Cleaning the ears is a very important part of a Poodle’s grooming routine. If the long ears become heavily weighted with hair, the ear canal can become blocked and infection can develop inside. When Poodles are trimmed regularly by professional groomers, ear cleaning (and the removal of excess hair on the insides of the ear flaps) is always included as part of the complete grooming service.

If you trim your Poodle at home, consequently, it is extremely important to make ear care part of his regular grooming routine. When the ears are attended to every month, they should remain in good condition and the cleaning will take only a short time. If you do not want to clean your Poodle’s ears yourself, let your groomer or vet do the job, but do not neglect them.

One of the most common reasons for failing to care for the ears is lack of understanding of the ear canal by the novice groomer. It is important, therefore, to know a little about the structure of the ear. The dog’s ear is divided into three parts:

• The external ear consists of the pinna (or ear flap) and the ear canal.
• The middle ear consists of the tympanic membrane, the tympanic cavity, and the auditory canal (this connects with the nose and throat).
• The internal ear is composed of the organs of hearing and equilibrium. The ear canal extends from the opening in the visible part of the external ear, or the pinna, to the tympanic membrane. It is not a straight canal but forms nearly a right-angle turn in the deeper part of its course.

The Correct Way For Examining and Cleaning the Ears

1. Examine the inside of each ear and the entrance to the ear canal carefully about once or twice every month. The skin inside the ears and on the flaps should be pale pink. Red, brown or black skin may indicate trouble. Smell the ears. Unhealthy ears smell foul. A little wax is normal; excessive amounts are not.
2. The first step in cleaning the ears is to remove the long hair leading into the canal. If this hair is neglected and allowed to grow long, wax will accumulate inside, cut off the air circulation, and eventually cause infection. Always do this job on a sturdy grooming table with adequate lighting. Sit the dog on the table and, if necessary, have someone steady him.
3. Because the ear canal is deep and almost L-shaped, the safest position for removing excess hair is to grasp the ear flap (or hanging portion) and draw it backwards, or flat to the head. Use your thumb and index finger or, if you are more experienced, a small fine-point forceps to carefully pull out the excess hair leading into the canal. If the hair is hard to grip, sprinkle a little ear powder into the opening to give you a better hold. Do not liberally dump powder into the ear. Doing so will only plug up the canal and restrict air circulation. It is often wiser to put a little powder into a container and dip your fingers into it before attempting to grasp any hair growing out of the ear canals. Never probe deeper than you can actually see, and pull out only a few hairs at a time; otherwise, it will be painful to the dog. Remember, though, if you use the position described above, it is almost impossible to reach the delicate inner structures, even if a straight instrument is used. But if you draw the ear outward, or away from its base, you could reach the sensitive tympanic membrane and cause serious damage.
4. Once the hair is removed, moisten a cotton ball or gauze square with a canine ear lotion (formulated to clean ears and to help loosen excess wax accumulation) or a little mineral oil or alcohol to clean away any dirt, wax or remaining ear powder. Wipe around the ear flap and the opening into the canal as far as you can see. Do not probe more deeply. A light swabbing is enough if there is no evidence of wax accumulation.
5. If there is a great deal of wax on the cotton, and especially if the ears smell foul, you will have to flush out the canal with the ear lotion. You do not want to draw the ear flap backward and flat to the head (as previously instructed) because this position makes it almost impossible for the lotion to reach the horizontal portion of the canal. Now, you want to grasp the cartilage at the base of the ear and carefully draw it outward and away from the head so that any liquid dropped inside will make its way down the entire portion of the ear canal and insure proper cleaning. Put several drops of ear lotion or mineral oil into the canal.
6. Lower the ear flap and temporarily steady the head with your hand to keep your Poodle from shaking. Use your other hand to gently massage the base of the ear to distribute the lotion or oil inside. This will help to dislodge any waxy fragments inside.
7. After a short massage, release your hold on the muzzle. As soon as you let go, your Poodle will shake his head, but don’t be alarmed. This is nature’s way of protecting the delicate structure of the ear canal, and it also helps to float any deep-seated wax to the surface.
8. Once the wax is brought up, use cotton balls or swabs to wipe the ear until it is clean and dry. There is no need to probe deep into the ear to remove wax. On Poodles with long, thick and hairy ear flaps, you can pull up the ears behind the head and hold them in place with a latex band for a few minutes to let them dry completely. Do not apply the band around the ear flaps themselves, only around the hair below them.