Pet Health And Care  >>  Questions Asked  >>  Dog Care

How to clean and remove water from dog's ear?



(May 27, 2010)

The problem of water getting into a dog’s ears is not uncommon, particularly if the dog in concern has a penchant for swimming, and it could also result from bathing. The matter of importance here is that you attempt to dry out the ear as swiftly as possible. Moisture in ears is a cause for concern as it can lead to dog ear fungus infection. Ear cleaning solutions for dogs are available at most pet care stores or medical stores and can be quite handy. Using such a solution will help get rid of not just the moisture, but any dirt and wax that may have accumulated. For dog ear care, keep up this practice in the future, whether or not you worry about water having entered the dog’s ear. If your dog goes swimming then follow it on a weekly basis, and in other cases a monthly cleaning would do fine.

As you may have found out, dogs’ tend to be pretty sensitive about their ears and if you don’t handle the situation tactfully, you can cause the dog to snap at you or simply whimper in protest.
  • To get started, get your dog to sit with you and place his head on your lap. The dog should be on its side, so that the ear is facing you. In most cases you’d need to fill half the ear up with the solution, but make sure you check the instructions before attempting to do so.
  • The solution must stay in for around thirty seconds, during which you need to gently massage the base of the ear.
  • After the 30 seconds are up you can allow your dog to go free, and he will undoubtedly stand and shake his head quite vigorously to get rid of that annoying solution.
  • Get him to sit with you and rest his head, as before, on your lap so that you can clean out the ear thoroughly. You can use a cotton swab to wipe out the inner ear, but make sure you do this very carefully. Do not push the cotton deep in, as it can get lodged in and pose and even bigger problem.
  • Once you’re done repeat the procedure on the ear.
In the future try and take steps to ensure that water doesn’t get into your dog’s ears. Whether he’s off swimming or bathing, make sure you first lodge cotton balls in his ears to minimize the entry of water. As soon as he’s done with his activity, get rid of the cotton and towel dry the outer ear gently, as well as any easily accessible areas.
Submitted by N M on May 27, 2010 at 10:38

 
Read more questions in Dog Care
 
Log In Here
*
(User name is your email address)
*
 

Explore Pet Categories
  • Questions Asked