How often should I clean my dog’s ears?
Many dog owners are surprised when they ask how often they should clean their dog’s ears and are told:
“You probably don’t need to clean them at all.”
The assumption that all dogs require routine ear cleaning is one of the most common misconceptions in veterinary medicine.
In reality, healthy ears are remarkably good at looking after themselves.
Healthy Ears Are Self-Cleaning
The ear canal is lined by specialised skin that slowly migrates outward from the ear drum toward the ear opening.
This natural process, known as epithelial migration, helps move wax, debris and dead skin cells out of the ear canal without the need for routine flushing or cleaning.
In a healthy ear, this mechanism works continuously.
For many dogs, interfering with this process unnecessarily can actually cause more problems than it solves.
So Should I Ever Clean My Dog’s Ears?
Sometimes.
Ear cleaning may be recommended in dogs with:
Excessive wax production
Recurrent ear infections
Allergic skin disease
Narrow or poorly ventilated ear canals
Certain breed predispositions
Excessive swimming or water exposure
However, the answer is rarely as simple as cleaning the ears more often.
If a dog repeatedly develops ear problems, the most important question is not:
“How often should I clean the ears?”
The more important question is:
“Why are the ears becoming diseased in the first place?”
Ear Infections Are Rarely an Isolated Problem
One of the most important concepts in veterinary dermatology is that ear infections are usually a symptom of a larger disease process.
Healthy ears do not repeatedly become infected for no reason.
When dogs develop recurrent ear infections, there is almost always an underlying cause.
Common examples include:
Environmental allergies (atopic dermatitis)
Food allergy
Ear canal conformation
Endocrine disease
Polyps or masses
Foreign material within the ear canal
Keratinisation disorders
Chronic inflammation causing narrowing of the ear canal
Unless these underlying factors are identified and addressed, ear infections frequently return regardless of how many ear drops or ear flushes are used.
More Cleaning Is Not Always Better
Many owners begin cleaning ears more frequently each time an infection returns.
Unfortunately, this can sometimes create additional irritation.
Over-cleaning may:
Cause discomfort
Increase inflammation
Disrupt the normal ear environment
Delay recognition of an underlying disease process
If an ear requires constant cleaning to remain healthy, it is often worth asking whether the real problem has been identified.
Not All Ear Cleaners Are the Same
Choosing an ear cleaner is often more complicated than it appears.
Many over-the-counter products contain ingredients designed to dry the ear canal, dissolve wax or alter the ear’s environment.
While these products may be appropriate in some situations, they are not universally safe for every patient.
Some products can be irritating when used on inflamed or ulcerated ears.
Others may cause discomfort when significant inflammation is already present.
Most importantly, certain products should be avoided if the ear drum is ruptured or cannot be confirmed to be intact.
For this reason, selecting an ear cleaner should be based on the individual patient, the condition being treated and the health of the ear canal and ear drum.
Why Examination Matters
Before recommending an ear cleaning protocol, dermatologists often perform:
Otoscopic examination
Ear cytology
Assessment of ear canal inflammation
Evaluation of the ear drum when possible
These steps help determine:
Whether an infection is present
What organisms are involved
Whether cleaning is appropriate
Which products are safest to use
The goal is not simply to clean the ear.
The goal is to understand what is happening inside the ear canal and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
The Bottom Line
Healthy ears generally do not require routine cleaning.
The ear canal has its own natural self-cleaning mechanism that continuously removes wax and debris through epithelial migration.
If your dog develops recurrent ear infections, the primary goal should not be to clean the ears more often.
The primary goal should be identifying and addressing the underlying cause.
In veterinary dermatology, recurrent ear disease is rarely the diagnosis itself. It is usually a sign that a larger problem still needs to be investigated.
DermaVet TT
March 2026
References:
Foster, A. (2023) Otitis Externa and Otitis Media. Canadian Academy of Veterinary Dermatology.
Gotthelf, L.N. (2005) Small Animal Ear Diseases: An Illustrated Guide. 2nd edn. St Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.
Miller, W.H., Griffin, C.E. and Campbell, K.L. (2013) Muller & Kirk’s Small Animal Dermatology. 7th edn. St Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Nuttall, T. (2023) ‘Managing recurrent otitis externa in dogs: What have we learned and what can we do better?’, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 261(S1), pp. S10–S22.
Nuttall, T. and Cole, L.K. (2004) ‘Ear cleaning: The UK and US perspective’, Veterinary Dermatology, 15(2), pp. 127–136.
Saridomichelakis, M.N., Farmaki, R., Leontides, L.S. and Koutinas, A.F. (2007) ‘Aetiology of canine otitis externa: A retrospective study of 100 cases’, Veterinary Dermatology, 18(5), pp. 341–347.
Tabacca, N.E. (2011) Epithelial Migration on the Canine Tympanic Membrane. Master’s thesis. The Ohio State University.
White, S.D., Bourdeau, P. and Blumstein, P. (2024) 'Chronic canine otitis: prevention is better than cure',Veterinary Focus, 34(1).