Dog Care guide

How to clean your dog's ears safely

Many dogs never need their ears cleaned. Look and sniff first: red, sore or smelly ears go to the vet before any cleaning. Otherwise fill the canal with a dog ear cleaner, massage the base, let your dog shake, and wipe only what your finger can reach.

Written with AI; sources checked by automated review on ; not reviewed by a veterinarian. How we write and check these pages

A calm seated dog beside a capped cream bottle and a cotton pad.

Stop and call your vet if

  • The ear looks red or inflamed, seems painful, or smells strongly: call your vet before cleaning, because it may need treatment first. 14
  • There is a black or yellowish discharge, or the ear looks crusty or thickened. 5
  • Your dog shakes its head or scratches its ears more than usual. 25
  • A head tremor (a head shake your dog cannot control): call your vet straight away. 2
  • Your dog loses its balance: contact your vet for an appointment as soon as possible. 3
  • The ear flap has a soft, fluid-filled swelling. 6
  • Your dog shows pain while you clean: stop and ask your vet. 41

In a hurry? Pet emergency: who to call now

A calm seated dog beside a capped cream bottle and a cotton pad.

What you need

  • A dog ear cleaner your vet recommends (no alcohol or hydrogen peroxide) 41
  • Cotton wool or gauze 14
  • Treats 14
  • Gloves 1

Don't use

  • Cotton buds: they can push dirt deeper and can damage the canal or the eardrum. 14
  • Cleaners containing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide: they can irritate the canal, especially an inflamed one. 4
  • Cleaning ears that are healthy: over-cleaning can irritate the canal. 41

Where to wipe, and where never to go

A dog's ear in section: the canal turns a corner on its way in

  1. Wipe here: the inside of the ear flap and the opening
  2. Never insert anything here: the canal beyond your fingertip
  • Wipe only the inside of the flap and the opening, as far as your finger reaches.
  • Nothing goes down the canal: no cotton buds.

This diagram has not yet been checked by a vet. It is drawn from the sources below. 41

Step by step

  1. Look and sniff first

    A hand gently holding a dog’s external ear flap.

    Look inside both ears first: if they are red, swollen, sore or smelly, do not clean them and call your vet, because they may need treatment before any cleaning. 14

  2. Lift the flap and fill

    Hold the ear flap straight up, rest the cleaner's nozzle at the opening without pushing it down the canal, and squeeze in enough cleaner to fill the canal. 41

  3. Massage the base

    Keep the flap up and gently massage the base of the ear, just below the opening, for about 30 seconds; a squelching sound means the cleaner is loosening the wax. 41

  4. Shake, then wipe

    Let your dog shake its head, then wipe the inside of the flap and the opening with cotton wool, only as far as your finger reaches; never use a cotton bud. 41

  5. Reward, then the other ear

    Give a treat, then repeat with the other ear; if your dog seems in pain at any point, stop and ask your vet instead of carrying on. 41

If something goes wrong

  • If the ear looks worse, your dog keeps shaking or scratching, or it will not let you near the ear, stop cleaning and contact your vet; ear problems are easier to treat when found early. 21
  • If your vet has prescribed ear drops as well, clean first and ask your vet how long to wait before the drops. 41

When ears need cleaning, and when they don't

Most dogs don't need their ears cleaned regularly, and some never do. Clean when the ears are very waxy or dirty, when you notice discharge or a smell and your vet has checked them, or when your vet asks you to. 14

Signs of infection: call your vet

Head shaking, scratching, red and inflamed ears, a bad smell, and black or yellowish discharge are signs that need your vet. Over-the-counter drops are not a substitute: the eardrum has to be checked first. 52

How often

Only when needed, or as often as your vet recommends. A quick look and sniff at each ear is enough the rest of the time. 41

Sources

  1. How to clean a dog's ears, PDSA (UK veterinary charity; written by vets and vet nurses). Checked .
  2. Itchy ears and head shaking in dogs, PDSA (UK veterinary charity). Checked .
  3. Loss of balance in dogs, PDSA (UK veterinary charity). Checked .
  4. Ear Cleaning and Administering Ear Medication in Dogs, VCA Animal Hospitals. Checked .
  5. Ear Infections in Dogs, VCA Animal Hospitals. Checked .
  6. Disorders of the Outer Ear in Dogs, Merck Veterinary Manual (dog owners edition). Checked .

Written with AI; sources checked by automated review on ; not reviewed by a veterinarian. How we write and check these pages

Next check of these sources by . Spotted a mistake? Corrections · Tell us