Nail Trimming and Ear Cleaning

Nails should be checked weekly. The frequency of trimming will depend on the dog’s wear and tear. More active dogs or dogs that are walking on hard surfaces such as concrete will have more wear on their nails and will require less frequent nail trims.

Frequency of ear cleaning depends on several factors including overall ear health and whether your dog is an active swimmer or not. Ears should be assessed frequently, checking for colour and amount of debris, smell, heat and/or pain. Healthy, clean ears require less frequent cleanings compared to ears with an active ear infection or dogs that are prone to developing ear infections (i.e. skin allergy dogs). Frequency and duration of ear cleaning, therefore, varies for each dog depending on their specific needs. If your dog likes the water and is a frequent swimmer, ears should be cleaned at the end of each day.

At Baxter Animal Hospital, we are able to demonstrate to owners how to properly clean their dog’s ears, assess ear health and apply ear medications to treat infections. We also provide ear maintenance services such as hair plucking.