Cleaning a Dogs Ears

Cleaning a dogs ears is an important part of the dog grooming process. Unless you do this on a regular basis, your German Shepherds ears could become a breeding ground for bacteria and all sorts of infections. Cleaning your dogs ears doesn't have to be such a traumatic experience for you or the dog - if you follow a few basic and simple instructions.

First, check your GSD's ears regularly for any signs of problems. A few problems to look for include things such as dirt, tiny parasites or any kinds of discharge. Your dog's ears should appear pink, clean and healthy. If the ears seem inflamed, have a strong, unpleasant odor or seem sensitive in any way when you touch them, then there could be an infection or some other kind of problem.

You shouldn't attempt to clean your German Shepherds ears if you think you see or suspect any kind of problem. Instead, please take your GSD to your veterinarian for an appointment to have their ears checked ASAP. If the dog's ear problem isn't addressed soon enough, it could result in several things - possibly even hearing loss.

If your German Shepherds ears simply appear dirty, then why not follow the instructions below for cleaning a dog's ears:

1. Use an ear-wash formula specifically made for cleaning your dogs ears. Never use straight peroxide. Why? Because it could harm your German Shepherds ear canal. If you want to, you can make your own ear wash solution - just ask your vet for the "recipe". Place the solution in a squirt bottle and be sure to shake well before using.

2. Squirt some of the solution into your German Shepherds ears and then massage the ears gently to be sure it is covering the inside of the ear canal. (Your dog will naturally shake his head after this is over so be prepared.)

3. You could use a cotton ball to wipe down the visible portion of the dogs inner ears, but a wash rag would work even better. Never use a cotton swab though because it might damage the ear drum if you inserted it too far.

If you have a German Shepherd with a history of ear problems, then you might want to do an ear about once a week. In other cases, once a month for cleaning a dogs ears is pretty normal, but you should check your German Shepherds ears periodically to look for signs of problems - before they happen.

And you may find that your Alsatian may develop chronic ear infections - especially if he has allergies. In this case I would definitely check with your veterinarian to find out what you can do to lessen the effect of these allergies and to keep your dog from developing other kinds of ear infections that could eventually even affect his hearing over time.

All German Shepherds need their ears cleaned regularly, just like humans do - and if you feel uncomfortable doing this for any reason then you could also enlist the help of a dog groomer - or simply take matters into your own hands by following the simple instructions listed above. You can also ask your veterinarian if there are any special instructions or formulas that he would suggest for cleaning your own German Shepherd Dogs ears because the whole process of cleaning a dogs ears is so important.

Also, when cleaning a dogs ears, be extra careful not to jab down inside the ear or clean further down inside the ear than you can see. Lastly, a good trick to getting your dog used to having his ears cleaned is to pet him and talk soothingly to him while handling the ears as you pet him normally every day. Over time he will get comfortable with having his ears handled - then you can start adding the cleaning steps - one at a time.

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"With the exception of women, there is nothing on earth so agreeable or necessary to the comfort of man as the dog." -- Edward Jesse, Anecdote of Dogs