Natural Ear-Cleaning Solutions for Dogs

Your dog's thin, long ear canals can be affected by debris such as wax. You should keep his ears clean so your dog doesn't suffer from infection or even possible irreversible hearing loss. There are several cleaning solutions available that help clean dogs' ears, but natural liquid solvents are environmentally safe and are developed to work in biological harmony with your dog's anatomy by using safe, natural ingredients.

Natural ear-cleaning solutions are not tested on animals and do not contain artificial chemicals that might harm the environment during their production. Organizations like the Natural Products Association (see "Additional Resources," below) that promote using natural products claim that natural ingredients are healthier because the process used for their production is environmentally safe, and their ingredients do not linger and collect in organic tissue the way man-made chemicals often do.

Natural ear-cleaning solutions contain substances that first envelop and then loosen debris that has fallen into a dog's ear canal. They also contain elements that both soothe and help heal any surface irritation and sore spots that have resulted from contact with debris.

Natural ear-cleaning solutions often contain natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, which is an antiseptic with antifungal properties; aloe vera, which helps soothe and heal topical irritations and has antibacterial and antifungal properties; chamomile, which has shown to have antiseptic, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties; and witch hazel, which acts as an astringent and helps remove any excess oil that may have accumulated in the dog's ears.

Although some products may claim to be natural, always check labels carefully to make sure that only natural ingredients are used as opposed to just being used alongside man-made chemicals such as glycerin and hydrocortisone.

There are several prominent and time-tested brands of natural ear-cleaning solutions, including Ark Naturals Ears All Right, R-7 and Doggie Herbs. These brands are available on the Internet, in pet stores and in stores specializing in natural health products.

Ear-cleaning solutions are usually implied in the same manner: Lay your dog on his side or tilt his head, fill his ear canal with the solution and massage the ear's base for 30 seconds to help loosen the debris. Wipe away the debris with a cotton ball. Depending on the solution, you may be directed to repeat this process until what you can see of the ear canal appears clean, or repeat this process a couple of times a day for several days. Pads or swabs soaked in solvents are also available to help wipe down just the inside of the dog's ear flap, but should never be inserted into the canal, as this may damage the dog's ear drum.

If you smell a yeasty or foul odor coming out of your dog's ears, see redness or swelling inside your dog's ears or your dog is pawing and scratching around his ears, he may be suffering from an ear infection or other ear disease. These problems can be caused be debris inside the ear canal, parasites, excess moisture or allergies. Trying to clean the air could possibly further irritate the condition. Instead, take him to your vet immediately for treatment. Ear problems can lead to further damage, such as irreversible hearing loss.