Cleaning Cocker Spaniel Ears
Cleaning the ears of the cocker spaniel can be the most important thing in pet care. Dirty ears are mostly caused due to their long size ears, which traps dirt, junk, and water. Cocker spaniel ears must be cleaned once a week to prevent infections and keep them from smelling bad.
Importance of Regular Ear Cleaning For Cocker Spaniels
“Our pets are our family”
Taking care of ears is as important as taking care of other parts of your dog. As we know, cocker spaniels have long, floppy ears, which create a warm and moist environment inside the ear, which can be a good place for bacteria to live and cause different infections in the ear.
Your spaniel can have dirty ears for various reasons, such as playing in dirty places where dirt enters the ears and creates wax, and bad odor starts to produce.
To stop your cocker spaniel from smelling, regular cleaning of your dog’s ears can help remove debris, wax, and irritants from dog ears that lead to various infections and stinky smells.
Regular cleaning of ears can allow you to detect various other potential problems.
Ear Problems In Cocker Spaniels
Cocker Spaniels can have various problems, which include:
Ear Infections: Bacterial and yeast infections can occur due to the warm, moist environment inside the ears.
Wax Build-Up: Large amounts of wax stored in the ear can hold dirt and bacteria, leading to ear infections.
Ear Mites: Small parasites can cause intense itching and discomfort.
Debris: Many debris like grass and seeds can get stuck in the ears, which can cause irritation.
Allergies: Allergies cause inflammation in the ears.
Polyps and Tumors: They grow up inside the ear canal and cause blockage.
Signs Of Ear Infections
Finding signs of infections or issues in your spaniel is easy. Just look for the following signs to indicate the problem:
- If your spaniel continuously scratches at the ears, it can be a sign of something going wrong.
- If you smell stinky from the ear of your spaniel, there might be an infection.
- When you touch your dog’s ears, it feels pain and moves around.
- If your dog Continuously shakes its head, it is a sign your dog is in trouble.
- Your spaniel starts listening less or acting to your commands late, which is a sign of an ear issue.
How To Clean Cocker Spaniel Ears At Home
Follow the steps below to eliminate smelly dog ears or protect your cocker spaniel ears from infections and issues. Remember that I also do these steps as a professional vet to clean the ears. You do not need to worry before doing these steps.
To fix dirty ears, you need:
Essentials for cleaning a Cocker’s ears
- You need a few cotton wool balls for ear comfort.
- Cotton swabs
- Keep several tissues nearby
- Tweezers
- Have a round-tip scissors
- Get an ear wash solution
- A Small bowl
You can find all this stuff in a pet shop. Use all the stuff with the proper guide below, which I do to clean my spaniel ears.
Step-by-step guide: How to clean Cocker Spaniel ears at home
Now you have all the tools needed to clean cocker spaniel ears; follow the steps until the end for the best results.
Clean Your Hands First: Before doing any pet care, you must wash your hands with a perfect sanitizer that can kill all germs on your hands and prevent bacteria from moving to the dog’s body. Look inside the ears and examine them properly.
Using Ear solution: Now, pick up the ear cleaning solution and fill some drops in the ear canal. Put down the ear flap and softly massage the area. Use your fingers to massage the solution all around the ear canal for 30 seconds. This will remove all debris and other small stuff stuck in the ear canal.
You can use different oils as well to clean the ear, such as:
- Mineral oil
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
Make sure the oil is warm so it is comfortable for your dog.
Remember that you are not as professional as we are, so don’t put too much ear-cleaning solution in the canal, which may lead to irritation for dogs.
Your dog will shake its head after or during this procedure, so keep some distance or wear a face mask so the solution does not spread on your face.
Using Cotton swabs: Use cotton swabs to remove small debris or wax from the ear by just holding the cotton swab in your hand and manually wiping all the visible debris and wax.
You need to be patient and do this slowly; otherwise, this can damage the ear canal and can move debris more forward. I have seen many cases where dog owners try to finish the cleaning quickly and have faced bad circumstances.
Method to use Tweezers: Tweezers mostly hold small debris that human hands can not. I use these to remove the debris from the ear canal of the cocker spaniel.
Tip: You can use round-tip scissors instead of tweezers for your ease.
Keep your spaniel steady while using the tweezer; otherwise, it can damage its ear canal. Whenever I try to clean my cocker spaniel “Jerry” ears, it starts moving, which makes it difficult for me to clean.
Give a Bath: Now, cleaning the ears has been completed, and it is time to clean the spaniel ears from the outside.
It is important to clean because when we use an ear cleaning solution, it somehow spreads on the flap, which can look dirty after some time.
Be sure to protect the ear canal when bathing, as moisture can build a wax inside the ear canal after some days and irritate the dog.
Avoid Cleaning Your Spaniel Ears In The Following Situations
- Infection: Avoid cleaning the ear when you notice they are swollen or red and are producing a foul smell. These are the signs that your spaniel has an infection, and cleaning may affect the situation.
- Ear Injury: If your spaniel has an ear injury and is recovering, don’t clean it. It can be disturbed during cleaning, and bacteria can attack the wound.
- Ear Operation: If your spaniel has had recent ear surgery, you should not go with cleaning the ear. Consult with your vet before doing so.
- Allergic Ears: If you notice any redness around the dog’s ears or swelling around the ears due to an allergic problem, do not go for cleaning and consult with your vet urgently.
- Discomfort: During cleaning, if your dog does not keep steady and in motion, you should stop urgently. Cleaning ears in this situation can damage the ear canal.
Measures To Maintain Healthy Cocker Spaniel Ears
There are many ways to keep your cocker spaniel ears clean, which I recommend to every dog owner and do for my cocker spaniel as well.
- I keep my spaniel ear hairs groomed and well structured so there is no issue with the airflow through ears, and wax is not produced.
- Trim hair underside of the ear flap.
- Keep your spaniel ears dry after swimming or when it plays in the rain. Water can create wax inside the ears.
- Keep a perfect diet plan for your spaniel, as ears are also part of their body.
- If you notice any issue with your spaniel ears, such as redness or inflammation, consult your vet.
Remember that all Spaniels can have ear issues at least one time in their entire life, which can be solved easily.
“Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children.”
Michael Morpurgo
Myths About Ear Cleaning:
- Most people clean their spaniel ears when they look dirty, but it is important to clean them once a week, whether they are dirty or not. Regular cleaning can prevent issues before they are visible.
- Human ear cleaning products can be used for dog ear cleaning. This is untrue; you should use designed tools for dog ears.
FAQs
How often should you clean Cocker Spaniel’s ears?
This is the most asked question by pet owners; as a professional vet, I recommend you clean your spaniel’s ears once a week. When you clean after a week, spaniel ears require more effort and time and can lead to infections, too.
Most people think that if their cocker spaniel is well groomed, it does not need any cleaning. However, they are wrong as they link outer cleaning with inner cleaning. Remember that not every shiny object is a diamond. You must clean the ears separately.
When to seek professional help for ear-related issues?
Cleaning spaniel ears at home can be simple, but cleaning ears can not cure their infection if they have one. I recommend you consult with your vet whenever you think something is going wrong with your pet’s ear.
How To Clean Dog Ears With Vinegar?
Cleaning ears with vinegar is an old method of cleaning ears at home naturally and safely. Nowadays, most people don’t use this method as there are other scientific methods available, and vets also do not recommend this method.
To clean ears with vinegar, mix vinegar with the water with a ratio of 50/50. Shake the solution properly and fill it in a spray bottle or syringe. Next, spray the solution into the ear and massage it for 15 to 20 minutes. This will remove all debris and dust particles.
Can You Clean Cocker Spaniel Ears With Hydrogen Peroxide?
As a vet, I did not recommend hydrogen peroxide to any dog owners for ear-cleaning purposes. Yes, it is used on the skin to prevent infection or burns, but it can irritate your pet a lot. This can irritate the different parts of the pet, such as the nose, eyes, skin, and throat as well.
How To Clean Cocker Spaniel Ears Without Solution?
Cleaning the ears without a solution is simple; in this method, you only need cotton swabs to slightly clean the ears and remove the debris.
Remember, the ear can not be fully cleaned with this method, but it can give you some days to clean it well. If you do not have the proper cleaning tools, have a checkup from your vet.