Harmony Housecalls

Veterinary Services

**Regular ear cleaning should only be done if recommended by a veterinarian.

*Clean the ears no more than once a week unless they are being treated for an active infection.

*Most pets do not require regular home ear cleaning, and it is generally not recommended for cats except in very specific cases, but there are some unfortunate hounds that have a tendancy to develop ear infections.

*Ear infections are often secondary to other skin diseases which should be treated, including allergies, though swimmers can also develop moist, infected ears.

*It is important to have any animal with head shaking or ear scratching examined right away, as grass seeds, or "foxtails" can travel down the ear canal causing severe damage if not removed.

*Ear infections can become very severe and difficult to resolve if left untreated and are also quite painful to the animal.

Ear Cleaning

Ear cleaning is best done outside - it can be quite messy when a dog shakes his head!

Fill the ear canal with the cleaning solution.

Gently rub the base of the ear with the solution inside. Skip this if the ears are at all painful.

Let the dog shake his ears if he needs to, then gently wipe the excess fluid and debris from the visible surfaces. Never put anything into the canal such as a cotton swab as this can damage the ear.

Use only a cleaning solution recommended by your veterinarian. Different solutions or medications may be needed depending on the diagnosis.