How to clean your dog's ears at home without hurting them

Key points

• A healthy ear is pale pink, with a little light-colored wax and no bad smell; it doesn't need frequent cleaning.
• Use a veterinary ear cleaner: fill the canal, massage the base and let your dog shake their head.
• No cotton swabs: they push wax to the bottom of the L-shaped canal and can damage the eardrum.
• Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol and oil irritate the ear and don't treat an infection.
• If the ear smells bad, has discharge, is red or hurts, don't clean it: see the vet first.

Cleaning your dog's ears at home is simple if you use the right things: a veterinary ear cleaner, a gauze pad and your fingers. Knowing when not to do it is just as important, because a healthy ear needs very little cleaning and a sore ear shouldn't be touched until the vet has seen it.

A dog's ear canal is L-shaped: it runs straight down and then turns inward toward the eardrum. That shape explains why cotton swabs push wax deeper and why the most popular home remedies, like vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, cause more problems than they solve. Here's the step-by-step, how often to do it and how to recognize an ear infection.

What a healthy ear looks like and how often to clean it

A healthy ear has pale pink skin, a small amount of clear or yellowish wax and no particular smell. Check it once a week: look at it and smell it. Many dogs with upright ears hardly ever need their ears cleaned.

Clean them when you see wax building up and, in dogs prone to ear infections, after a bath or a swim. Dogs with floppy ears or a lot of hair in the ear canal (Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Basset Hounds, Poodles, Bichons) and dogs with allergies are more prone. For them, once every one or two weeks is usually enough, or whatever your vet recommends.

Cleaning too often is also a problem: it irritates the skin of the canal and leaves it damp, which is exactly what bacteria and yeast thrive on. And don't pluck the hair in the ear canal as a routine; only if your vet recommends it.

Why not to use vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or cotton swabs

• Cotton swabs (Q-tips): in an L-shaped canal, they push wax and dirt into the horizontal part, where it gets packed down, and they can injure the skin or the eardrum if your dog moves. Only clean as far as your finger reaches.
• Vinegar: some veterinary cleaners contain mild acids at carefully set concentrations, but kitchen vinegar doesn't: it stings terribly in an inflamed ear or one with scratch wounds, and it doesn't treat the cause of the infection.
• Hydrogen peroxide: it damages the healthy skin of the canal, leaves moisture behind and, if the eardrum is ruptured, can damage the inner ear.
• Alcohol: it stings and dries the skin out.
• Olive oil or baby oil: a popular remedy for ear mites, but it leaves grease and moisture, encourages yeast and doesn't reliably get rid of the mites. Ear mites are treated with a veterinary parasite treatment.
• Garlic oil: it irritates, and garlic is toxic to dogs.
• Leftover drops from a previous ear infection: each infection can be caused by different bacteria, yeast or mites, and the vet needs to check under the microscope. Some drops damage the ear if the eardrum is perforated.

Signs of an ear infection

• Your dog shakes their head or scratches their ears often.
• A bad smell, rancid or sweetish.
• Dark wax, brown or black, that looks like coffee grounds (typical of yeast or mites), or yellow or green discharge.
• Red, hot or thickened skin in the ear canal.
• Your dog pulls away or whimpers when you touch the ear.
• They tilt their head to one side.

Recurring ear infections usually have an underlying cause, often an environmental or food allergy. It's worth investigating it with your vet instead of treating each episode separately.

If the ear flap suddenly swells up like a soft cushion, it's an aural hematoma, a pocket of blood caused by head shaking. It needs a vet soon; don't lance it at home.

When it's an emergency

• Sudden, persistent head shaking after a walk through dry grass: it may be a grass awn (a foxtail, in the US), especially in late spring and summer. It can travel down to the eardrum.
• Your dog tilts their head, loses their balance, walks in circles, their eyes flick from side to side or they vomit.
• Severe pain: they yelp when touched or won't let you near them.

After a bath or a swim

Moisture inside the ear canal is one of the most common causes of ear infections in summer. When you bathe your dog, you can place a cotton ball at the entrance of each ear, big enough that it can't slip inside, and remove it when you're done. Afterwards, dry the inner side of the ear flap and the entrance to the canal with a gauze pad. For dogs that swim a lot in pools or the sea, your vet may recommend a cleaner with a drying effect.

For the bath itself, see our homemade shampoo with an oatmeal rinse.

What you need

• Dog ear cleaner from your vet or a pet store (if your dog has had ear infections, the one your vet recommends)
• Gauze pads or cotton to wrap around your finger, never cotton swabs
• A towel
• Small treats
• A second person to help hold your dog, if they wriggle a lot

Step by step

1. Look and smell first

   If the ear is red, smells bad, has discharge or hurts when touched, stop here and book a vet appointment: if the eardrum is damaged, some cleaners can do harm.

2. Warm the cleaner

   Hold the bottle in your hand for a few minutes. Cold liquid is unpleasant and makes some dogs dizzy.

3. Fill the ear canal

   Lift the ear flap upward to straighten the canal. Rest the tip of the bottle at the entrance, without inserting it, and squeeze in cleaner until it's almost overflowing.

4. Massage the base

   Still holding the ear up, massage the base for 20-30 seconds. You'll hear a squelching sound: that's the liquid loosening the wax at the bottom.

5. Let your dog shake

   Let go, turn your face away and let your dog shake their head. This brings the wax up toward the entrance. Keep the towel handy.

6. Wipe away what comes out

   With a gauze pad wrapped around your finger, wipe the inner side of the ear flap and the entrance to the canal, only as far as your finger reaches. Use a fresh gauze pad for the other ear and finish with a treat.

Frequently asked questions

What can I use to clean my dog's ears at home?

A dog ear cleaner, sold at vet clinics and pet stores, and a gauze pad wrapped around your finger. Fill the canal, massage the base and let your dog shake their head. Don't use cotton swabs, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or oil. If the ear smells bad, is red or hurts, have your vet look at it first.

Can I clean my dog's ears with hydrogen peroxide?

No. Hydrogen peroxide damages the healthy skin of the ear canal, leaves moisture inside and, if the eardrum is perforated, can damage the inner ear. It also doesn't treat the cause of an ear infection. For routine cleaning, use a dog ear cleaner, and if there's a bad smell, discharge or pain, see your vet before putting anything in.

How often should I clean my dog's ears?

It depends on the dog. Many dogs with upright ears hardly ever need it; checking them every week is enough. Dogs with floppy ears, hair in the canal or allergies usually need it every one or two weeks and after bathing or swimming. Over-cleaning also irritates the ear, so only do it when you see wax building up.

Why do my dog's ears smell bad?

It's almost always an ear infection (otitis), caused by yeast or bacteria in the ear canal. Often there's an allergy, moisture after bathing or a foreign body such as a grass awn behind it. Cleaning isn't enough: the vet needs to look inside the ear and test the discharge to choose the right treatment, ideally before it becomes chronic.