Ear and dental cleaning

Don't clean ears hard, and don't clean them for no reason. Some dogs need a routine set by the vet, others get by without frequent cleaning. Poking cotton buds deep into the canal, using the wrong product or cleaning an ear that's already sore can make things worse. A strong smell, discharge, a dog that keeps shaking its head or holds it tilted, redness and pain all mean a vet visit. Cleaning and perfuming the ear just hides the symptoms while the problem carries on.

If your vet has recommended a routine, use the solution they prescribed and the technique they showed you. Get the dog used to having the ear flap touched, and to the bottle, a little at a time. If it flinches suddenly, stop and work out why. It may be a sore ear.

For teeth, you can start brushing at home with dog products, brought in slowly. Touch the muzzle and lift the lip for a second first, and only then bring in the brush. You're after a routine the dog accepts. A fight every evening helps nobody. Very hard objects can damage teeth, so pick chews by the dog's size, how it chews and how safe they are.

Tartar you can see, a smell that won't go, bleeding gums, trouble chewing, drooling, going off food or any swelling all need a vet to look. Professional dental cleaning and treating mouth disease are medical procedures. If someone just scrapes the deposits off the surface without checking below the gum line, the disease is still there. The teeth look clean and you think the problem's gone.

It's worth considering mainly if your vet has recommended ear care, if you want to start brushing your dog's teeth, or if you have a dog you can get used to head handling step by step.

Ears shouldn't be scrubbed without a reason. And scraping tartar off the surface does nothing for the gum disease underneath.

Check the ears and gums: how they smell, whether there's discharge, what colour the gums are. Use the product your vet recommended.

Bring in the touch first, then the tool. Keep it short and stop as soon as there's pain.

A dog that shakes its head or pulls away when you touch its ear is telling you something. So are bleeding gums, difficulty chewing or drooling. They show how the dog is finding it and, often, that something hurts.

Get a vet product or one made for dogs, and ask to be shown the technique before you try it alone. For teeth you'll need a suitable brush and paste. Mention any history of ear infections or dental problems.

Watch how the person works. Nothing goes deep into the ear canal, and the dog's head is held gently. Discharge or signs of pain mean a referral to the vet. The tools and the space are clean, the hands are calm and there are breaks.

You can use rewards to teach your dog to accept having its muzzle and ears touched, which makes both hygiene and vet visits easier. If it reacts suddenly, look for the cause, usually pain. Punishing it only hides the pain and leaves you without the warning.

Ear disease and dental treatment are a vet's job. Products made for people can be wrong for dogs. The risks to talk through are damage to the ear canal, the dog inhaling the product, inflammation getting worse and the false impression that a medical problem has been sorted.