Course 10 · Ears · Lesson 2 of 12

How do you check ears before cleaning them?

Published 29 October 2026 · Updated 29 October 2026 · About 5 minutes · General information only. This lesson does not diagnose or treat any condition.

Check both ears in good light before cleaning, looking and smelling for warning signs that mean cleaning should wait for a vet.

Check ears before cleaning them by looking at both ears in good light, smelling them from a normal distance, feeling the flap and base gently, and watching how the dog responds to handling, before any cleaner or cotton wool is used. The check decides whether cleaning is suitable at all, because cleaning an ear that is sore, infected or injured can cause pain, push debris deeper, or mask a problem that needs veterinary assessment. A brief, systematic check, done calmly and routinely, protects the ear and makes cleaning, when it is suitable, safer and more effective.

How do you lift and look at an ear safely?

Lift the ear flap gently with one hand, without pulling, twisting or folding it hard, and look at the outer ear, the folds and the entrance to the canal in bright, even light. Look for wax, dirt, redness, swelling, discharge, sores, lumps, parasites, matted hair at the base, and any foreign material. Compare both ears, because a difference between ears is often the first clue that one ear needs attention. Look behind the ear and under the flap as well, where sores and mats hide, and look at the skin around the ear, where scratching can leave marks. Keep your face at a safe distance, keep the dog settled, and do not press into the canal or try to see deep inside it. The entrance and the visible outer ear are all you need to see for a home check.

What should you smell and feel for?

Smell the ear from a normal distance, without putting your nose into the canal. A healthy ear has little or no smell, while a strong, yeasty, sweet or unpleasant smell is a warning sign that needs veterinary assessment, not cleaning. Feel the ear flap and the base gently with the back of your hand or your fingertips, checking for heat, swelling, tenderness or a lump, and compare the temperature and feel of both ears. A hot, swollen or painful ear, or an ear the dog guards by turning away, flinching or growling, should not be cleaned at home. Feel also for matted hair at the base, which can hide soreness, and for any hard or soft lump that was not there before. Smell and touch, together with sight, give a fuller picture than sight alone, and they often detect a problem before it is visible.

How do you watch the dog during a check?

Watch the dog throughout the check for signs of pain, fear or discomfort: pulling away, shaking the head, scratching at the ear, tilting the head, whining, growling, snapping, or tensing when an ear is touched. A dog that accepts one ear calmly but objects to the other is telling you something about that ear, and the check should stop for that ear. A dog that shakes its head constantly, scratches persistently, or holds its head tilted needs veterinary assessment, as Lesson 10 explains, and should not be cleaned at home in the meantime. Reward calm acceptance with quiet praise, keep the check brief, and do not restrain a dog that is distressed in order to finish looking. A check that respects the dog response is more informative than a check that forces a view of a sore ear.

What should you note before you clean?

Note the date, which ear was checked, what you saw, smelled and felt, how the dog responded, and whether cleaning is planned or postponed. Note the amount and colour of wax, any redness or discharge, any smell, and any change from the last check. A simple note, kept with grooming records, shows a pattern over time, such as one ear repeatedly waxy, or a smell returning after cleaning, and that pattern helps a vet assess the ear accurately. If you are unsure whether an ear is suitable to clean, note the uncertainty and seek advice, rather than cleaning and hoping. A note also helps a second person, such as a family member or a groomer, to see what was found and what was decided, without relying on memory.

Use this pre cleaning check sequence:

Settle the dog, in good light, with a helper if needed, and reward calm behaviour.
Lift each flap gently, look at outer ear, folds and canal entrance, and compare ears.
Smell from a normal distance, feel for heat, swelling, tenderness or lumps.
Watch the dog response, and stop if pain, fear or guarding is shown.
Decide: clean the outer ear gently only if the ear looks healthy, or postpone and seek vet advice if any warning sign is present.
Note what you found, for both ears, before you clean or postpone.

Stop and get help: which findings stop cleaning?

Cleaning should stop, and veterinary advice should be sought promptly, if you find a strong smell, discharge of any colour or consistency, redness, swelling, heat, pain, a sore, a lump, bleeding, a foreign object, parasites, or a dog that will not let the ear be touched. Cleaning should also stop if the ear has been injured, if the dog has had ear surgery, or if a vet has advised against home cleaning for that dog. Do not clean to remove discharge, do not try to remove a foreign object, and do not apply a cleaner, oil or home remedy to a sore ear. Tell the vet what you saw, smelled and felt, when it started, and whether the dog has had ear problems before. A check that stops cleaning is a successful check, because it sends a problem ear to assessment quickly, without the delay and risk of cleaning a canal that needs treatment.