I recommend you call the vet, you should be taught how to apply the wash, work it in and how to clean it out completely, they can also sell you what you need.

There are different solutions that can be used depending on the type of ear problems your dog has but I use only what I buy at the my vets office. One type is a liquid that dries into a powder form whereas another I have is to be use in conjunction with an antibiotic for ears.

If you're just wanting to wipe the stuff that is visible along the ear you can use a soft cotton square dampened with mineral oil and gently wipe the ear. Don't pour mineral oil in his ear.

If he's shaking his head or acting like his ears are bothering him, I'd seek out a vet.

As I stated, her ears are starting to get dirty and bother me, not her. There is no odor so I just want them washed. Thanks for the 'cotton swab/mineral oil' -- is baby oil OK? As I often decry, the answer isn't always a doctor.

Many dogs with floppy ears (like retrievers) need routine ear cleaning, to prevent yuck from building up and creating future problems (like infection). My friends gently clean out their retriever's ears weekly, but with a q-tip, and not deeply.

A vet can better guide you.

Witch hazel is pretty good for swabbing out dog ears. Just dampen a square of cotton and wipe the ear out. I got the idea from reading the label on a dog earwash product at the health food store- that's pretty much all it was, but it cost about 10x what a bottle of witch hazel did.

I completely agree with your approach to this, and I also agree with most of what was posted.

Having said that, I had a Lab/Shepard mix with a history of ear issues, for all of her 14 years.

Ear issues that seem relatively minor, might be just that, or, they may be the precursor to something more severe. The situation can change as the dog ages. Ear issues can also start out minor, and very quickly turn into something major.

I discovered after much frustration and getting absolutely nowhere with my dogs problem, that you can do something to try and correct things, and make them worse. What works for one dog, might not work for another.

I would consult with someone who specializes in ear issues if possible, and research the subject on Google (punch in "dog ear problems". This will give you a broad picture of what can happen, plus give you lots of ideas about how to approach things.

Finally, I know I'm getting off subject a bit. Just in case you have other ear issues to deal with (along with any other medical) that require medication, research everything vet says and medications, put a time limit on when you should start to see results. If your vet changes medication once, and/or alters a diagnosis, he/she probably does not know what is going on. This theory is going to save you tons of time, frustration and money.

Good luck!

SG

Our Golden Retriever/St. Bernard mix (yes, he was a BIG dog) and our collie/St. Bernard mix both got their ears cleaned regularly with warmed baby oil and Q-tips. I was careful not to go too deeply into the ear, and to end the ear cleaning session with a warm washcloth wrung out of just plain water to swab the entire inside of the ear. Our vet suggested this procedure, and both boys never had an ear problem, even though they had floppy ears. Both dogs loved to have their ears cleaned, and would sit and wait for me to get the Q-tips ready when they saw a baby oil bottle. Good for you to think of taking care of your lab's ears BEFORE a problem develops.

I also thank everyone for the actual information on HOW to clean a dog's ears. I was at the vet on Saturday, adn we discussed my dogs ears, along with many other things .. but I never asked HOW to clean them.

We were more comcerned with his skin issue.

The store bought wipes are nothing more than WitchHazel and Aloe Vera in a baby wipe type dispenser.

Witch Hazel is an inexpensive, gentle, natural skin cleaners available at any drug store, but it can be drying. That is why the Aloe vera is in there. Last I looked a bottle of pure Aloe Vera is very inexpensive at the drug store too. They have botanicals too but that is for ear perfume.

Buy both, use a paper towel to clean the ear with the Witch Hazel then with the other corner of the paper towel wipe the ear with Aloe Vera or even baby oil.

I wouldn't use a QTip for more than very, very tentative trials at first to see how she reacts. If it tickles and she shakes her head suddenly, the qtip could go too deep. You don't want to pin her down or she will fear ear cleaning for the rest of her life.

You can also use the Sensitive Skin human baby butt wipes. They are not expensive and usually just water and aloe vera. Read the ingredients though.

Good luck, a 6 month old Lab puppy is a ball of energy and soon, how to clean her ears might be the least of your worries. LOL

Wer have a shepherd-lab mix who's prone to gunky ears... Our vet gave (sold) us a bottle of "blue stuff"-- dog ear wash, can't remember what it's called-- to be used a couple times a week. (Squirt in ear, massage around, wipe out with a tissue-- NOT a Q-tip!) If her ears get red/inflamed-looking, we have a small bottle of Otomax (also from the vet) which we use after the blue stuff-- a dime-size drop in each ear, massaged around and left in (not wiped out), 2-3x/day.

She hasn't had a full-blown infection since we started using the blue stuff and staying on top of it...

The baby-wipe thing sounds like the best plan. If I clean her ears every week she shouldn't have any problems. I think I will also use them on the barn cats who don't seem to mind me messing with their ears.

BTW, Yes, a 6 mo. old lab is a real challenge especially for senior citizens! She is making us younger for sure and sometimes we cry but mostly we laugh!!!!