How often do you clean your dogs ears?

[Freestep]

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.

[Mary Beth]

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".

[Caledon]

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.

[Gretchen]

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

[frillint1]

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.

[Lauri & The Gang]

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.

[lhczth]

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

[Magwart]

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.

[Mooch]

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

[KZoppa]

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.