Yorkie Health Tip: Taking Care of Your Yorkshire Terrier's Ears

A Yorkshire Terrier owner needs to pay close attention to the Yorkie's ears. Because of the Yorkie's long hair and the growth of hair inside the ear, Yorkies tend to get ear infections and ear mites. You need to inspect your Yorkies ears at least once a week. Following is a list of dos and don'ts for Yorkshire Terrier ear care.

Do remove hair from the inside of a Yorkie's ears
If you have your Yorkie regularly groomed, the groomer can do a good job of removing the hair inside the ear. In between professional grooming you can remove any accumulated hair by plucking it out of the ear by grabbing the hair with your fingers and giving a quick tug. If your Yorkie is very accommodating, you can carefully use a tweezers, but don't stick the tweezers very far inside the ear. Most Yorkies don't seem to mind this, especially if they are accustomed to being groomed on a daily basis.

Do check frequently for bad odor in the ear and evidence of ear mites
A bad odor inside the ear can indicate that your Yorkie has an ear infection. Ear mites look like tiny little brown spots in your dog's ear. Both of these conditions will cause the ear to have a bad smell. You will need to take your dog to your Vet for a diagnoses and medication to get rid of the problem.

Do use an ear cleaner that is made for a dog's ears
You should clean your Yorkie's ears at least once a week. It is always important to use products that are made especially for dogs. These products will not have ingredients that will harm your dog's sensitive ears. If you have doubts as to what product to use, ask your Vet for a recommendation..

Do see you're Vet if you suspect an ear infection
Your veterinarian is the best person to determine what is wrong with your Yorkie's ears. If you notice your Yorkie scratching, shaking his head, and/or an unpleasant odor, take him/her directly to your Vet. He will be able to prescribe medication for your Yorkie to give quick relief.

Do not poor alcohol in a Yorkie's ears
If you have ever read a pet forum somewhere, you may have seen where someone has poured alcohol down their dog's ears because they thought they had an infection. Please don't do that. Can you imagine how much that must have hurt. Be very careful what you put in your Yorkie's ears. You don't want to cause more pain or damage.

Don't choose your bed as a place to clean out doggy ears
This tends to be a messy process. Once you pour something into a dog's ears they want to shake their head. Once they begin to shake things go flying. Outdoors or a bathroom are both good places to do this task.

Do not get water in your Yorkie's ears when bathing
Before bathing your Yorkie you can place a cotton ball in each ear to prevent water from going down inside the ears. Keeping your Yorkie's ears as dry as possible will help to prevent infection. Don't forget to remove the cotton balls once you're done bathing your Yorkie.

Do not use Q tips
Normally when a Vet cleans a dog's ear they will use cotton balls. Q tips can cause ear debris to be pushed further inside the ear. Be sure to use a clean new cotton ball for each ear. If your dog does have an ear infection, you don't want it to spread to both ears if it is in just one ear.

Do not ignore your Yorkie's ears
If you don't regularly inspect and care for your Yorkie's ears, you're just asking for trouble. It's a lot more expensive to go to the Vet than it is to do a little weekly care.

Yorkshire Terrier ear care is essential. All pets require good care. If you aren't willing to do these types of things for your pet, you will be better off not having a pet. Pets aren't just cute little things to have around. They need love, play time, attention, and a watchful eye to make sure that they stay healthy.

Sources:

http://www.stjamesanimalhospital.com/site/view/62689_Cleanmydogsears.pml

Personal Experience