How To Clean Your Cockapoos Ears With Product Recommendations

If you need to clean Cockapoo ears, then there are three things (there’s more, but we’ll focus on three) you need to know first:

• A Cockapoo’s ears are sensitive to infections because they have floppy ears and they seem to pick up ear problems. So their ears need ongoing attention to prevent ear infections.
• No Cockapoo, no dog, will be jumping for joy at the prospect of having any ear cleaning treatment.
• If you don’t clean your Cockapoo’s ears properly, you can cause damage to dog ears.

It would be best if you put any doubts you may have about ear cleaning your Cockapoo out of your mind because cleaning your Cockapoo’s ears is essential for his continuing health and vitality and to curtail ongoing ear problems.

Keep Your Cockapoo Happy Before Cleaning His Ears 

First, it’s not going to start as an enjoyable experience for you or your Cockapoo. If someone squirts some ear cleaner down your ears, I doubt you’d be at all happy or any other dog that I know.

It has to start, though, so grab a few of your Cockapoo’s favourite treats and sit down with him somewhere comfortable. Begin slowly. All you want to achieve now is for your Cockapoo to let you look and check how things are looking in there. 

Dog owners love to ruffle their dog’s ears, and you will know right away if a dog is having some ear problems because he’ll pull away from your touch; a dog might even give a little yelp. Assuming he doesn’t do that, the dog more than likely doesn’t have an infection. 

But we still need to have a good look around and start getting your Cockapoo accepting the investigation of his ears.

If your Cockapoo is being a good dog, give him a small treat. Do this every day for a few days. If he’s happy about you inspecting his ears or you’ve been doing this for a while, then you can miss this step and go straight to cleaning your Cockapoo’s ears.

Cockapoo Ear Conditions And What To Look 

The most typical indication of an infection in one or both of your Cockapoo’s ears is the constant head shaking and scratching his ears. He may even try to rub his face along the ground or carpet. These are outward signs that your Cockapoo is experiencing a problem. You may also notice changes to your Cockapoo’s ear flaps. For example,

• Inside, they will be red and inflamed. It will also be hot when you touch the skin.
• Your Cockapoo may suffer hair loss in or around the ear.
• You may see a rash; this can be on the inside or outside.

If your Cockapoo ears have steadily become worse because of a nasty yeast infection, bacteria, a build-up of ear wax, or ear mites, you could also notice:

• A very unpleasant odour is coming from inside your Cockapoo’s ears.
• There may be a discharge accompanying the odour, usually dark brown.
• Your Cockapoo will be in pain if you touch or pull the ears.
• There will be swelling.
• Because of the swelling, you’ll notice his ear is narrower.

These signs indicate an infection, and you cannot treat them by cleaning Cockapoo ears. Your Cockapoo must go to the vet. Yeast infections must have appropriate medication, as does a wax build-up and ear mites. They will not get better on their own, and merely trying to clean your Cockapoo’s ears will not work. More than that, you will make your Cockapoo feel worse than he already does.

How To Avoid Ear Infections By Cleaning Cockapoo Ears

Cockapoos are ear infection magnets; they suffer from them frequently. Because a Cockapoo has floppy ears, much the same as a Cocker Spaniel, it’s so much easier for water, dirt, and debris to build-up in their ears. Another source of ear infections for a dog is allergies, and any dog can suffer from them.

Keeping your dog’s ears dry and clean is by far the best way to avoid infections. Once your Cockapoo gets the inside of his ear wet, it can quickly become a lovely warm, and cozy home for yeast infections and bacteria. 

Step By Step Cleaning Cockapoos Ears

Note: Do not try and use cotton tips or Q tips to clean your Cockapoo’s ears. It’s all too easy to injure dog ears. You may inadvertently start an infection or inflammation yourself by using them. Likely, you will only succeed in pushing and compacting the dirt and debris in the Cockapoo ears.

Follow these steps:

Step 1. Apply Ear Cleaner. Before beginning this step, it’s essential to choose a suitable ear cleaner. Some may be cheap, but they are likely not what your vet will recommend, and they may contain harmful substances for your dog, such as chloroxylenol, an antiseptic and disinfectant agent. We recommend this non-toxic ear cleaning solution. 

Ensure you and your Cockapoo are in a comfortable position. Tilt and lower your Cockapoo’s head and lift his right ear up, so the ear cleaning solution will run into the ear and not merely run down his neck. Squirt a reasonable amount of ear cleaner. Try to form a funnel with the flap to make sure the ear cleaner goes right inside. If it fills and some spills, don’t worry; too much is better than not enough.

Do not insert the end of the ear cleaner bottle inside the Cockapoo ears.

A quick tip before putting the solution in is to rub the ear cleaner container gently between your hands; this will warm the solution and not be quite such a shock for your Cockapoo.

Step 2. Gently Massage. Continue elevating the Cockapoo’s flap and, at the same time, gently massage the dog just above his jawline. You’ll likely feel cartilage in the area, and you’ll also hear the squelching sound of the cleaner inside the canal—massage in this area for up to a minute or more. Your Cockapoo will probably enjoy this feeling.

Step 3. Allow Him To Shake. Your dog will want to shake his head now. Let him go for it; shaking his head will help him move the cleanser right inside and all the way in. You might find your Cockapoo likes to rub his face along the carpet, much the same as he does when he’s trying to scratch his ear.

Step 4. Wipe Away Excess Cleaning Solution. There will be some ear cleaner still inside or on your Cockapoo’s ears, which needs cleaning. Remember, don’t use cotton buds of any description; they are not suitable for dogs because they can jump or flinch at anything. Cleaning solutions similar to the one we recommend don’t usually supply cleaning pads, but you can buy them separately.

The pads are simple to use. We like these luxurious cotton pads because they contain coconut oil and aloe vera, make great ear cleaners that soothe your Cockapoo s ears, and don’t include any chemical medication. 

Step 5. Tweezers. Once you have done cleaning the ears of your Cockapoo, you might like to remove the hairs that grow inside the ear canal. This step is often missed or avoided because your Cockapoo won’t like it, at least not at the start. But, persevere, because he will after a few times.

It’s essential not to skip this step; the hair will grow thick in there if it’s not pulled out. The hair is very often half the problem. Because when it gets wet and is left damp, it really can generate a  yeast infection or encourage bacteria.

How To Administer Ear Infection Medication To Your Cockapoo

If your Cockapoo has an ear infection and your vet has given you medication to administer, here’s a step by step guide to help you.

Try to follow these steps in order:

Step 1. Apply the medication immediately after you have finished cleaning your Cockapoo’s ears. Your vet will have given you the instructions regarding the amount and frequency.

Step 2. Take hold of the ear flap, the same way you did for cleaning, elevate so you can see the ear canal. Gently pull a little to straighten the ear canal; this makes it easier for the medication to find its way down the ear canal.

Step 3. Squeeze the number of drops necessary into the ear canal.

Step 4. Don’t allow the tip of the dispenser to touch any part of the ears. If it does, wipe it with alcohol to ensure no contamination with yeast or bacteria from the ear.

Step 5. Keep elevating the ear flap while you gently massage at the base of the ear. Doing this for a full minute allows the medication to cover the entire ear canal. You will hear a squishing sound, similar to when you put the cleaning solution inside his ear.

Step 6. The vet will almost certainly tell you to apply the medication to the ear flap’s inner side. Using a soft cotton wipe from your cleaning kit, cover the inside flap with the medicine.

Step 7. You must repeat this procedure with your Cockapoo’s other ear because, at some point, that ear will become infected.

Step 8. If the outside ear flap inadvertently gets covered in medication, wipe it clean with a soft cotton pad and cleaning solution.

How Often Should I Clean My Cockapoo’s Ears?

Cleaning your Cockapoo s ears will depend entirely on your Cockapoo; some dogs are more susceptible than others to ear infections. But it’s not a weekly chore. Probably more in the region of once, a month would be more than enough.

There are other factors to consider. How often do you bathe your Cockapoo? Do you live near the coast or waterway, and does he love the water? If he’s frequently in and out of the water, it’s a fact he will need looking at more closely and more often. Remember Cockapoo owners regular cleaning and keeping their ears clean is key.

Remember to look for any danger signs when you are cleaning your Cockapoo s ears. Keep a careful check on your dog. Look for things like unpleasant smells coming from inside his ear canals, discharge, inflammation, and redness on the ear flap’s inner side, constant scratching or head shaking, dark or black ear wax, or any combination of these signs. They indicate an ear infection is present.