If you have a dog, it is likely you will see an ear problem; and depending on the breed, it may be more often than you thought possible. In fact, one in five canine pet insurance claims involve ear problems and for this reason, all dog owners should be familiar with how to clean their dog’s ears.

The most common ear problems affect the external ear.

Middle ear infections also can occur and may be associated with a ruptured eardrum. Cleaning an ear canal is the most important, and often the only treatment necessary to treat otitis externa and perhaps prevent the infection from extending into the middle ear.

The correct techniques and ear-cleaning products are important. “Many products used to clean out the ears contain ingredients such as chlorhexidine and propylene glycol that can cause irritation or ototoxicity, especially if the ear drug is ruptured,” explains Linda Frank, professor of dermatology at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “That is why it is always best to have the ear examined by a veterinarian prior to beginning treatment.”

The type of product you need to flush the ears depends on the amount of wax and infection that may be present in the ear. One very safe product good for Malassezia yeast, the pathogen present in up to 90 percent of ear problems, is Malacetic Otic, which is available from your veterinarian. This product works by drying the ear and making the ear more acidic. Other veterinary products that are also very useful include Epi-Otic (Virbac) and Nolvasan Otic (Fort Dodge).

Cleaning the ear is always a part of the treatment for ear infections, and may be all that is necessary. If your veterinarian has given you instructions and materials to clean the ears, here is how it is done: Fill the ear canal with the ear cleaner and massage thoroughly. For maximum benefit, allow the solution to remain for at least five minutes before attempting to manually clean out the excess with a dry cotton ball. Do not use Q-tips. Take care not to abrade the ear with the cotton by overzealous cleaning. In dry and/or irritated ears, a tiny bulb or a water pick can be helpful. Your veterinarian may have new technology (Ear-I-gator, Medrx; Auriflush, Schering) for a more thorough professional ear cleaning. “Routine ear cleaning on a weekly or biweekly basis helps prevent recurrent infections especially in dogs that are prone to them or that swim a lot,” says Frank.

The cause of ear problems is broken down into three basic categories:

l Conformation: Cocker spaniels and other spaniel breeds have a heavy, pendulous ear that smothers the canal making these breeds predisposed to ear diseases. Shar Peis with their tiny canals fall into this category, as do dogs that have excessive amounts of hair in the ears or other obstructions.

l Excessive moisture: Dogs that swim a lot, like Labrador retrievers, or dogs that receive frequent baths or who live in humid parts of the country are predisposed to ear problems. Unlike people, who have bacteria as the causative agent in swimmer’s ear, in up to 90 percent of canine ear problems we find yeast.

l Allergies: Since ears are skin, then what affects skin often affects ears. One of the most common problems affecting skin and ears in dogs is allergies. During allergy season, and depending on which part of the country you live, many ear cases are caused by environmental antigens such as trees, grass, weeds, molds or house-dust mites. This may lead to inflammation, which leads to an environment in the ear conducive to the growth of yeast and bacteria.