How to Care For Your Basset Hound's Ears

Everyone loves a cute Basset Hound. How can you resist that face with its long sad face and those adorable floppy ears. But those ears can cause many problems to the health of your Basset Hound. Basset Hounds are more susceptible to get odorous ear wax because of their long and floppy ears that become traps for dirt as they drag on the ground. This wax tends to build up and if not properly cleaned can lead to severe ear infections.

First, the best prevention for infection is to keep your Bassets ears healthy and odor free. This can be achieved by frequent cleaning.Before you start to clean the Basset you must have the proper tools to do the job. These tools include: cotton swabs, cotton balls, soft wash cloths, and some ear cleaning solution. Some people in the past have used mixtures of hydrogen peroxide and water or isopropyl alcohol and water as a cleaning solution. But today most vets discourage this practice and prefer you use specific ear washes or cleaning solutions.

Second, now you are ready to start the cleaning process, you start with the outer ear with a cotton ball or soft cloth dampened with the cleaning solution wash the out side area first. Make sure you wipe the entire ear and get into the many folds on the hounds ears. It is important to get all of the dirt removed.

Next, you want to move to the inside of the ear. Be very careful. Fill your dogs ear canal with just enough fluid to fill it. Then gently massage your dogs ear for about 20 to 30 seconds. This will loosen the dirt and wax. You can use a cotton ball to wipe out the dirt and excess fluid, but do not push the cotton ball too far into your dogs ear canal.

Lastly, if your dog is suffering fro severe ear wax build up I suggest you take your dog to the Vet. Never attempt the removal of severe wax build up by yourself. If your dog seems to be scratching and rubbing quite a bit after you have cleaned their ears, there is a good chance they have a wax build up. The best way to prevent this problem is by trying to keep your Basset Hounds ears as dry and clean as you possibly can.