re stingy with the amount, it’s not going to work.

• Generous Application: The ear canal is long and bendy and can hold a lot of liquid. Be generous — lavish even — with the amount of ear cleaner you put in. Squeeze the cleaner in until it overflows or you see a pool of it sitting in the ear canal.
• Proper Massage: Massage the ear canal. You’ll know when you’re in the right place — you’ll hear a squidgy sound. Some dogs love this and push their head against your hand as though you’ve hit the spot of an itch.
• Wipe Away Excess: Use a new piece of cotton wool to wipe away the excess dribbling out of the ear. Then stand back and let the dog shake their head. This brings muck and debris up to the surface for you to wipe away.

Can I Clean My Dog’s Ears With Q-Tips?

No. Do not use a Q-tip to clean a dog's ears.

Medics have a saying about human ears: “You shouldn’t put anything smaller than an elbow into the ear canal.” The same goes for dogs.

• Risk of Damage: There’s a real risk of the dog moving at the wrong moment, causing you to damage their ear drum with a Q-tip.
• Wax Impaction: Instead of removing wax, Q-tips may push wax deeper into the ear, causing an impaction.
• Just don’t go there.

Plucking Your Dog's Ears

Is ear plucking a good idea? This is much debated among vets.

The Argument for Ear Plucking

A hairy ear canal traps air, making the ear canal moist and humid, which is the perfect breeding ground for infection.

The Argument Against Ear Plucking

Plucking hair is traumatic and painful. It also means ripping hair out of the follicle, which causes inflammation. Again, weakening the skin can lead to infection.

See the problem? There’s no ideal solution, and controversy rages about whether routine plucking is a good idea.

My middle-of-the-road answer is: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Sound familiar?

• If your dog has hairy ears but never gets an ear infection, then just leave the ears be.
• But if the dog gets a repeated monthly infection, then the argument tips in favor of plucking. By removing the ear canal hair and improving the air circulation, it may make the ear canal less favorable for bacterial growth.
• See your vet for personalized advice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

References

• Panning, Amy, DVM. "Instructions for Ear Cleaning in Dogs." VCA Hospitals. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/instructions-for-ear-cleaning-in-dogs.
• Bloom, Paul, DVM, DACVD, DAVBP. "A Practical Approach to Diagnosing and Managing Ear Disease in the Dog." Veterinary Learning Systems. 2009. https://vetfolio-vetstreet.s3.amazonaws.com/mmah/c3/13385c822e43abb02491daa96c21ce/filePV0509_WEB_Bloom_EarDisease.pdf.
• Moriello, Karen A., DVM, DACVD. "Ear Structure and Function in Dogs." Merck Veterinary Manual. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/ear-disorders-of-dogs/ear-structure-and-function-in-dogs.