How often do you clean your dogs ears?

[Bridget]

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.

[Cheerful1]

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

[CuriousKira]

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.

[Mary Beth]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

[GSDGunner]

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.

[Liesje]

Originally Posted by jocoyn

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.

[KZoppa]

Originally Posted by Mary Beth

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.

[julie87]

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