# How often do you clean your dogs ears?



## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

Hiya all

After talking to my friend who owns a cocker spaniel that is very prone to ear infections I was wondering how often you all cleaned your GSDs ears and if you you use a specific cleaner??

I have never had ear troubles with my dogs *knockonwood* so i have never actually cleaned their ears particularly thoroughly. If i notice there's a bit of black waxy stuff visible when just looking in I'll get a tissue and wipe it out. 
But I have never considered buying an ear cleaner etc.
My dogs do do swimming a lot so i was a bit concerned by water getting in their ears but it doesn't seem to have been a problem so far.

Any comments or suggestions are appreciated


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## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

When they get dirty! Honestly, gsds in general dont have problems. Other breeds need almost daily washes/rinsed. Count yourself lucky in that regard.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I cleaned a dog's ears in 2008 but he had allergies.


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## AJT (Jun 20, 2012)

Had a cocker spaniel and a lab before my GSD. Lots of ear cleaning with the first two but really the spaniel had to had his ears cleaned at least once every 3 days. The lab maybe once a week? The GSD...she is super fussy with ear cleaning and that is maybe once every two weeks in the summer because we are at the doggy beach. I haven't really touched her ears since Sept/Oct. They look and smell clean.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

jocoyn said:


> I cleaned a dog's ears in 2008 but he had allergies.


LOL!
I try to clean mine weekly, or at least monthly. I keep a solution of Witch hazel, boric acid powder and gentian violet. Put a little on a gauze pad and wipe the ear out.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Depends on the dog. The GSDs require very little upkeep. I have a Rottie and Golden with me that both have floppy ears that require biweekly cleanings. Makes me appreciate GSD ears!


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

I clean Rocky's ears twice a week and brush his teeth every other day. My vet said he has the nicest teeth of any dog that comes to the clinic  I won't have to pay 200+ for amnesia and dental cleaning in the future because of it!


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## hattifattener (Oct 7, 2011)

i do not clean.
just check every now and then.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

x0emiroxy0x said:


> I clean Rocky's ears twice a week and brush his teeth every other day. My vet said he has the nicest teeth of any dog that comes to the clinic  I won't have to pay 200+ for amnesia and dental cleaning in the future because of it!



I don't have to pay for amnesia, either.
It comes free of charge as one advances in age.


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## hattifattener (Oct 7, 2011)

Sunflowers said:


> I don't have to pay for amnesia, either.
> It comes free of charge as one advances in age.


:spittingcoffee:


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

GSDs and other prick-eared dogs don't tend to have as many ear problems as dogs with big, floppy, hairy ears like Cockers. A Cocker should have its ears cleaned (or checked) at least twice a week. A GSD? Heck, I gave my GSD a bath a couple weeks ago, I cleaned her ears then, but they weren't very dirty--I think it had been a couple of months since the last time I'd cleaned them. 

I don't really even look at my GSD's ears unless she is holding her head or ears funny. Now, my Akbash dog, who had floppy ears, was prone to infections so I would do the "sniff test" on his ears about once a week. A dog's ears should smell like nothing--if there is any odor, I get down with the ear cleaner. Despite being an outdoor dog, his ears stayed relatively clean unless he had an infection brewing.

As a dog groomer, every dog that comes to me gets its ears cleaned whether they need it or not--but like I said, it's the floppy ears you have to watch out for.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

Once a week. All it took was for my Aussie to have one bad ear infection, and after that I even included the cat in the weekly routine. I buy the ear cleaner (liquid) and the ear wipes from Foster & Smith. You can get ear cleaner from your vet or any pet supply store. If you are concerned about swimming water, you may want to ask your vet if there is a different type of drop to use. Anway I squirt a little in the ear - Sting shakes - then I wipe out the ear with a cotton ball, repeat with cotton ball, and finish with the ear wipe. Sting gets a small treat after drop, cotton ball, and ear wipe. After both ears are done -he gets a larger reward. I also use a finger brush to clean his teeth twice weekly. I also am a believer in "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

You should be cleaning their ears?

I always look in her ears, but beside the odd swipe with a paper towel have never really cleaned her ears. My English Setter was another story.


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

Very seldom, may occasionally wipe with a warm, soft wash cloth.


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## frillint1 (Sep 2, 2010)

I have never cleaned them. When they get their nails done they do their ears to, but they are hardly dirty. They seem to clean each others ears.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

My Cocker Tazer only needed his ears cleaned if he got into a large amount of carbs - like when he stole and ate the loaf of bread off the kitchen counter.

Mauser (GSD) and the Crested Crew get their ears checked when I cut nails. I do need to pull hair from inside the Cresteds ears but rarely does anyone need their ears cleaned.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I can't remember the last time I cleaned a GSD's ears.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

We clean the skin in the upper part and just inside once in a while, mostly because my old guy _loves _to have his ears cleaned. We use gauze or a cotton square soaked in a very gentle, all natural, alcohol-free ear cleaner. He'll turn his head to press it against the hand cleaning it and groan in delight. It makes him happy, and at his age, whatever makes him happy he gets.

We only clean the inside of the ear (by dribbling the same stuff in, massaging, and letting them shake it out) when it gets gunky--very rare, unless someone's been sick.


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## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

I feel better now  Sticky up ears are awesome 

Magwart I have a horse that s like your dog, she loves having someone stick their fingers in her ears and clean them (so weird) but she does get large waxy deposits and they must itch. Did you know horse ear wax is yellow LOL


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

I don't touch Riley or Shasta's ears. They get checked to see if they need to be cleaned but never any problems. Zena's ears had to be cleaned weekly to four times a week when she starts developing an infection.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Heidi's ear seldom get cleaned because she doesn't want anyone near them! I think she needs it, because there is a slight odor, although she doesn't seem in any pain. A trip to the vet is probably in order, sigh.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

We've had Joey for 16 months, and haven't cleaned his ears yet. They get checked by the vet during routine visits.


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## CuriousKira (Mar 15, 2011)

I clean Kira's ears weekly, but she seems to have pretty sensitive ears. Last year we had a few ear infections and narrowed it down to a possible grain sensitivity. I use Zymox ear cleaner & also their other ear solution when her ear gets red or itchy and it clears it up in 1 day.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

KZoppa said:


> I don't touch Riley or Shasta's ears. They get checked to see if they need to be cleaned but never any problems. Zena's ears had to be cleaned weekly to four times a week when she starts developing an infection.


That's why I do the preventative maintenance -once a week.The ear cleaner is not expensive. But if the dog gets an infection, it is not only very painful for the dog, but also a costly vet visit , and time consuming - 4 times a day that first week for a dog whose ears hurt and hasn't been used to having them cleaned, then the 2nd week as I recall it was less. My Aussie did have a bad infection shortly after I got him at age 4. After it was cleared up I started the weekly cleaning. Never another infection for his remaning 8.5 years. Sure some weeks when I clean Sting's ears, there is very little, but other times, they are dirty and didn't look like it to me. Plus Sting is used to having it done and his ears handled, so at his annual checkup, it is easy for the vet to examine his ears. It is the same with the teeth brushing.


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

Until recently I had to clean Gunner's ears at the very least once a week. He's very active outside and my yard is...well...let's say it's a dirt field. 

His ears were always dirty and ear cleaning was a nightmare. He's such a baby when it comes to cleaning. He'd flop around for 20 minutes whining after I was done. Total drama queen! 
I always cleaned them with a solution I got at the vet. Vet Solutions is what I think it was.

Then just recently he had an ear infection and after talking about it on here, I was told of a great cleaner called Zymox.
Let me tell you, this was the best find ever. Ear cleaning is a breeze. No flopping around, no whining, just clean ears. I don't know what's in this stuff but I imagine the other stuff must have burned or something. 
I have no problems cleaning them now. 
And for some strange reason they don't get as dirty anymore. Not sure why the cleaner would be responsible but I don't know of any other reason.

I wish I had heard about Zymox a long time ago.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

jocoyn said:


> I cleaned a dog's ears in 2008 but he had allergies.


Haha!

I clean them when their dirty. Coke....I can't remember....maybe never?

Nikon...I wiped his out a few weeks ago because he was tilting his head and shaking it. I will occasionally wipe them out during the summer because of dust, dirt, and bug bites.

If they are infected I will treat them with zymox once a day and wipe them out once a day. I don't use liquids or flood the ear. I have these circular, moist ear wipes. Since I so rarely clean ears and the dogs so rarely have an ear infection (in fact I don't think my current dogs ever have, the ear solution I have I bought for a foster dog) I go through a jar of moist wipes maybe once a year.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Mary Beth said:


> That's why I do the preventative maintenance -once a week.The ear cleaner is not expensive. But if the dog gets an infection, it is not only very painful for the dog, but also a costly vet visit , and time consuming - 4 times a day that first week for a dog whose ears hurt and hasn't been used to having them cleaned, then the 2nd week as I recall it was less. My Aussie did have a bad infection shortly after I got him at age 4. After it was cleared up I started the weekly cleaning. Never another infection for his remaning 8.5 years. Sure some weeks when I clean Sting's ears, there is very little, but other times, they are dirty and didn't look like it to me. Plus Sting is used to having it done and his ears handled, so at his annual checkup, it is easy for the vet to examine his ears. It is the same with the teeth brushing.


 
Zena has all kinds of allergies so it was necessary with her. I play with Riley and Shasta's ears so they dont have any problems should I actually need to clean their ears but neither have problems. Shasta is by far the healthiest dog I've had, including fosters. If they need their ears checked or cleaned, its done but otherwise I don't need to mess with them.


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## julie87 (Aug 19, 2012)

I had never cleaned my GSD ears and actually yesterday I pointed out to hubby how clean Arexa's ears are! When I had a cocker spaniel her ears were not even close as clean as GSD and often had ear infections probably because her ears were huge and not getting enough oxygen? idk


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