Brittany Spainel

Question
I have had my male Brittany spainel for 3 weeks now and i have been told that their ears need constant cleaning. I wanted to ask how to do it. I dont want to hurt the dog, or get water or soap in his ears, but i also do not want him to get infected. Are there any special soaps ore cloths i could use? and if so where can i get them? thank you for all of the help!
-Carlie

Answer
Hi Carlie,

Congratulations on your new puppy!!! You can purchase a commercial ear cleaner made for dogs at most large pet stores or there are many sites for dog supplies on the web such as PetEdge.com or Dog.com. You can also use a non alcoholic baby wipe from the drug store. The anatomy of a dog's ear is not like ours. Their ear is shaped more like an "L". You are not going to hurt him if you stick your finger in the ear. I would recommend cleaning the ears gently about once a week or so. To do this just use a cotton ball and put the ear cleaner on it. Then you can insert your finger down into the ear about 1/2 inch or so. If you choose to use baby wipes do the same. You can just wipe around the canal and keep repeating until the cotton ball or wipe comes out clean. Be very gentle and use a new cotton ball or wipe for each ear. You should also wipe the inside flap of his ear and try to get into any little folds in the ear. Do not be too aggressive. This should work out pretty well for you. You might want to look up the anatomy of a dogs ear on the web so you will see how their ear works. Thank you for being a conscientious pet owner. I would also recommend that you get your pup used to getting his nails cut and bathed. Thank you for your question, I hope I helped.