How Do I Clean A Dog's Ears?

[Guest greytexplorer]

I am overnighting a bloodhound and I need to clean her ears.

She smells terrible, and it's coming from her ears.

I don't want to go out and buy ear cleaning stuff. Can't I just make something like with hydrogen peroxide and/or vinegar?

Do you pour it in the ears, or use a cotton ball or what??

 

I've never had to do this before! HELP!

 

TIA,

~Pat

[DevilDog]

Equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Just squirt some in there and use your fingers to squish the liquid around inside the ear for a minute or so. Then use a cotton ball (or 3..) to wipe the ear out.

Edited August 28, 2010 by DevilDog

[Guest greytloves]

Never a Q tip! Do you have any of those make up remover cotton pads? I like them better then cotton balls. Vinegar, Perioxide or Alcohol may burn if she has irriations or an infection. I would look really closely and maybe start with just plain warm water on a pad and swipe out. If you don't see any irritation then I would use Rubbing Alcohol.

[Guest TeddysMom]

If you have any mineral oil, you can put a few drops in the ear, rub for a few minutes and wipe out with a cotton or a kleenex. If he has mites the mineral oil with help get rid of them.

[Guest greytloves]

Mineral Oil! I had forgotten about that and it would not burn. Great thing to keep on hand and I don't believe I do. Will remember to add that to my list for the drug store! Hope the OP has that on hand!

[KF_in_Georgia]

One helpful thing is to put whatever cleaner you choose on a jumbo cotton ball and hold the ball in your hand a moment to warm it. Then tuck the ball inside the ear and massage from the outside. Then wipe the cotton ball around, and wipe again with a clean/dry ball.

 

If at all possible, don't put a chilly liquid directly inside the hound's ears.

[Guest mbfilby]

I use a very small amount of mild soap in warm water on a large cotton ball.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

We just use a baby wipe wrapped around the end of your finger and gently wipe inside. It gets all the external gooies and if I needed to do more than that, I'd probably want to see a vet just to check things out. Our new girl had nasty ears when we got her but it seems to be all superficial; I cleaned them a couple of days in and just gave them another wipe this evening, and it looks like one more time and they'll be as squeaky clean as my other dog's ears!

[Guest GryffinSong]

With tongue firmly planted in cheek ... borrow an Italian greyhound. Mine would lay beside Gryffin and give his ears a good cleansing. He'd even turn his head when they were done so they could get his other ear.

[Guest dmona]

With tongue firmly planted in cheek ... borrow an Italian greyhound. Mine would lay beside Gryffin and give his ears a good cleansing. He'd even turn his head when they were done so they could get his other ear.

 

The foster I have right now tries to clean my ears!

[Guest greytloves]

How did it turn out?

[Guest Ola]

For just maintenance cleaning I do a 50/50 vinegar water mixture. Squirt some in, rub, let them shake, then wipe out with cotton balls and tissue. If they're not that dirty I just squirt the liquid on the cotton ball and wipe the inside out that way.

[Guest Greytluv]

With tongue firmly planted in cheek ... borrow an Italian greyhound. Mine would lay beside Gryffin and give his ears a good cleansing. He'd even turn his head when they were done so they could get his other ear.

 

 

I always warn the liquid before putting it in their ears. I wonder how the OP's hound is doing?

[DocsDoctor]

Like FullMetalFrank I find baby wipes work well.

[Guest greytexplorer]

Sorry for the delay in responding......

yowser that is some nasty gunk

Sally the bloodhound had several orgasms whilst I was wiping out her ears with the cotton ball. <insert orgasmic emoticon here>

 

I really appreciate the responses.

Sally is enjoying retirement in MN as we speak.