How to Clean Puppy Ear Wax

Keeping your puppy's ears clean is part of normal everyday care. Your puppy's ears collect dust, dirt, insects and other debris and if not cleaned out, ear infections may develop. Unattended infections can sometimes lead to deafness, so preventative care is the best and easiest option. Puppies are very prone to ear infections, so their fragile little ears need gentle attention.

Things You'll Need

• Clean cotton balls
• Ear cleaning solution, preferably all-natural
• Puppy toy or treats

Instructions

1. Begin by sitting down with your puppy and giving him his toy or a treat (whichever he prefers and will preoccupy him). Talk to him, pet him and gently handle/stroke his ears for a few minutes.

2. Squeeze a moderate amount of ear cleaning solution onto a clean cotton ball. Don't over-saturate the ball or it will drip all over your puppy.

3. 

   Clean the outer part of one of your puppy's ears. If the ear is very dirty, you may need to repeat this a second time. Next, clean the inner part of the ear, but do not go too far into the ear canal--only clean as far down as you can see. You can allow the cleaning solution to drip down into the ear canal, and your puppy will "shake it out" on her own. Repeat if necessary.

4. Repeat Step 3 on the other ear.

5. 

   When you have finished, lavish your puppy with praise. Play with him for a few minutes and give him a treat. Make "ear-cleaning time" a good experience for him.

Tips & Warnings

• Start cleaning your puppy's ears when he is very young, then it won't be seen by him as a "traumatic event." If your puppy's ear cleaning routine necessitates trimming her ear hair, be sure to consult a professional groomer before you try it alone.

• Never use cotton swabs to probe your puppy's ear canal. Never use force, even with a soft cotton ball. Be gentle. If your puppy's ears are sensitive to the touch, are very red, smell foul, or you find blood, pus or a black, waxy substance, he probably has an infection. Take the puppy to the vet.

Resources

• Puppies and their sensitive ears
• Preventing puppy ear infections
• New puppy care