Dog Ear Infections: Signs, Cleaning, and What Not to Use

Ear infections are one of the most common reasons dogs visit vets, and one of the most commonly mismanaged at home. Warm, humid South African summers and dogs that swim make it worse.

The early signs

Head shaking, scratching at one ear, tilting the head to one side, rubbing the ear along the carpet or the couch. Then redness inside the flap, a yeasty or sour smell, brown or yellow discharge, and pain when you touch the base of the ear. A dog that cries when you scratch its ear has had this for a while.

Why you should not just treat it

Ear infections come in different types — yeast, bacterial, mixed, or driven by ear mites — and they need different medication. Worse, if the eardrum is perforated, some ear preparations can cause permanent hearing or balance damage. This is the specific reason vets look inside with an otoscope before dispensing, and the specific reason leftover drops from last year are a bad idea.

How to clean ears properly

1. Use a proper veterinary ear cleaner. Fill the ear canal generously — being timid is the most common mistake.
2. Massage the base of the ear for twenty to thirty seconds. You should hear a squelch.
3. Let the dog shake. Stand back, ideally do this outside.
4. Wipe out the visible part of the ear and the folds with cotton wool or gauze. Never push anything down the canal.

Cleaning is for maintenance and prevention. It does not cure an established infection.

What not to use

No cotton buds — they pack debris deeper. No hydrogen peroxide, which damages the delicate canal lining. No vinegar or surgical spirits in an inflamed ear, which is agonising. No leftover human ear drops.

Dogs that keep getting them

Recurrent ear infections are usually a symptom rather than the problem. The commonest underlying causes are allergies, whether food or environmental, and anatomy — floppy-eared and hairy-eared breeds like cockers, cavaliers, poodles and retrievers trap moisture. If your dog has had three in a year, ask about allergy workup rather than treating the fourth. Dry ears thoroughly after swimming or bathing, and keep ear hair trimmed if your breed grows it.