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How often should I clean my dog's ears and with what?

How often you clean the ears depends on your dog. You want to clean them often enough to keep infections at bay, but not so often that you irritate the ears. Ask your veterinarian how frequently you should clean your dog's ears. For some dogs, you will need to clean the ears monthly. For other dogs, you'll need to clean the ears every other week or even weekly.

Cleaning your dog's ears at home is easy to do with the right supplies and techniques. You could also ask your vet or a veterinary technician to show you how to clean your dog's ears in the clinic so you feel more comfortable when doing it at home.

To get started, you will need cotton balls or gauze and a vet-approved ear cleaner. Cleaning the ears can be messy, especially if your dog's ears are excessively dirty. If you're cleaning the ears and your dog doesn't need a bath, you can wrap a towel around his neck and chest. This will keep him from getting ear cleaner and ear gunk all over his fur. To clean the ears, squeeze a little bit of ear cleaner into the ear and let it drip down into the ear canal. Gently massage the base of the ear to suds up the cleaner and help it break down wax and debris. Gently wipe the outer ear flap and inside the ear with a cotton ball or gauze square.

If your dog has an ear infection and needs medication, apply it after the ears are clean and wiped out.

At what intervals should I have my pet examined?

Kitten or Puppy: Birth to one year — You'll need to bring your little one in for vaccines every 3 to 4 weeks until he's 16 weeks old. Dogs will get shots for rabies, distemper-parvo, and other diseases. They may also need shots to protect against health woes such as kennel cough, influenza, and Lyme disease. Cats will get tests for feline leukaemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. They also get vaccinations that cover several diseases.

Adult: 1 to 7-10 years (Depending on the type of pet and breed) — During this stage, vets recommend yearly checkups. The vet may recommend other tests based on any problems your pet has or anything unusual he sees during the exam. Distemper-parvo and rabies booster shots happen during the first yearly checkup, then usually every three years after that.

Senior: 7 to 10 years and older — Vets suggest twice-yearly checkups for older pets. Blood and urine tests can give your vet the information on your pet's kidney and liver health, thyroid hormone levels.

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