# q-tips for cleaning ears?



## Chikyuu (May 1, 2010)

My Mom wanted me to ask this. Can we, and if so how, would you use a q-tip in helping clean out your dog's ears? We'd only do it when River's completely dry, like before a bath.


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## ChrissyBz (Aug 10, 2007)

Get your vet to show you how. 

It's not something you can learn on the internet and it's not something you should need to do on a regular basis unless your dog has special needs.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

If they wiggle a lot it would be easy to hurt the dog with a Q-tip. A cotton ball would be safer.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

As my doctor used to say, don't put anything bigger than your elbow in your ear. You can do real damage using a qtip if not done properly and dog's ear canals are different than ours in shape and length.
You should ask your vet to show you how to do it.
If you use an ear cleanser, the instructions are on the bottle. Nothing goes IN the ears but the fluid and then you wipe with a piece of cotton batting around the outer part of the ear and then you're done. If you suspect an infection the vet should be seen.


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