Should You Clean Your Dog’s or Cat’s Ears? How to Properly Care for Your Pet’s Ear Health

Many dog and cat owners regularly clean their pet’s ears because it may seem that if ear-cleaning products are available in stores, they must be used regularly. However, a healthy dog’s or cat’s ear does not need to be cleaned routinely.

Excessive ear cleaning, using unsuitable products, or cleaning with cotton swabs can irritate the ear canal and make the situation worse. Increased discharge, an unpleasant smell, itching, and frequent head shaking may indicate an ear infection, or otitis, which cannot be resolved with simple ear cleaning.

Should Dogs and Cats Have Their Ears Cleaned Regularly?

If an animal’s ears are healthy, regular preventive cleaning of the ear canal is usually not necessary.

Earwax, or cerumen, forms naturally in the ear canal. A small amount is normal and does not, by itself, mean that the animal has an ear infection.

If a small amount of earwax has reached the visible part of the ear cartilage, it can be gently cleaned with a soft, moistened cosmetic cotton pad or gauze pad. The key principle is simple: clean only the part of the ear that you can safely see and reach, without going deep into the ear canal.

However, if discharge forms repeatedly or in large amounts, the solution is not to clean the ears more and more often. First, the cause must be identified.

How Can You Tell If Your Dog or Cat Might Have an Ear Infection?

Ear problems do not always begin with obvious inflammation. At first, the owner may notice only small changes in the animal’s behavior.

Signs of an ear infection in a dog or cat may include:

• frequent head shaking;
• scratching the ear with a paw;
• rubbing the head or ear against the floor, furniture, or wall;
• increased earwax or other discharge;
• an unpleasant smell from the ear;
• redness of the ear;
• pain or dislike of being touched around the head and ears.

If these symptoms appear, you should not start using a randomly chosen ear-cleaning product or leftover ear drops from a previous treatment. Treatment for an ear infection depends on its cause, and different types of ear infections require different approaches.

Why Do Ear Infections Develop?

Otitis is not one specific disease with one treatment method. Several factors may be involved in the development of inflammation in the ear canal.

The most common causes and contributing factors of ear problems include allergic skin diseases, excessive growth of yeast or bacteria, ear parasites, foreign bodies in the ear canal, excessive moisture, anatomical features of the ear, and other dermatological diseases.

It is especially important to pay attention to recurring ear infections in dogs. If otitis regularly returns after treatment, the underlying cause needs to be investigated, rather than repeatedly treating only the inflammation visible in the ear canal.

For example, recurring ear infections may be one of the signs of an allergic disease.

How Does a Veterinarian Examine an Animal’s Ears?

To assess the ear canal, a veterinarian performs otoscopy - an examination of the ear canal using a special instrument called an otoscope.

During otoscopy, it is possible to evaluate:

• the condition of the ear canal;
• redness and swelling;
• the amount and type of discharge;
• the presence of foreign bodies;
• narrowing of the ear canal or other changes;
• the condition of the eardrum, if it can be visualized.

Depending on the findings, cytological examination of ear discharge may also be necessary. This helps determine whether bacteria or yeast are involved in the inflammatory process and allows the veterinarian to choose a more appropriate treatment strategy.

Digital otoscopy also makes it possible to view the ear canal under magnification and document its condition before and after treatment.

Why Should Ears Not Be Cleaned With Cotton Swabs?

One of the most common questions is: can you clean a dog’s ears with cotton swabs?

At home, cotton swabs should not be inserted deep into the ear canal. They can:

• push discharge deeper into the ear canal;
• injure the sensitive skin of the ear canal;
• cause pain;
• worsen an existing inflammation;
• potentially damage deeper ear structures.

In veterinary medicine, special instruments and methods may be used for therapeutic ear cleaning, but this does not mean these procedures can be safely repeated at home.

Can You Clean a Pet’s Ears With Hydrogen Peroxide?

Hydrogen peroxide should not be used to clean a dog’s or cat’s ears.

It can irritate the tissues of the ear canal, and its use may be especially problematic in situations where the condition of the eardrum is unknown.

The same applies to various home remedies and randomly chosen solutions. Before putting anything into an animal’s ear canal, it is important to know what is happening in that specific ear and whether the eardrum is intact.

How Do You Choose an Ear-Cleaning Product for a Dog or Cat?

There is no single universal ear-cleaning product for dogs and cats that is suitable for every situation.

Different ear-cleaning solutions have different ingredients and modes of action. Therefore, the choice of product may depend on:

• the type and amount of discharge;
• the condition of the ear canal;
• the possible cause of inflammation;
• the condition of the eardrum;
• the specific treatment plan.

If an animal has been diagnosed with an ear problem and the veterinarian has recommended a specific product, it is worth asking during the appointment for a practical demonstration of the correct ear-cleaning technique.

When to contact a vet?

A veterinary consultation is necessary if you notice that your dog or cat regularly shakes its head, scratches its ears intensely, rubs its head against surfaces, has a lot of discharge in the ear, an unpleasant smell, redness, or pain.

Ear infections should not be treated at home for a prolonged period. Chronic otitis can cause changes in the tissues of the ear canal, making further treatment more difficult.

A Healthy Ear Does Not Need to Be Cleaned

The main thing to remember is this: if a dog’s or cat’s ear is healthy, the ear canal does not need to be cleaned regularly for preventive purposes.

A small amount of earwax can be gently removed from the visible part of the ear. However, if discharge increases, or if itching, smell, redness, or head shaking appear, the cause of the problem must be investigated.

If it seems that your dog’s or cat’s ears are becoming dirtier than usual, book a consultation at Dr. Nartišs Veterinary Clinic. We will examine the ear canal, assess its condition, and, if necessary, create an appropriate treatment and future prevention plan.