My dog's ear has hard gray buildup. How do I safely remove it?

Yes, I would take Dax into the vet for this problem. It’s not normal to have a big build up of gunk in the ear or to have an odor. These are signs of an ear infection. Ear infections in dogs can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria so the vet needs to diagnose what’s causing this build up so he can be treated properly. I would take him into the vet in the next day or two. Just be careful using q tips in his ears. You could accidentally hurt him or even perforate his ear drum if you stick one in too far. The vet can give you an ear cleaning solution like Epi-Otis which is much safer to use. Best of luck!

There are a number of ear cleaners on the market, both OTC and prescription-based. For heavy wax buildup I like Cerúmenes, which should be available from your vet. I’m not familiar with cases of dogs that have so much wax they need surgery to remove it, so I wonder if your dog actually has recurring ear infections. If this is the case it’s not unusual for them to need deep cleanings under anesthesia. In these cases usually allergies are he underlying cause and these must be controlled in order to get the amount of debris in the ears under control.

It sounds like Blaze is pretty uncomfortable. I think it is fine to use a cotton ball and apple cider vinegar to clean the debris, but I would recommend scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian soon. Ear infections don’t tend to resolve on their own. In fact, they can be kind of frustrating to resolve sometimes. The longer the infection has been going on the harder to clear it up. Good luck and I hope he improves soon.

That is a mild amount of discharge that can easily cleaned with a some wet cotton (do not use cotton buds) ONLY on the outside of the ear canal (basically the bit you have taken the pics of). You can use a cleaning solution for the ears (Sancerum or Cleanaural) but only once a week or every two weeks. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

If the q-tip comes out black, then there is an excess of ear wax and likely an infection. The infection can be caused by bacteria, yeast, or even mites. Ear infections in dogs are very itchy, and often require prescription medications to help clear them quickly and manage the itch. The first step in treating an ear infection is breaking down the large chunks of wax and getting them out of the way so that medications can get to the surface of the ear. I like ear cleaners like Dechra Malacetic Ultra Otic that are antibacterial and antifungal. If you clean Remington's ears twice a day for a couple of days and he is still itching, he will need to go to the vet for prescription medications.

This black, tarry substance is mostly wax and cleansing twice daily with an alcohol free ear cleanser for 5-7 days should help remove this (it will also remove any mites which may be stuck in it). Fill the ear with the solution, rub gently and then wipe away the disolved wax - repeat 3-5 times until ear appears clean; do this twice daily until ear has been thoroughly clean for 2 cleanings and then 1-2 times weekly to prevent build up. Any severe pain, blood or loss of appetite indicates there may be an infection and this would require assessment by a vet to prescribe the correct medicated drops

It looks like there is some dried discharge on the ear. If it isn't bothering Rubble, then I would just wash it out with some warm water and make sure he isn't rubbing the ear or shaking his head. You can also apply Neosporin. If it isn't looking better in a few days, you should call the vet.