Why ears get overlooked
Ask most owners what they notice after a groom and they will say the coat, the length, the smell, maybe a nice bandana. Ears rarely come up. There are good reasons for that. Ears are hard to see into. Many pets pull away when you reach for them. It is easy to worry about hurting them, or to not know what a normal ear is supposed to look like, so the job waits until the day your pet starts scratching.
Ear shape and hair vary a great deal from breed to breed, and so does how much attention ears need. Cat ears often look tidy from the outside, so owners rarely look any closer. Either way, a regular look at the ears is worth having, and a grooming visit is a natural place for it.
What routine ear cleaning at a visit is
Ear cleaning is part of many of our bath-and-brush visits, for dogs and for cats. In plain terms, your groomer looks at each ear and gently cleans the outer part, the flap and the opening you can see. It is quick, and it fits into the same calm routine as the rest of the visit.
It is care for ears that are doing fine. It is not a treatment, and it is not meant for ears that are already sore. Cats are more particular about their heads than most dogs, so we go slowly with them, and we do not force progress. If a cat has had enough, we stop and tell you.
What we look at while we clean
Cleaning is also a chance to look. We pay attention to how much debris there is, how the ear smells, whether the skin looks pink or red, and whether your pet flinches when we touch it. Ears are one of the things we write down in the T.A.I.L.S. Wellness Report, the written notes that come with our full groom visits, along with skin, coat and anything else we spot that day. If something looks different from last time, the notes are how you find out.
If you have noticed anything at home, tell us at drop-off. Scratching, a smell, a pet who dislikes having their head touched: all of it helps us know what to look for and what to write down.
When to call your vet instead
If your pet is shaking their head, tilting it to one side, scratching at an ear, crying when it is touched, or has a strong smell, redness, swelling or discharge in an ear, please call your vet. Do not wait for the next grooming visit, and do not put anything into a sore ear before you have asked your vet.
We can tell you what we saw and when we saw it. We cannot tell you what is causing it. Finding the cause and treating it belongs to your vet.
Why a steady rhythm helps
One look at a pet's ears tells you a little. A look on a regular schedule tells you more, because the person looking learns what normal is for that particular pet. When your groomer knows your dog's ears usually look one way and today they look another, that difference is worth a note and, sometimes, a call to your vet.
You can build the habit at home too. Gently lift an ear flap now and then and notice what the ear looks and smells like when everything is fine. Then you will notice when it changes, and if you are unsure what you are seeing, ask us what we are seeing at the next visit.
That is one reason we like to see pets on a steady rhythm with the same groomer each visit, which is how our Den Club works. You can read more on our memberships page.
Related reading
- Why regular dog grooming matters for wellness
- What your dog's coat and skin are telling you
- What your cat's coat tells you about their health
- Dog grooming is wellness care
- The Den Club memberships
- All Pet Wellness articles