Many pet guardians diligently clean their dog’s and cat’s ears. There are many articles online promoting ear cleaning and so many different products available to do the job, ranging from wipes, lotions, powders and drops.
Let me explain why I try to discourage pet guardians from cleaning their pet’s ears and why it can do more harm than good.
Your pets ears are delicate structures that have their own microbiome. In the same way that the rest of the skin and the gut have specific bacteria that work hard to maintain balance, so do the ears. Using ear cleaners routinely means that you are disturbing this natural balance, confusing your pets ability to regulate and maintain the correct environment.
The ears have a mechanism in place to self cleanse, a healthy ear should NOT require intervention. This is the key here is… a healthy ear.
A healthy ear should be clean, it shouldn’t smell and it shouldn’t be mottled in texture or inflamed. You should familiarise yourself with how your pets ears look so you’re able to monitor them and observe any changes. Dog’s sadly tend to suffer with ear issues more than cats and there are also certain breeds such as Spaniels who can be more prone to issues due to the warm, moist environment of their long hairy ears, which bacteria love. One study found “Spaniel breeds overall had 1.24 times the risk of ear infection compared with non-spaniel breeds.” (1)
My motto regarding ear cleaning is, ‘If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. I never routinely clean ears. I will always check the ears to ensure they look healthy and report any changes to the owner. This also applies to ear plucking, a procedure carried out on wool coated breeds such as Poodles. This is something that unfortunately used to be carried out routinely by groomers. Thankfully times change and we learn better ways of caring for our pets. I will happily explain and demonstrate this practice to owners so they are able to do this at home, if necessary (occasionally it may be required for medical reasons) but it is not something a groomer should be getting routinely involved with. It can cause big problems and is often unnecessary.
All that being said, there could be the odd occasion that your pet may have a small amount of wax that may require cleaning, in the same way that we occasionally do, however regularly using products or implements in our ears is not recommended. The only part of the ear you should be cleaning is the ear leather, the area of skin you can see. Never enter the ear further down than this.
I would recommend a probiotic cleaner for this that will not affect the natural balance of the ear, such as Ingenious Probiotics ear cleaner (link below)
https://ingenious-probiotics.com/product/probiotic-pet-ear-cleaner
If your pet does develop ear symptoms a vet visit may be in order. A conventional vet can prescribe pain relief, if needed, however their protocols mean they will tend to treat symptoms but not the cause.
Ear issues, which are essentially skin issues can often be related to your pets gut. An imbalance in the gut microbiome or leaky gut, as well as food allergies, which are actually quite uncommon and food intolerances, which are much more likely, can often be the cause, leading to yeast and bacterial problems. Yeast issues will sometimes present with other symptoms such as an accompanying yeasty smell, rust coloured hair, often in the groin, feet and anal area and dark skin, also usually in the groin area. Yeast is a big topic that’s going to need its own blog!
I like to think of these types of symptoms as warning lights on your car dashboard. They’re your pet’s internal warning system trying to tell you there’s a problem that needs addressing before it becomes a bigger issue!
It’s so important to investigate ear issues especially if they begin to recur. I often find pet guardians are just resigned to it being “one of those things” and get used to their dog having regular flare ups.
The cycle of vet visits, antibiotics, some short-term relief, before the cycle begins again can be so frustrating and of course hugely expensive. By trying to find the cause of the problem as opposed to just treating the symptoms you will be able to avoid much discomfort for your pet and save yourself a lot of stress by trying to avoid a chronic ear problem developing, which can sometimes end up lasting a lifetime.
How I Can Help
In many cases there are simple dietary changes that can help support your dog or cat and avoid any recurrence of ear problems. As a qualified pet nutrition consultant I can guide you in the best way to support your pets digestive health and ensure you are doing everything possible to boost their immune system. I work holistically to create a tailored plan for your pet, ensuring their diet is providing them with everything they need for optimal health.
If your pet suffers with ear, skin or any other issues and you would like to discover how I can help please get in touch.
Tina Clyde 💚
https://www.facebook.com/pennviewpets/
https://www.instagram.com/pennviewpets/
Penn View Pets 
Leave a comment