The adorable droopy ears are hands down the best feature of a beagle. But those floppy ears block the airflow and creates a moist environment inside the ears, making it a perfect place for infection. That’s why it is essential to clean your beagle’s ears regularly.
How to Clean Your Beagle’s Ears? To clean your beagle’s ears, first squirt few drops of ear cleaner fluid into his ear canal. Then, with a cotton ball, clean all the wax and debris present inside the ear.
Now that you have the basic idea of cleaning your beagle’s ears, we will further look into indebt step-by-step guide, how to check for infections, and how often to clean them.
How often to clean your beagle’s ears?
The main goal is not to let wax buildup inside your beagle’s ears, which can cause infections and other complications. How often you clean your beagle’s ears will highly depend on how exposed your beagle is too excessive wax buildup.
Generally, cleaning your beagle’s ears after every two or three weeks will help maintain proper ear hygiene. But if your beagle is prone to wax buildup and infection, then it is recommended to clean his ears once every week.
It is beneficial to set a fixed schedule for such activities.
Check for ear infection.
Beagles are quite vulnerable to different ear infections, primarily because of the droopy nature of their ears. Because of this, any beagle owner needs to do regular ear check up on their beagles. This will help them to notice any infection early and diagnose it before it develops to a severe stage.
Here are some signs and symptoms of ear infection in a beagle:
Excessive scratching
Though it is normal for a dog to scratch its ears, excessive scratching might be a sign of some infection. If you notice that your pooch is persistently scratching his ear with either his hind or front paw, take him to the vet immediately. You can even consider chatting with an online vet.
Rubbing ears on the floor or a wall
The infection causes irresistible irritation inside the ears, and this can make a beagle rub or drag his ear repeatedly on the ground.
Pay attention to how your beagle is whining
Beagles are very vocal about how they feel, and when they are in pain, they whine in a low pitched tone. If you notice that your beagle is making such noise while scratching his ears, then it’s most definitely because of ear infection. A sever
Watch out for head tilting
If your beagle is persistently holding his head to one side, it could be a sign of an ear infection. In some cases, this is a sign of deep and severe infection, which needs an immediate check-up by a vet.
Notice any behavioral changes
Ear infections can be quite painful sometimes. This may prompt your dog to change his normal behavior. Some of the common changes you will notice are reduced appetite and weakened movements.
Check for unpleasant smell or discharge
Most of the bacterial infections produce an unpleasant odor. Thus, you should regularly check for bad smell coming from your beagle’s ears. Additionally, bacterial infections can also cause discharge. The discharge may be a thick, black, or brown or yellow-green.
Step-by-step instruction for cleaning your dog’s ears
For all the lazy parents out there, let me tell you, cleaning your beagle’s ears is not at all challenging or tiresome. It hardly takes 5 minutes to clean both his ears. Your beagle’s hygiene is necessary to do not procrastinate this. Heres how to clean your beagle’s ears:
Step 1: Gather all the products
You will require the Canine Ear cleaning fluid and some cotton balls. You can get the Canine Ear Cleaning fluid on Amazon. You can also make the ear cleaning liquid at home by mixing white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Cleaning fluid kills all the bacteria in the ears and helps to remove wax.
Step 2: Check for infection
Before you start the actual cleaning process, it is helpful to check for any signs of infections, mites or bacteria. Few common signs you should look for are: bad odor, discharge, thick wax, swollen tissues.
If you notice any such signs, do not touch it and take your beagle to the vet immediately.
Step 3: Find the right time to do it
If you attempt to clean your beagle’s ears when he is in a playful mood then, of course, it will be a disaster. The best time to clean a beagle’s ears is when he is exhausted and about to sleep which is usually after his exercise.
Step 4: Squirt the Ear Cleanser
Lift an ear flap and squirt few drops of Canine Cleaning Liquid in the ear canal. Make sure to read the direction of Canine Cleaning Liquid before using it.
Step 5: Massage the Ear
Put the flap down and massage the ear base of your beagle for 1 minute.
Step 6: Wipe the ear with Cotton Ball
After you are done massaging the ear base, lift the ear flap again and wipe all the areas with clean cotton balls. Always use different cotton balls for both the ears. Remove all the wax and debris visible.
Importance of cleaning the beagle’s ears regularly?
Most dog owners neglect ear cleaning and don’t realize how important it is.
Ears are essential parts that you should never ignore when grooming your beagle. The way you pay attention to the cleaning and brushing of his fur, the same way you should be concerned about the cleanliness of his ears. The reasons for this include:
- Regular ear cleaning can prevent infection, bacteria, and mites.
- It eliminates the bad odor that may be caused by the dirt and infections in your beagle’s ears.
- Dirt, wax, and debris can cause irritation in your beagle’s ears. Regular ear cleaning will prevent this.
How can you prevent ear infections in beagles?
The only answer to this is Regular Cleaning of your beagle’s ears.
For dogs like beagle who have long and droopy ears and are more prone to ear infections, it becomes necessary to clean its ears regularly.
To help you avoid your beagle from contracting ear infections, here are some tips that you can do:
Treat the underlying causes
If your beagle has started getting ear infection more often then the problem can be something else. You might not be cleaning his ears properly, or there might be some foreign object stuck inside his ears, or could be an allergy. Consult the vet immediately and find a possible solution.
Always keep your beagle’s ears dry
Bacteria and yeast thrive in a moist and warm environment, and if you don’t properly dry up your beagle’s ears, they can become a favorable environment for bacterial infections. So after baths, swimming or water play, ensure you properly dry his ears immediately.
Add supplements to your beagle’s diet
Some supplements like omega-3 are quite helpful in reducing inflammation, hence minimizing the risk of ear infection. Also, supplements that are rich in vitamins and minerals, help to strengthen the immune system of your beagle, thus reducing the vulnerability of any form of infections, including ear infections. Consult a vet for better advice.
Recommended products for cleaning dog’s ears
Indeed, the first step to proper and healthy cleaning of your beagle’s ears is using the right products. Here are some of the certified dog cleaning products approved by our vet.
Zymox LP3 Enzyme System Ear Cleanser: This product is made of a powerful enzymic formulation to effectively tackle dirt and bad odor, as well as reduce the likelihood of ear infections.
PetMD Ear Wipes: This cleaner is made of mild, natural ingredients to ease with itching and rubbing.
ExoEars Ear Cleaner and Disinfectant: It consists of 100% natural ingredients, and it can treat symptoms of ear infection of different causes.
Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleanser: It is made of salicylic acid as the primary ingredient, and it is mainly used to treat otitis externa.
Thing to avoid
There are few things that you must always avoid for better ear care of your beagle:
Using the wrong ear cleaning solution
Due to the L-shape of the dog’s ear, you need a cleaner that can reach the horizontal canal. The cleaner should also be able to acidify the ear canal to avoid infections. Do not use any cheap or low-quality alternatives while cleaning the ears.
Avoid using insufficient cleaning fluid
Do not hold back and make sure you use enough fluid to clean the ears.
Use of cotton swab
Cotton swabs tend to push debris and wax deeper in the ear canal, thus making it hard to remove them. To avoid this, dry his ears using a cotton ball, tissue, or pad.
Procrastinating the Vet appointment
If you detect something abnormal with your dog’s ear, like a foul smell, you should call a veterinarian immediately.
Final Thoughts
You now know how and why you should mind cleaning your beagle’s ears regularly and properly. Cleaning his ears is as important as cleaning any other part of his body. Take proper care of your beagle’s ears and keep them safe from any form of ear infection.
